United States House of Representatives elections, 1854

United States House of Representatives elections, 1854

1852 ←
→ 1856

All 252 seats to the United States House of Representatives
127 seats were needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader William Aiken, Jr. Nathaniel Prentice Banks (Speaker of the House)
Party Democratic Know-Nothing
Leader's seat South Carolina-2nd Massachusetts-7th
Last election 157 seats -
Seats won 84 62
Seat change -73 +62

Speaker before election

Linn Boyd
Democratic

Elected Speaker

Nathaniel P. Banks
Know-Nothing

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

The 1854 election was the 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 (commonly known as the "Know-Nothings"), 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 Democrats and a large number of American Party representatives allied to become the largest faction, although they still did not hold a majority.

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%

California

Note: From statehood to 1864, California's representatives were elected at-large, with the top two vote-getters winning election from 1849 to 1858; in 1860 when California gained a seat in the House the top three vote-getters were elected.

District Opponent
California AL James W. Denver (D) 24.2%
Philemon T. Herbert (D) 23.9%

George W. Bowie (I) 22.8%
Calhoun Benham (W) 22.5%
James Churchman (D) 6.6%