The 1874–75 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between June 1, 1874, and September 7, 1875. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before the first session of the 44th United States Congress convened on December 6, 1875. Elections were held for all 292 seats, representing 37 states.
These elections were held in the middle of President Ulysses S. Grant's second term with a deep economic depression underway. It was an important turning point, as the Republicans lost heavily and the Democrats gained control of the House. It signaled the imminent end of Reconstruction, which Democrats opposed. Historians emphasize the factors of economic depression and attacks on the Grant administration for corruption as key factors in the vote.
With the election following the Panic of 1873, Grant's Republican Party was crushed in the elections, losing their majority and almost half their seats to the Democratic Party. This was the first period of Democratic control since the prewar era. The economic crisis and the inability of Grant to find a solution led to his party's defeat. This was the second-largest swing in the history of the House (only behind the 1894 elections), and is the largest House loss in the history of the Republican Party.
In the south, the Democrats continued their systematic destruction of the Republican coalition. In the South, Scalawags moved into the Democratic Party. The Democratic landslide signaled the imminent end of Reconstruction, which Democrats opposed and a realignment of the Republican coalition that had dominated American politics since the late 1850s.
While the ongoing end of Reconstruction in the South was one of the main reasons for the shift, turn-of-the-century historian James Ford Rhodes explored the multiple causes of the results in the North:
Rhodes continues:
<blockquote>The political revolution from 1872 to 1874 was due to the failure of the Southern policy of the Republican party, to the Credit Mobilier and Sanborn contract scandals, to corrupt and inefficient administration in many departments and to the persistent advocacy of Grant by some close friends and hangers-on for a third presidential term. Some among the opposition were influenced by the President's backsliding in the cause of civil service reform, and others by the failure of the Republican party to grapple successfully with the financial question. The depression, following the financial Panic of 1873, and the number of men consequently out of employment weighed in the scale against the party in power. In Ohio, the result was affected by the temperance crusade in the early part of the year. Bands of women of good social standing marched to saloons before which or in which they sang hymns and, kneeling down, prayed that the great evil of drink might be removed. Sympathizing men wrought with them in causing the strict law of the State against the sale of strong liquor to be rigidly enforced. Since Republicans were in the main the instigators of the movement, it alienated from their party a large portion of the German American vote.</blockquote>
Special elections
- : 1874
- : 1874
- : 1875
- : 1875
- : 1875
Election summaries
{| style="width:70%; text-align:center;"
|+ ↓
|- style="color:white;"
| style="background:" | 182
| style="background:; width:2.73%;" | 8
| style="background:; width:35.15%;" | 103
|-
| Democratic
|
| Republican
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|- valign=bottom
! rowspan=2 | State
! rowspan=2 | Type
! rowspan=2 | Total<br/>seats
! colspan=2 | Democratic
! colspan=2 | Republican
! colspan=2 | Independent
|-
! | Seats
! | Change
! | Seats
! | Change
! | Seats
! | Change
|-
! Alabama
| District<br/>+ 2 at-large
| 8
| | 6
| | 4
| | 2
| | 4
| | 0
| |
|-
! Arkansas
| District
| 4
| | 4
| | 4
| | 0
| | 4
| | 0
| |
|-
! California
| District
| 4
| | 3
| | 2
| | 1
| | 2
| | 0
| |
|-
! Connecticut
| District
| 4
| | 3
| | 2
| | 1
| | 2
| | 0
| |
|-
! Delaware
| At-large
| 1
| | 1
| | 1
| | 0
| | 1
| | 0
| |
|-
! Florida
| District
| 2
| | 1
| | 1
| | 1
| | 1
| | 0
| |
|-
! Georgia
| District
| 9
| | 9
| | 2
| | 0
| | 2
| | 0
| |
|-
! Illinois
| District
| 19
| | 11
| | 6
| | 6
| | 8
| | 2
| | 2
|-
! Indiana
| District
| 13
| | 8
| | 5
| | 5
| | 5
| | 0
| |
|-
! Iowa
| District
| 9
| | 1
| | 1
| | 8
| | 1
| | 0
| |
|-
! Kansas
| District
| 3
| | 1
| | 1
| | 2
| | 1
| | 0
| |
|-
! Kentucky
| District
| 10
| | 9
| | 1
| | 1
| | 1
| | 0
| |
|-
! Louisiana
| District
| 6
| | 4
| | 3
| | 2
| | 2
| | 0
| |
|-
! Maine
| District
| 5
| | 0
| |
| | 5
| |
| | 0
| |
|-
! Maryland
| District
| 6
| | 6
| | 2
| | 0
| | 2
| | 0
| |
|-
! Massachusetts
| District
| 11
| | 5
| | 5
| | 4
| | 7
| | 2
| | 2
|-
! Michigan
| District
| 9
| | 3
| | 3
| | 6
| | 3
| | 0
| |
|-
! Minnesota
| District
| 3
| | 0
| |
| | 3
| |
| | 0
| |
|-
! Mississippi
| District
| 6
| | 4
| | 3
| | 2
| | 3
| | 0
| |
|-
! Missouri
| District
| 13
| | 13
| | 4
| | 0
| | 4
| | 0
| |
|-
! Nebraska
| At-large
| 1
| | 0
| |
| | 1
| |
| | 0
| |
|-
