1870–71 United States House of Representatives elections
House elections for the 42nd U.S. Congress
The 1870–71 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between June 6, 1870, and October 6, 1871. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before or after the first session of the 42nd United States Congress convened on March 4, 1871. They occurred in the middle of President Ulysses S. Grant's first term. Elections were held for all 243 seats, representing 37 states.
With Grant's administration rocked by a number of scandals (including a shady deal for gold speculation that led to a crash in the market and several business deals that saw highranking governmental officials gain kickbacks) and Reconstruction winding down, his Republican Party lost seats to the opposition Democratic Party but retained an overall majority. Also, since white-supremacist governments controlled by the Democratic Party were reestablishing themselves in some portions of the Southern United States, the Democrats were able to make huge gains in this election.
Election summaries
The previous election included 5 Conservatives
Election dates
In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform nationwide date for choosing Presidential electors. This law did not affect election dates for Congress, which remained within the jurisdiction of State governments, but over time, the States moved their congressional elections to this date as well. In 1870, there remained 12 States that held elections before Election Day, and 4 that held it after at this time:
Early elections:
December 1, 1869: Mississippi (Mississippi was a special case, having held elections for both the 41st Congress upon readmission and for the 42nd Congress on the same day)
June 6: Oregon
August 4: North Carolina
September 6: Vermont
September 12: Maine
October 11: Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania
October 25: West Virginia
November 1: South Carolina
Late elections:
March 14, 1871: New Hampshire
April 4, 1871: Connecticut
August 6, 1871: Montana Territory
September 6, 1871: California
October 6, 1871: Texas
Special elections
Alabama
Arizona Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Arkansas
California
Colorado Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
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