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The United States on March 9, 1840

Who held every office, how Congress and the Court were made up, and what happened within a week. Diff this day against today →

President

Buren

Martin Van Buren D · since Mar 4, 1837

Senate

30 D · 20 W

50 senators · 26th Congress

House

113 D · 95 W

215 representatives

Supreme Court

7 D · 2 JR

9 justices by appointing party

Union

26 states

12 amendments in force

Public debt

$4M

as of Jan 1, 1840

1840-03-09/executiveThe administration

President Martin Van Buren D

since Mar 4, 1837

Vice President Richard Mentor Johnson D

Secretary of State John Forsyth D

since Jul 1, 1834

Secretary of the Treasury Levi Woodbury D

since Jul 1, 1834

Secretary of War Joel Roberts Poinsett DR

since Mar 7, 1837

Secretary of the Navy James Kirke Paulding D

since Jul 1, 1838

Attorney General Henry D. Gilpin D

since Jan 11, 1840

1840-03-09/congress26th Congress

Senate · 30 D · 20 W

House · 113 D · 95 W · 4 AM · 2 C · 1 O

1840-03-09/supreme-courtThe bench

Joseph Story JR

Associate Justice · appointed by James Madison · since Nov 18, 1811

Smith Thompson JR

Associate Justice · appointed by James Monroe · since Dec 9, 1823

John McLean D

Associate Justice · appointed by Andrew Jackson · since Mar 7, 1829

Henry Baldwin D

Associate Justice · appointed by Andrew Jackson · since Jan 6, 1830

James Moore Wayne D

Associate Justice · appointed by Andrew Jackson · since Jan 9, 1835

Philip Pendleton Barbour D

Associate Justice · appointed by Andrew Jackson · since Mar 15, 1836

Roger Brooke Taney D

Chief Justice · appointed by Andrew Jackson · since Mar 15, 1836

John Catron D

Associate Justice · appointed by Andrew Jackson · since Mar 8, 1837

John McKinley D

Associate Justice · appointed by Martin Van Buren · since Sep 25, 1837

1840-03-09/weekWithin a week · Mar 2, 1840 – Mar 16, 1840

Ruling United States v. Wood

Mar 3, 1840 · 39 U.S. 430

Ruling Decatur v. Paulding

Mar 3, 1840 · 39 U.S. 497

Ruling United States v. Stone

Mar 3, 1840 · 39 U.S. 524

Ruling Atkins v. N. and J. Dick and Company

Mar 5, 1840 · 39 U.S. 114

Ruling Sprigg v. The Bank of Mount Pleasant

Mar 9, 1840 · 39 U.S. 201

Ruling Rhode Island and Providence Plantations v. Massachusetts

Mar 9, 1840 · 39 U.S. 210

Ruling Albert P. de Valengin's Administrators v. Duffy

Mar 9, 1840 · 39 U.S. 282

Ruling Guy C. Irvine v. Lowry

Mar 9, 1840 · 39 U.S. 293

Ruling Fowler v. Harris Brantly

Mar 9, 1840 · 39 U.S. 318

Ruling Games v. Stiles

Mar 9, 1840 · 39 U.S. 322

Ruling United States v. The Heirs of Eleazer Waterman

Mar 9, 1840 · 39 U.S. 478

Ruling United States v. Gratiot

Mar 9, 1840 · 39 U.S. 526

Each office is shown as it stood at the end of the day. Cabinet records come from Wikidata and have gaps for some historical offices.