Voters today take for granted their right to elect their United States Senators. Americans have been directly electing their Senators for over a hundred years, but it wasn’t always this way. Our Founding Fathers believed that allowing state legislatures to elect Senators would strengthen the bond between the federal and state governments. Article I, Section 3 of the United States Constitution stated, 'The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote.'
The process worked well enough until tensions between slave and free states began to rise in the mid-1850s. Sometimes, a Senate seat could remain vacant if factions in a state legislature couldn’t come to an agreement. These deadlocks continued even after the Civil War. Delaware, for example, went without a U.S. Senator for two years. Reformers began calling for a change in how Senators were chosen.
On this date in 1900, North Dakotans learned that a Senator from Arkansas addressed the issue on the floor of the Senate. Mr. Berry noted that the House of Representatives had passed a resolution calling for the election of Senators by the people. He urged the committee on elections to approve a resolution for a constitutional amendment, removing the election of Senators from state legislatures and placing it in the hands of the voters. He called it 'one of the most important questions before the country.'
It was a slow process, and one North Dakotans closely followed. The debate continued for years. In 1908, the Wahpeton Times reported that 'the same old issue is again before the people.' Despite broad support, there was still no decisive action, and the matter died once again.
In 1911, Senate Republicans signaled their support for the resolution. Opponents tried to add provisions that would guarantee its failure, but supporters pushed it through. The matter was sent to the states for approval. North Dakota approved the amendment on February 14, 1913. Three-quarters of the states followed suit, and the amendment was ratified. Today, voters directly elect their Senators.
Dakota Datebook by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Dickinson Press. “An Important Question.” Dickinson Press. Dickinson ND. 4/18/1900. Page 4.
- Golden Valley Chronicle. “Regulars Lose on Test Vote.” Beach ND. 4/21/1911. Page 3.
- Hope Pioneer. “Opposition to Senatorial Election Bill.” Hope ND. 1/26/1911. Page 9.
- Daily History. “Why did the United States begin directly electing Senators in 1913?” https://www.dailyhistory.org/Why_did_the_United_States_begin_directly_electing_Senators_in_1913 Accessed 4/7/2025.
- National Archives. “17th Amendment.” https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/17th-amendment Accessed 4/7/2025.
