The 76th Massachusetts General Court, consisting of the
Massachusetts Senate and the
Massachusetts House of Representatives, met in 1855 during the
governorship of
Henry Gardner
Henry Joseph Gardner (June 14, 1819 – July 21, 1892) was the List of Governors of Massachusetts, 23rd Governor of Massachusetts, serving from 1855 to 1858. Gardner, a Know Nothing, was elected governor as part of the sweeping victory of ...
.
Henry Wetherby Benchley served as
president of the Senate and
Daniel C. Eddy
Daniel Clarke Eddy (May 21, 1823 – July 26, 1896) was a U.S. clergyman, hymn writer, politician, and author, who in 1855 served as a member, and as the Speaker, of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
He was the author of ''The Young ...
served as
speaker of the House.
"Know-Nothings won all 40 state Senate seats and all but three of the 379 state House seats in 1854, in addition to the governorship.... Once in power, the Know-Nothings passed legislation to deport poor or mentally ill Irish residents; to 'inspect' Catholic schools and convents; and to order daily readings from the Protestant Bible in public schools."
On May 9, 1855,
Joseph Hiss
Joseph Hiss (April 3, 1826 – October 2, 1878) was an American politician who was expelled from the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1855. He was the first member of the House to ever be expelled.
Early life
Hiss was born in Baltimore ...
became the first Massachusetts state representative to be expelled from the House.
Notable legislation
This legislature passed the nation's first statute racially
integrating public education.
Senators
Representatives
See also
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34th United States Congress
The 34th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1855, ...
*
List of Massachusetts General Courts
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{Massachusetts government
Political history of Massachusetts
Massachusetts legislative sessions
massachusetts
1855 in Massachusetts