Congress had completed passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 on March 13, 1866 but President Johnson had vetoed the measure as unconstitutional and an intrusion on states' rights. Congress had failed to over-ride a previous veto of the Freedmen's Bureau bill but this time a more determined and united Senate voted 33-15 to succeed three days earlier. The House voted 122-41 to join the Senate and the Civil Rights Bill became law, the first time in history a presidential veto had been over-turned.  (By John Osborne) 

Congress had completed passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 on March 13, 1866 but President Johnson had vetoed the measure as unconstitutional and an intrusion on states' rights. Congress had failed to over-ride a previous veto of the Freedmen's Bureau bill but this time a more determined and united Senate voted 33-15 to succeed. The House voted three days later with similar success and the Civil Rights Bill became law, the first time in history a presidential veto had been over-turned.  (By John Osborne) 

Sitting United States Senator Solomon Foot of Vermont died in the morning at his Washington D.C. home after a prolonged illness.  Foot had served since 1851 without pause in the U.S. Senate and before that had spent two terms in the House of Representatives.  His funeral was held in the Chamber of the United States Senate and was buried in his hometown of Rutland, Vermont. He was sixty-three years old. He was succeeded in the Senate by George F. Edmunds. (By John Osborne)

Congress continued with the work of Reconstruction with the Civil Rights Bill, passing Lyman Trumbull's legislation by a vote of 33-12 in the Senate and the House 109-38, after heated debate.  President Johnson by then had unexpectedly vetoed the Freemen's Bureau Bill and followed up with the veto of the Civil Rights Bill on this day, citing its unconstitutional intrusion on states' rights. Congress, in an historic reaction, later over-rode this veto. (By John Osborne) 

With the Freedmen's Bureau Bill passed and President Johnson expected to sign it, the Senate had continued with the work of Reconstruction with the Civil Rights Bill, passing Lyman Trumbull's legislation by a vote of 33-12 on February 2, 1866 after a heated debate. The bill cleared the House five weeks later by a tally of 109 to 38. President Johnson by then had unexpectedly vetoed the Freemen's Bureau Bill and followed up with the veto of the Civil Rights Bill on March 27, 1866.  (By John Osborne) 

With the Freedmen's Bureau Bill passed and President Johnson expected to sign it, the Senate continued with the work of Reconstruction with the Civil Rights Bill, passing Lyman Trumbull's legislation by a vote of 33-12 after a heated debate. The bill cleared the House five weeks later by a tally of  109 to 38. President Johnson by then had unexpectedly vetoed the Freemen's Bureau Bill and followed up with the veto of the Civil Rights Bill on March 27, 1866.  (By John Osborne) 

Senator Lyman Trumbull's bill to extend the life and authority of the Freedmen's Bureau had passed through Congress two weeks before. The Bureau had been founded in March 1865 to aid freed slaves in making the transition to freedom.  President Johnson had been expected to sign the bill but instead sent a lengthy veto message on February 19, 1866, calling the bill unconstitutional. The Senate narrowly failed, 30-18, to over-ride the veto, thanks to the votes of several moderate Republicans.  (By John Osborne) 

Senator Lyman Trumbull's bill to extend the life and authority of the Freedmen's Bureau had passed the Senate by a vote of 37 to 10, and the House by 136-33, along strict party lines, two weeks before. The Bureau had been founded in March 1865 to aid freed slaves in making the transition to freedom.  President Johnson had been expected to sign the bill but instead sent a lengthy veto message calling the bill unconstitutional. (By John Osborne)