111th Congress, 2nd Session
Speaker of the House Samuel Randall of Pennsylvania
October 15, 1877
On this date, Representative Samuel Randall of Pennsylvania was re-elected Speaker of the House by a 17-vote margin for the 45th Congress (1877–1879) over Representative James Garfield of Ohio. The son of a Whig Party politician, Randall spent his early life steeped in Philadelphia politics and won his first elective office in 1852. A Civil War soldier, Randall fought in the Union Army at the Battle of Gettysburg, shortly after his election as a Democrat to the House in 1862. After Speaker Michael Kerr of Indiana died in August 1876, the House elected Randall as Speaker in December of that year amid an electoral crisis: presidential election returns for three southern states remained in dispute in a close election between Democrat Samuel Tilden and Republican Rutherford B. Hayes. Randall was active in Tilden’s campaign and considered filibustering the Electoral Commission’s ruling in favor of Hayes. Yet, during the House vote on the commission’s recommendations, Randall refused to accept dilatory motions, effectively quelling the filibuster. Randall’s move prevented the chaos of an unresolved presidential election, allowing Democrats the political leverage to broker an end to Reconstruction in the South. Re-elected as Speaker in this sharp, partisan environment, Randall’s dedication to the preservation of the institution was firm. “[I demand] that all considerations of class, section, and party shall be subordinated to the loftier and more patriotic object which all of us recognize as best for the whole country and its people,” he told his colleagues on the House Floor. Randall served as Speaker until the Republicans recaptured the majority in the 47th Congress (1881–1883). He died in office on April 13, 1890.
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Cite this Highlight
Office of History and Preservation, Office of the Clerk, http://clerk.house.gov/art_history/highlights.html?action=view&intID=314, (December 07, 2010).For Additional Information
Office of History and Preservation(202) 226-1300
history@mail.house.gov
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Speaker Samuel Randall of Pennsylvania presided over the House after the tumultuous 1876 presidential election created an electoral crisis during the 44th Congress (1875–1877).
Oil on canvas, William A. Greaves after C. A. Fassett, 1891, Collection of U.S. House of Representatives
Teaching Tip
Wielding the Gavel
Ask students to locate three stories pertaining to Speakers of the House. Have students select and conduct research on one of the Speakers using historical highlights and the Biographical Directory bibliography.
