United States House election, 1854

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The U.S. House election, 1854 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1854.

The 1854 election was beginning of the end for both the Democratic and Whig Parties. Party lines were very blurred and a minority government was formed. Democrats lost a huge number of seats in the North due to the impending slavery crisis, but remained the largest party in the House. The American Party, a faction based on the fears of immigration and Catholicism which had won several seats in previous elections, became the second largest group. The large influx of immigrants from Catholic Ireland, escaping the Potato Famine, and from Catholic Southern Germany, departing due to political and economic instability, shocked many American Protestants and allowed the American Party to grow. The Whigs, divided over the issue of slavery, lost several seats and began to disintegrate. Meanwhile, the newly-formed Republican Party, which was anti-slavery and pro-industry, quickly became a force in the North. In the end, the Whigs and Republicans allied to become the largest faction, although they still did not hold a majority.

[edit] Overall results

Party	Total Seats (change)		Seat percentage
Democratic Party	84	-73	33.3%
American Party	62	+62	24.6%
Whig Party	60	-11	23.8%
Republican Party	46	+46	18.3%
Totals	252	+18	100%

• Note: 1 Democratic Party member, 11 American Party members, and all Republican Party and Whig Party members sat during this term as "Opposition" members, and party lines were very blurred.

Preceded by 1852

U.S. House elections

Succeeded by 1856

United States House of Representatives Elections

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