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The United States on March 8, 1861

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

President

Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln R · since Mar 4, 1861

Senate

22 D · 19 R

42 senators · 37th Congress

House

1 U

1 representatives

Supreme Court

7 D · 1 W

8 justices by appointing party

Union

34 states

12 amendments in force

Public debt

$65M

as of Jul 1, 1860

1861-03-08/executiveThe administration

President Abraham Lincoln R

since Mar 4, 1861

Vice President Hannibal Hamlin R

Secretary of War Simon Cameron R

since Mar 5, 1861

Postmaster General Montgomery Blair R

since Mar 5, 1861

Attorney General Edward Bates DR

since Mar 5, 1861

Secretary of State William H. Seward R

since Mar 5, 1861

Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase D

since Mar 7, 1861

Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles D

since Mar 7, 1861

1861-03-08/congress37th Congress

Senate · 22 D · 19 R · 1 U

House · 1 U

1861-03-08/supreme-courtThe bench

John McLean D

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

James Moore Wayne D

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

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

Samuel Nelson W

Associate Justice · appointed by John Tyler · since Feb 13, 1845

Robert Cooper Grier D

Associate Justice · appointed by James K. Polk · since Aug 4, 1846

John Archibald Campbell D

Associate Justice · appointed by Franklin Pierce · since Mar 22, 1853

Nathan Clifford D

Associate Justice · appointed by James Buchanan · since Jan 12, 1858

1861-03-08/weekWithin a week · Mar 1, 1861 – Mar 15, 1861

Abraham Lincoln takes office · Mar 4, 1861

Law Morrill Tariff

Mar 2, 1861 · Ch. 68, Sess. 2, 36th Cong.

Ruling Day v. Washburn

Mar 5, 1861 · 65 U.S. 352

Ruling Lessee of Robert W. Smith and Carey W. Butt v. McCann

Mar 5, 1861 · 65 U.S. 398

Ruling Phelps v. Edgerton

Mar 5, 1861 · 131 U.S. lxxi

Ruling Suydam v. Williamson

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 427

Ruling Thacker B. Howard v. Bugbee

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 461

Ruling Ex Parte. in the Matter of the Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Dennison

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 66

Ruling Meehan v. Forsyth

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 175

Ruling Massey v. Papin

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 362

Ruling The Board of Commissioners of Knox County v. Aspinwall

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 376

Ruling Arnold Medberry v. Ohio

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 413

Ruling Porter v. Bushrod W. Foley

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 415

Ruling Reddall v. Bryan

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 420

Ruling Sheirburn v. Cordova

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 423

Ruling Tracy v. Holcombe

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 426

Ruling Curtis v. The County of Butler

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 435

Ruling Wstson Freeman v. Jabez C. Howe

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 450

Ruling Belcher v. Linn

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 508

Ruling Knight v. Augustus Schell

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 526

Ruling Belcher v. Linn

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 533

Ruling Pierre A. Berthold v. Goldsmith

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 536

Ruling Wheeler v. Nesbitt

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 544

Ruling Myra Clark Gaines v. Duncan N. Hennen

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 553

Ruling Gregg v. Forsyth

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 179

Ruling Ballance v. Forsyth

Mar 14, 1861 · 65 U.S. 183

Ruling Davidson v. Lanier

Mar 14, 1861 · 131 U.S. lxxii

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.