The Forty-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1875 to March 4, 1877, during the seventh and eighth years of Ulysses S. Grant's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Ninth Census of the United States in 1870. For the first time since the American Civil War, the House had a Democratic majority. The Senate maintained a Republican majority.
November 22, 1875: Vice President Henry Wilson died from a strokeJune 25, 1876: Custer's Last Stand at the Battle of Little BighornJuly 4, 1876: United States CentennialNovember 7, 1876: United States general elections, 1876, including the disputed Presidential election of 1876, later settled with the Compromise of 1877 which ended Reconstruction.March 3, 1877: Desert Land Act, ch. 107, 19 Stat. 377August 1, 1876: Colorado admitted as the 38th stateThe count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress, and includes members from vacancies and newly admitted states, when they were first seated. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.
During this Congress, two Senate seats and one House seat were added for the new state, Colorado.
President: Henry Wilson (R), until November 22, 1875; vacant thereafter.President pro tempore: Thomas W. Ferry (R), from March 9, 1875Republican Conference Chairman: Henry B. AnthonyDemocratic Caucus Chairman: John W. StevensonSpeaker: Michael C. Kerr (D), until August 19, 1876 (died)Samuel J. Randall (D), elected December 4, 1876Democratic Caucus Chairman: Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar IIRepublican Conference Chair: George W. McCraryThis list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.
Skip to House of Representatives, belowSenators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1880; Class 2 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1876; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1878.
The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
replacements: 4Democratic: 1 seat net gainRepublican: 1 seat net lossdeaths: 3resignations: 1vacancy: 1interim appointments: 3seats of newly admitted states: 2Total seats with changes: 7replacements: 14Democratic: no net changeRepublican: no net changedeaths: 9resignations: 6contested election: 5seats of newly admitted states: 1Total seats with changes: 21Lists of committees and their party leaders.
AgricultureAppropriationsAudit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the SenateCivil Service and RetrenchmentClaimsCommerceCounting the Electoral Vote (Select)Distributing Public Revenue Among the States (Select)District of ColumbiaEducation and LaborEngrossed BillsEnrolled BillsExamine the Several Branches in the Civil Service (Select)FinanceForeign RelationsIndian AffairsJudiciaryManufacturesMilitary AffairsMines and MiningMississippi River Levee System (Select)Mississippi Election Frauds, 1876Naval AffairsOrdnance and War Ships (Select)PatentsPensionsPost Office and Post RoadsPrivate Land ClaimsPrivileges and ElectionsPublic LandsRailroadsRevision of the LawsRevolutionary ClaimsRulesTariff Regulation (Select)TerritoriesTransportation Routes to the Seaboard (Select)WholeAccountsAgricultureAppropriationsBanking and CurrencyClaimsCoinage, Weights and MeasuresCommerceDistrict of ColumbiaEducation and LaborElectionsEnrolled BillsExpenditures in the Interior DepartmentExpenditures in the Justice DepartmentExpenditures in the Navy DepartmentExpenditures in the Post Office DepartmentExpenditures in the State DepartmentExpenditures in the Treasury DepartmentExpenditures in the War DepartmentExpenditures on Public BuildingsForeign AffairsIndian AffairsInvalid PensionsManufacturesMileageMilitary AffairsMilitiaMines and MiningMississippi LeveesNaval AffairsPacific RailroadsPatentsPost Office and Post RoadsPublic Buildings and GroundsPublic ExpendituresPublic LandsRailways and CanalsRevision of LawsRules (Select)Standards of Official ConductTerritoriesWar ClaimsWays and MeansWholeConditions of Indian Tribes (Special)Enrolled BillsFrame a Form of Government for the District of ColumbiaInvestigate Chinese ImmigrationArchitect of the Capitol: Edward ClarkLibrarian of Congress: Ainsworth Rand SpoffordPublic Printer of the United States: Almon M. ClappChaplain: Byron Sunderland (Presbyterian)Secretary: George C. GorhamSergeant at Arms of the Senate: John R. FrenchChaplain: S. L. Townsend (Episcopalian)Clerk: George M. AdamsClerk at the Speaker’s Table: William H. ScudderDoorkeeper: Lafayette H. FitzhughPostmaster of the House: James M. SteuartSergeant at Arms: John G. Thompson 
