July 1, 1870: The Justice Department officially begins operations

Wednesday 1 July 2009

On July 1, 1870, the Justice Department began its operations. In 1868, William Lawrence, leader of the House Committee on the Judiciary, introduced a bill proposing the creation of the Justice Department. The bill proved unsuccessful, having an untimely introduction on the cusp of President Andrew Johnson’s impeachment. A second bill introduced in 1870 by Rep. Thomas Jenckes passed both the Senate and the House. President Grant signed the Act to Establish the Department of Justice on June 22, 1870.