In the aftermath of the Civil War, the United States grappled with rebuilding
its government. The Judicial Circuits Act of 1866 sought to reorganize federal courts
and reduce the size of the Supreme Court. Aimed to streamline the court system, it mandated
a gradual decrease of justices from ten to seven, although the full plan was never fully realized.
Passed in 1866, it gradually took effect, and by the time it was replaced in 1869,
only two Supreme Court justices had died. The 1866 Act also reorganized the
boundaries of the federal courts, many of which were located in the South. Did you know?