Subjects – 13th Amendment
A bill abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia
April 11, 1862
On this date, the House approved a bill abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia by a vote of 92 to 38.
The 13th Amendment
January 31, 1865
On this date, the House passed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery in the United States.
The first African American to speak in the House Chamber
February 12, 1865
On this date, Preacher Henry Highland Garnet became the first African American to speak in the House Chamber when he addressed a crowd of worshippers.
The Civil Rights Bill of 1866
April 09, 1866
On this date, the House overrode President Andrew Johnson’s veto of the Civil Rights Bill of 1866 with near unanimous Republican support, 122 to 41, marking the first time Congress legislated upon civil rights.