U.S. House of Representatives — Bunk History

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., left, announcing that he is nominating Kimberly Teehee, right, as a Cherokee Nation delegate to the US House of Representatives

One of the Oldest Broken Promises to Indigenous Peoples Is for a Voice in Congress

A treaty commitment to seat a delegate representing the Cherokee Nation in the House has gone unmet for two centuries.

by John Nichols via The Nation on November 14, 2023

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) points to a newly installed sign above his office after he was elected in 15 rounds of votes.

What Lessons Can the House Draw From 1923’s Speaker Battle?

The House speaker fight was eerily reminiscent of 1923 — but the differences between the two will drive what comes next.

by Christopher McKnight Nichols, Maxine Wagenhoffer via Made By History on January 9, 2023

Kevin McCarthy

What 1856 Teaches Us About the Ramifications of the House Speaker Fight

The battle is worth winning for Kevin McCarthy — and could reshape the Republican Party.

by Corey M. Brooks via Made By History on January 5, 2023

Wide view of past members in the House of Representatives.

What History Tells Us About Kevin McCarthy’s Chances

One hundred years ago, a strong leader brought House rebels to the table to elect a speaker. Can McCarthy do the same?

by Joshua Zeitz via Politico Magazine on January 5, 2023

Kevin McCarthy looking anxious.

Back to the Future? Battling Over the Speakership on the House Floor

The history of speakership contests underscores the corner Kevin McCarthy is painted into and the corner any Republican House leader is likely to face.

by Jeffery A. Jenkins, Charles Stewart III via Broadstreet on January 3, 2023

When the House Needed Two Months and 133 Votes to Elect a Speaker

Kevin McCarthy's struggling bid to win the speakership has nothing on the epic 1856 contest that pitted abolitionists against proslavery members of Congress.

by Ronald G. Shafer via Retropolis on December 30, 2022

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. with Kimberly Teehee

Cherokee Nation Is Fighting for a Seat in Congress

Thanks to an 1835 treaty, they’re pushing Democrats to approve a nonvoting delegate.

by Gabriel Pietrorazio via The New Republic on October 31, 2022

Political cartoon calling the caning of Sumner "Southern chivalry."

History’s Lessons for the Jan. 6 Committee

This isn’t the first time a House committee has investigated political violence in the Capitol.

by Paul Quigley via Made By History on November 30, 2021

Collage cramming extra seats into the House of Representatives.

How The House Got Stuck At 435 Seats

After 110 years, a look at the benefits — and drawbacks — to expanding the chamber.

by Geoffrey Skelley via FiveThirtyEight on August 12, 2021

The Strange History of the House’s 181-Year-Old Ban on Hats — and the Push to Overturn It

There isn’t any rule against tobacco spitting on the House floor, but there is one against wearing a hat.

by Ronald G. Shafer via Retropolis on January 4, 2019

Electing the House of Representatives

A series of interactive maps showing the results of nearly two centuries of congressional elections.

by Robert K. Nelson, LaDale Winling via American Panorama on October 15, 2018

Chart of Democratic and Republican women in Congress from 1959 to 2019.

We Mapped Out the Road to Gender Parity in the House of Representatives

Exploring the last 100 years of women in politics through data.

by Durand D'souza via The Pudding on July 10, 2018

U.S. Population Is Growing, But the House of Representatives Is Same Size as in Taft Era

How representative is the U.S. House of Representatives?

by Drew DeSilver via Pew Research Center on May 31, 2018

How the ‘Watergate Babies’ Broke American Politics

In an effort to open Congress, they institutionalized a confrontational style that permeates contemporary politics today.

by John A. Lawrence via Politico Magazine on May 26, 2018

Corey M. Brooks, Liberty Power: Antislavery Third Parties and the Transformation of American Politics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2016.

#FEELTHEBIRNEY

The most important third party in the history of American politics is one you may never have heard of before.

by W. Caleb McDaniel via Commonplace on September 4, 2016

U.S. Capitol building.

The Messiest Speakership Battle in History

160 years ago, a similarly fractured GOP took months to settle on a speaker.

by Joshua Zeitz via Politico Magazine on September 30, 2015

Chief Justice John Roberts.

The Supreme Court Has Murdered the Constitution

America’s founding document is now an all-but-meaningless scrap of paper. Happy Fourth!

by Ryan Cooper via The American Prospect on July 4, 2024

John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson.

A Trump-Biden Tie Would Be a Political Nightmare — But Maybe a Boon to Democracy

The political upheaval of 1824 changed America. The same could happen in 2024.

by Joshua Zeitz via Politico on May 16, 2024

flickr.com/photos/dalelanham

Playing to the Cameras

The prominence of politicos-turned-pundits is a product of cable news' turn to opinion commentary as a cheap and easy way to meet the needs of 24/7 coverage.

by Kathryn Cramer Brownell via HNN on December 12, 2023

Thaddeus Stevens

Why America Is Just Now Learning to Love Thaddeus Stevens, the 'Best-Hated Man' in U.S. History

The Pennsylvanian was one of America’s greatest heroes. Why hasn’t he gotten his due?

by Tracy Schorn via Smithsonian on November 30, 2023

Mike Lawler, Republican candidate for New York's 17th Congressional District.

The GOP Can Thank Suburban N.Y. For its Slim Control of The House

How a red wave in a solidly blue state helped tip the balance.

by Stacie Taranto via Made By History on November 28, 2022

President Clinton pursing his lips, while Newt Gingrich looks at him from behind.

Midterm Elections: How 1994 Midterms Set Off an Era of Divisive Politics

Economic and social issues with roots in the 1994 midterms are still being debated today.

via Retro Report on August 25, 2022

Collage of photos including man in NYC Census 2020 shirt, chairs in the House chamber, and a "critical error" message

Democracy Is Asking Too Much of Its Data

The latest US Census—used to decide representation in Congress—is flawed. One surprising solution? Enlarge the House of Representatives.

by Dan Bouk via Wired on June 28, 2022

Four members of House committee on Jan. 6. U.S. Capitol Riot, sitting in a hearing.

What History Says About The Jan. 6 Committee Investigation

The importance of an unambiguous report that cannot be weaponized by Trump supporters.

by Stephen A. West via Made By History on March 13, 2022

A portrait of John C. Calhoun

No, John C. Calhoun Didn’t Invent the Filibuster

As convenient as it might be to blame the filibuster on the famous defender of slavery, the historical record is much messier.

by Robert Elder via The Bulwark on September 20, 2021

John Quincy Adams giving speech at U.S. House of Representatives

Why a Culture War Over Critical Race Theory? Consider the Pro-Slavery Congressional "Gag Rule"

In 1836, the House passed a resolution that automatically tabled all petitions on slavery without a hearing.

by Frank Palmeri, Ted Wendelin via HNN on June 6, 2021

The Unreconstructed Radical

Thaddeus Stevens was a fierce opponent of the “odious” compromises in the Constitution, and of the North’s compromises after the Civil War.

by Richard Kreitner via The Baffler on May 13, 2021

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).

House Republicans’ Leadership Fight Signals a New Direction

Leadership battles tell us a lot about where a party is headed.

by Zack C. Smith via Made By History on May 12, 2021

"House Arrest" report cover

House Arrest

How an automated algorithm constrained Congress for a century.

by Dan Bouk via Data & Society on April 14, 2021

Flag waving supporters celebrate D.C. Statehood Week

The Battle Against D.C. Statehood is Rooted in Anti-Black Racism

Understanding this history helps make the case for D.C. as the 51st state.

by Kyla Sommers via Made By History on March 22, 2021

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