55th United States Congress
The 55th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1897, to March 4, 1899, during the first two years of William McKinley's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1890 United States census. Both chambers had a Republican majority. There was one African-American member, George Henry White, a Republican from the state of North Carolina, and one Kaw member, Charles Curtis, a Republican from Kansas. Major events March 4, 1897: William McKinley became President of the United States. February 15, 1898: Spanish–American War: USS Maine exploded in Havana harbor. December 10, 1898: Treaty of Paris ended Spanish–American War, . Major legislation July 24, 1897: Dingley tariff, ch. 11, , increased trade duties for revenue and protection April 20, 1898: Teller Resolution (Cuba), April 25, 1898: United States declaration of war upon Spain (Spanish–American War), June 1, 1898: Erdman Act, June 13, 1898: War Revenue Act of 1898, June 28, 1898: Curtis Act of 1898, , authorized the mass dispossession of territory from the