Subjects –
Reed, Thomas Brackett
The McKinley Tariff of 1890
October 01, 1890
On this date, the McKinley Tariff of 1890 became law—boosting protective tariff rates of nearly 50, percent on average, for many American products.
The resignation of House Postmaster James L. Wheat
October 01, 1890
On this date, the final day of the first session of the 51st Congress (1889–1891), House Postmaster James L. Wheat of Wisconsin resigned after an investigation determined that he had received kickbacks on a lucrative mail contract and listed a Government Printing Office employee on the Postmaster’s payroll whose salary instead went largely to Wheat’s son.
The historic 54th Congress
December 02, 1895
The 54th Congress convened a little more than a year after what proved to be a historic midterm election.
The annexation of Hawaii
June 15, 1898
By an overwhelming vote of 209 to 91, the House approved Senate Joint Resolution 55 providing for the annexation of Hawaii as an American territory.
The Speaker’s broken gavels
June 23, 1906
On this date, Speaker of the House Joseph Cannon of Illinois broke a gavel while putting the House into the Committee of the Whole for further consideration of a bill.