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This scene from the closing days of the 36th Congress illustrated how contentious the House had become on the eve of the Civil War. Men bellowed and gesticulated as the presiding officer pounded his gavel for attention. Readers of the Illustrated London News followed the path toward disunion with interest. The accompanying article described the scene as very different from the British House of Commons, noting that “sometimes our legislators are noisy and excited; but no one ever saw any of them exhibiting in such poses as are depicted in our illustration.”
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, “A Scene in the Hall of Representatives Washington,” https://history.house.gov/Collection/Listing/2006/2006-106-003/ (October 26, 2026)
Office of the Historian
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Attic, Thomas Jefferson Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 226-1300
