Proceedings of the Electoral Commission and Joint Meeting of Congress on the 1877 Electoral Count

What it is

This is the printed record of the Electoral Commission and of the two houses of Congress meeting together, relating to the count of electoral votes cast on December 6, 1876, for the presidential term beginning March 4, 1877. It was printed by the Government Printing Office in 1877 and runs about 1,087 pages. A resolution printed at the front ordered 10,000 copies, including the proceedings, arguments and briefs of counsel.

Why it matters

The commission was the body that decided the contested election of 1876, and this volume keeps its proceedings on the public record. It shows the lawyers, members of Congress and commissioners who argued over the returns, not only the candidate in the title. Reading the arguments directly lets students see how the dispute was framed at the time.

Look closer

• Who was given the job of deciding disputed votes, and why might Congress have needed a special body to do it?
• What does the full printed record include besides the final decisions, and what might a short summary leave out?
• Why did the government order so many copies printed, and who was it meant to reach?