! Nevada
| At-large
| 1
| | 0
| | 1
| | 1
| | 1
| | 0
| |
|-
! New Hampshire
| District
| 3
| | 2
| | 1
| | 1
| | 1
| | 0
| |
|-
! New Jersey
| District
| 7
| | 5
| | 4
| | 2
| | 4
| | 0
| |
|-
! New York
| District
| 33
| | 17
| | 8
| | 16
| | 8
| | 0
| |
|-
! North Carolina
| District
| 8
| | 7
| | 2
| | 1
| | 2
| | 0
| |
|-
! Ohio
| District
| 20
| | 13
| | 7
| | 7
| | 7
| | 0
| |
|-
! Oregon
| At-large
| 1
| | 1
| | 1
| | 0
| | 1
| | 0
| |
|-
! Pennsylvania
| District
| 27
| | 17
| | 12
| | 10
| | 12
| | 0
| |
|-
! Rhode Island
| District
| 2
| | 0
| |
| | 2
| |
| | 0
| |
|-
! South Carolina
| District
| 5
| | 0
| |
| | 5
| |
| | 0
| |
|-
! Tennessee
| District
| 10
| | 9
| | 6
| | 1
| | 6
| | 0
| |
|-
! Texas
| District
| 6
| | 6
| |
| | 0
| |
| | 0
| |
|-
! Vermont
| District
| 3
| | 0
| |
| | 3
| |
| | 0
| |
|-
! Virginia
| District
| 9
| | 8
| | 4
| | 1
| | 4
| | 0
| |
|-
! West Virginia
| District
| 3
| | 3
| | 1
| | 0
| | 1
| | 0
| |
|-
! Wisconsin
| District
| 8
| | 3
| | 1
| | 5
| | 1
| | 0
| |
|-
! align=center colspan=2 | Total
! 293
! | 183<br/>
! | 94
! | 105<br/>
! | 93
! | 4<br/>
! | 4
|}
{|
|- valign="top"
| [[File:44 us house membership.png|thumb|350px|
{| width="100%"
! colspan="2" align="center" | House seats by party holding plurality in state
|-
|
|
|-
|
|
|-
|
|
|} ]]
| [[File:44 us house changes.png|thumb|350px|
{| width="100%"
! colspan="2" align="center" | Net gain in party representation
|-
|
|
|-
|
|
|-
|
|
|-
| colspan="2" align="center" |
|} ]]
|}
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 1874–75, there were still 10 states with earlier election dates, and 3 states with later election dates:
- Early elections (1874):
- June 1 Oregon
- August 6 North Carolina
- September 1 Vermont
- September 14 Maine
- October 7 Georgia
- October 13 Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, West Virginia
- Late elections (1875):
- March 9, 1875 New Hampshire
- April 5, 1875 Connecticut
- September 7, 1875 California
Alabama
Arkansas
|-
!
| Asa Hodges
| | Republican
| 1872
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Oliver P. Snyder
| | Republican
| 1870
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| William J. Hynes<br/>
| | Republican
| 1872
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Thomas M. Gunter<br/>
| | Democratic
| 1872
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|}
Arizona Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
California
|-
!
| Charles Clayton
| | Republican
| 1872
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Horace F. Page
| | Republican
| 1872
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| John K. Luttrell
| | Democratic
| 1872
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Sherman O. Houghton
| | Republican
| 1871
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|}
Colorado Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Connecticut
|-
!
| Joseph R. Hawley
|
| 1872 <small>(special)</small>
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Stephen Kellogg
|
| 1869
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Henry H. Starkweather
|
| 1867
| Incumbent re-elected
| nowrap |
|-
!
| William Barnum
|
| 1867
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|}
Delaware
Florida
|-
!
| William J. Purman<br/>
| | Republican
| 1872
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Josiah T. Walls<br/>
| | Republican
| 1870
| Incumbent re-elected.<br/>The election was later successfully challenged.
| nowrap |
|}
Georgia
Idaho Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
|-
!
| James Buffinton
| | Republican
| 1868
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Benjamin W. Harris
| | Republican
| 1872
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| William Whiting II
| | Republican
| 1872
| |Incumbent retired.<br>Republican hold.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Samuel Hooper
| | Republican
| 1861 <small>(special)</small>
| |Incumbent retired.<br>New member elected after initial result overturned.<br>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Daniel W. Gooch
| | Republican
| 1872
| |Incumbent lost re-election.<br>Independent gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Benjamin Butler
| | Republican
| 1866
| |Incumbent lost re-election.<br>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Ebenezer R. Hoar
| | Republican
| 1872
| | Incumbent retired.<br>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| John M. S. Williams
| | Republican
| 1872
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| George F. Hoar
| | Republican
| 1868
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Alvah Crocker
| | Republican
| 1872 <small>(special)</small>
| |Incumbent retired.<br>Independent gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Henry L. Dawes
| | Republican
| 1856
| |Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senate.<br>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|}
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
|-
!
