-
The soon-to-be Congress issued an ordinance to permit states to conduct elections for their senators and representatives -
Pennsylvania became the first state to elect its two senators (elected by state legislature, not the people) -
The first group of state elected senators reported for duty for Congress -
US Senate seats went vacant for an entire legislative session. This resulted in Congress passing a law that set requirements on the methods that state legislatures used to elect senators. This was the first change to the original senate election process. -
In the election of 1870, the first African American Senator, Hiram Revels, was elected by the Mississippi state legislature -
A political party known as the Populist Party called for direct senate elections in its party platform. This marks the first time that a political party advocated direct senate elections. -
David Graham Phillips charges that senators represent special interests rather than public interests. Phillips released a series of articles titled "The Treason of the Senate". -
An Oregon law permits voters to directly vote for whom they want as a senator and directs the legislature to support the popular choice. Nebraska and other states soon follow Oregon's lead and adopt the reform into their own legislatures. This leads to 31 to 32 states submitting applications for a constitutional convention to allow the popular election of senators. -
The Senate finally agrees to support the change in the constitution, as the senate resisted change up until this point. At least 29 states were already nominating senators in parties or general elections at this stage of the game. -
Congress passed for senators to be voted by direct elections. -
It was ratified as an amendment -
This is the first general election when all US senators were chosen by direct popular election. -
Some members of this movement wanted the 17th amendment repealed entirely. A Utah legislature approved asking Congress to offer an amendment that would repeal it -
Utah legislature approved Senate Joint Resolution Number 2 asking Congress to offer an amendment to the US Constitution that would repeal the 17th amendment (Wiki) -
Former Arkansas governor endorsed the repeal of the 17th amendment claiming that Senators chosen by state legislatures will work for their states and respect the 10th amendment. (Wiki)