United States House Select Committee on Reconstruction facts for kids

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United States House Select Committee on Reconstruction

Full title	United States House Select Committee on Reconstruction
Introduced in	40th United States Congress
Legislative history
Introduced in the House of Representatives as by Thaddeus Stevens (R–PA) on Passed the United States House of Representatives on July 3, 1867 ()

The House Select Committee on Reconstruction was a special group of lawmakers in the United States House of Representatives. It worked during the 40th and 41st Congresses. This committee focused on issues related to the Reconstruction Acts. These acts were laws passed after the American Civil War to help rebuild the Southern states. A similar group, the United States Congressional Joint Committee on Reconstruction, existed in the previous Congress.

This special committee played a big part in the effort to impeach President Andrew Johnson. It was the committee that reviewed and approved the resolution to impeach Johnson before the full House voted on it.

How the Committee Started

The first Reconstruction Act became law on March 2, 1867. A few months later, on July 3, 1867, the House Select Committee on Reconstruction was created. This happened when the United States House of Representatives voted for a plan proposed by Representative Thaddeus Stevens.

Stevens' plan asked for a committee of nine members. Their job was to look into what new laws might be needed for Reconstruction. Stevens had talked with other lawmakers about bringing back the old Joint Committee on Reconstruction. However, they all agreed it would be better for each part of Congress to have its own separate committee.

What the Committee Did

During the 40th Congress

The first version of this nine-member committee worked from its start until March 2, 1869. The Speaker of the House, Schuyler Colfax, chose the first nine members on July 5, 1867.

Making New Laws

On July 8, 1867, the committee's chairman, Thaddeus Stevens, introduced a new bill. This bill was meant to add to the earlier Reconstruction Acts. It was sent back to the committee briefly to allow a Democratic member to prepare a report. An updated version of the bill was then passed by the House on July 12, 1867. The Senate also passed it the next day. Even though President Andrew Johnson tried to stop it with a veto, Congress passed it into law on July 19, 1867.

On July 12, 1867, the House also asked the committee to create a bill. This bill would take back lands that had been given to Southern states in 1856 to help build railroads. These land grants had expired.

Looking Into Problems

During the 40th Congress, the committee also investigated important issues. In early 1868, the committee looked into the possibility of impeaching President Andrew Johnson.

On February 21, 1868, a resolution to impeach President Johnson was sent to the committee. The next day, Chairman Stevens reported that the committee believed Johnson should be impeached. They presented a slightly changed version of the impeachment resolution. On February 28, 1868, the full House voted to pass this resolution. This officially meant they were impeaching President Johnson.

Later, on December 3, 1868, the House asked the committee to investigate the situation in the former Confederate states of Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia. The committee was given permission to call witnesses to help them report on these states. They later printed the information they gathered.

On December 14, 1868, the House also directed the committee to investigate violence by the Ku Klux Klan in Tennessee and other places. The committee's duties were expanded even further on January 28, 1869.

During the 41st Congress

Just a few days into the 41st Congress, on March 9, 1869, the House voted to bring back the Select Committee on Reconstruction. This time, it had thirteen members. It would follow the same rules as before. All the documents from the previous committee were given to this new one. Speaker Theodore M. Pomeroy appointed the thirteen members on March 15, 1869.

The committee finished its work and gave its final report on February 20, 1871. It officially ended on March 2, 1871.

Committee Members

Here are the members who served on the House Select Committee on Reconstruction during its different periods.

40th Congress (First Session)

These were the first members, chosen by Speaker Schuyler Colfax on July 5, 1867.

40th Congress (Second Session)

These members served during the second session of the 40th Congress, starting December 3, 1867.

40th Congress (Third Session)

These members served during the third session of the 40th Congress, starting December 9, 1868. The former chair, Thaddeus Stevens, had passed away.

41st Congress (First Session)

These members served during the first session of the 41st Congress. Speaker Theodore M. Pomeroy appointed them on March 15, 1869.

41st Congress (Second and Third Sessions)

These members served during the second and third sessions of the 41st Congress, starting December 6, 1869, and December 1870.

What Happened Next

In the 42nd Congress, a new special committee was formed. It was called the United States House Select Committee to Inquire into the Condition of the Late Insurrectionary States. This committee soon became a joint committee with the Senate. It took over the jobs that the House Select Committee on Reconstruction had been doing.