| Lucius Q. C. Lamar
| | Democratic
| 1872
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Albert R. Howe
| | Republican
| 1872
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Independent Republican gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Henry W. Barry
| | Republican
| 1869
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Jason Niles
| | Republican
| 1872
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| George C. McKee
| | Republican
| 1869
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| John R. Lynch
| | Republican
| 1872
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|}
Missouri
Montana Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Nebraska
|-
!
| Lorenzo Crounse
| | Republican
| 1872
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|}
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oregon
thumb|Oregon Results
|-
! rowspan=2 |
| rowspan=2 | James Nesmith
| rowspan=2 | Democratic
| rowspan=2 | 1873
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>New member elected June 1, 1874.<br/>Democratic hold.
| nowrap |
|-
|}
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
|-
!
| Joseph Rainey
| | Republican
| 1870
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Alonzo J. Ransier
| | Republican
| 1872
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>Independent Republican gain.<br/>Election was later successfully challenged, declared vacant, and a special election was then held.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Robert B. Elliott
| | Republican
| 1870
| | Incumbent resigned November 1, 1874, to serve as sheriff.<br/>Republican hold
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Alexander S. Wallace
| | Republican
| 1868
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Richard H. Cain<br/>
| | Republican
| 1872
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>Republican hold.
| nowrap |
|}
Tennessee
|-
!
| Roderick R. Butler
| | Republican
| 1867
| |Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Jacob M. Thornburgh
| | Republican
| 1872
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| William Crutchfield
| | Republican
| 1872
| |Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| colspan=3 | None (new district)
| | New district.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| John M. Bright<br/>
| | Democratic
| 1870
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Horace Harrison<br/>
| | Republican
| 1872
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Washington C. Whitthorne<br/>
| | Democratic
| 1870
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| John D. C. Atkins<br/>
| | Democratic
| 1872
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| David A. Nunn<br/>
| | Republican
| 1872
| |Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Barbour Lewis<br/>
| | Republican
| 1872
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain.
|
|}
Texas
Utah Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Vermont
|-
!
| Charles W. Willard
| | Republican
| 1868
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Republican hold.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Luke P. Poland
| | Republican
| 1866
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Independent Republican gain.
| nowrap |
Second ballot
|-
!
| George Hendee
| | Republican
| 1872
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|}
Virginia
|-
!
| James Beverley Sener
|
| 1872
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| James H. Platt Jr.
|
| 1869
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Charles H. Porter
|
| 1869
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| William H. H. Stowell
|
| 1870
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Christopher Thomas
|
| 1872 <small>(contest)</small>
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Thomas Whitehead
|
| 1872
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic hold.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| John T. Harris
|
| 1870
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Eppa Hunton
|
| 1872
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Rees Bowen
|
| 1872
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic hold.
| nowrap |
|}
Washington Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
West Virginia
|-
!
| John J. Davis
| | Independent<br/>Democratic
| 1870
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| John Hagans
| | Republican
| 1872
| | Incumbent lost re-election as an Independent.<br>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Frank Hereford
| | Democratic
| 1870
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|}
Wisconsin
|-
!
| Charles G. Williams
| | Republican
| 1872
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Gerry Whiting Hazelton
| | Republican
| 1870
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>Republican hold.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| J. Allen Barber
| | Republican
| 1870
| | Incumbent retired.<br/> Republican hold.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Alexander Mitchell
| | Democratic
| 1870
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic hold.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Charles A. Eldredge
| | Democratic
| 1862
| | Incumbent lost renomination.<br/>Democratic hold.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Philetus Sawyer
| | Republican
| 1864
| | Incumbent retired.<br/> Republican hold.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Jeremiah M. Rusk
| | Republican
| 1870
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Alexander S. McDill
| | Republican
| 1872
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|}
Wyoming Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Non-voting delegates
|-
!
|-
!
| Moses K. Armstrong
| | Democratic
| 1870
| | Incumbent lost re-election.<br/>Republican gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Jerome B. Chaffee
| | Republican
| 1870
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>Democratic gain.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| John Hailey
| | Democratic
| 1872
| | Incumbent retired.<br/>Independent gain.<br/>Result successfully contested.<br/>Democratic hold.
| nowrap |
|-
!
| Martin Maginnis
| | Democratic
| 1872
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|-
!
|-
!
|-
!
|-
!
| William R. Steele
| | Democratic
| 1872
| Incumbent re-elected.
| nowrap |
|}
See also
- 1874 United States elections
- 1874–75 United States Senate elections
- 43rd United States Congress
- 44th United States Congress
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links
- Office of the Historian (Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)