The House of Representatives had voted overwhelmingly in February 1862 for an amendment to establish a Department of Agriculture seperate from farming's former home in the Patent Office. Only seven representatives voted against it, with 125 in favor. President Lincoln signed the final bill on this day and the new department, without cabinet status, came into being six weeks later on July 1, 1863. Isaac Newton of Pennsylvania was named as its first Commissioner. (By John Osborne)
Source Citation
House Vote #112 (Feb 17, 1862), http://www.govtrack.us/congress
A.C. True, "The United States Department of Agriculture, 1862-1912," Proceedings of the Twenty-sixth Annual Convention of the Association of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, Atlanta, Ga, November 13-15, 1912, p. 4.
Record Data
Date Certainty
Exact
Type
Lawmaking/Litigating
