16th United States Congress
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The Sixteenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1819 to March 4, 1821, during the third and fourth years of James Monroe's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Third Census of the United States in 1810. Both chambers had a Democratic-Republican majority.
President pro tempore of the Senate James Barbour
Speaker of the House Henry Clay
Major events
- A "speech for Buncombe County, North Carolina" given by North Carolina representative Felix Walker in 1820 was credited with introducing into the language the term "bunkum".[1]
- March 6, 1819: McCulloch v. Maryland: Supreme Court ruled that the Bank of the United States is constitutional.
- July 3, 1820: United States House of Representatives elections, 1820 began in Louisiana
- August 7, 1820: 1820 United States Census conducted, eventually determining a population of 9,638,453, of which 1,538,022 were slaves.
- December 3, 1820: U.S. presidential election, 1820: James Monroe was re-elected, virtually unopposed.
Major legislation
- March 6, 1820: Missouri Compromise, Sess. 1, ch. 22, 3 Stat. 545
- April 24, 1820: Land Act of 1820, Sess. 1, ch. 51, 3 Stat. 566
Proposed but not enacted
- Tallmadge Amendment would bar slaves from the new state of Missouri. Passed the House of Representatives, but not the Senate. The Tallmadge Amendment led to the passage of the Missouri Compromise.
Treaties
- February 22, 1819: Adams-Onís Treaty (Transcontinental Treaty of 1819): Spain ceded Florida to the United States.
States admitted and territories created
- July 4, 1819: Arkansas Territory was created, 3 Stat. 493. It was formerly part of the Missouri Territory.
- December 14, 1819: Alabama was admitted as the 22nd state, 3 Stat. 492.
- March 15, 1820: Maine was admitted as the 23rd state. It was formerly the District of Maine, part of Massachusetts, 3 Stat. 544.
Party summary
The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this congress. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.
Senate
During this congress, two Senate seats were added for each of the new states of Alabama and Maine.
| Party (Shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic- Republican (DR) |
Federalist (F) | |||
| End of the previous congress | 28 | 12 | 40 | 2 |
| Begin | 30 | 9 | 39 | 3 |
| End | 37 | 46 | 0 | |
| Final voting share | 80.4% | 19.6% | ||
| Beginning of the next congress | 40 | 4 | 44 | 2 |
House of Representatives
During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Alabama and one seat was reapportioned from Massachusetts to the new state of Maine. For the beginning of the next congress, six more seats from Massachusetts would be reapportioned to Maine.
| Party (Shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic- Republican (DR) |
Federalist (F) | |||
| End of the previous congress | 146 | 39 | 185 | 0 |
| Begin | 157 | 26 | 183 | 2 |
| End | 158 | 25 | 3 | |
| Final voting share | 86.3% | 13.7% | ||
| Beginning of the next congress | 150 | 31 | 181 | 5 |
Leadership
President of the Senate Daniel D. Tompkins
Senate
- President: Daniel D. Tompkins (DR)
- President pro tempore: James Barbour, (DR), until December 26, 1819
- John Gaillard, (DR), elected January 25, 1820
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Henry Clay (DR), until October 28, 1820
- John Taylor, (DR), elected November 15, 1820
Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.
Senate
Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1820; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1822; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1824.
Alabama
Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Mississippi
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New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vermont
Virginia
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House of Representatives
Alabama
ConnecticutAll representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
DelawareBoth representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
GeorgiaAll representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
MarylandThe 5th district was a plural district with two representatives.
Massachusetts
Mississippi
New HampshireAll representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
New JerseyAll representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
New YorkThere were six plural districts, the 1st, 2nd, 12th, 15th, 20th & 21st, each had two representatives.
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North Carolina
Ohio
PennsylvaniaThere were six plural districts, the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th & 10th had two representatives each, the 1st had four representatives.
Rhode IslandBoth representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
South Carolina
Tennessee
VermontAll representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
Virginia
Non-voting members
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Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress.
Senate
There were 5 resignations, 2 deaths, 2 vacancies before the Congress, and 4 new seats. The Democratic-Republicans had an 7 seat net gain and the Federalists had a 1 seat net loss.
| State (class) |
Vacator | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia (2) |
Vacant | John Forsyth had resigned before the beginning of the Congress. | Freeman Walker (DR) | Elected November 6, 1819 |
| Kentucky (3) |
Vacant | John J. Crittenden had resigned before the beginning of the Congress. | Richard M. Johnson (DR) | Elected December 10, 1819 |
| Maryland (1) |
Alexander C. Hanson (F) | Died April 23, 1819 | William Pinkney (DR) | Elected December 21, 1819 |
| Virginia (2) |
John W. Eppes (DR) | Resigned December 4, 1819 | James Pleasants (DR) | Elected December 10, 1819 |
| Alabama (2) |
New seats | Alabama was admitted to the Union December 14, 1819. | John W. Walker (DR) | Elected December 14, 1819 |
| Alabama (3) |
William R. King (DR) | Elected December 14, 1819 | ||
| Maine (2) |
New seats | Maine was admitted to the Union March 15, 1820. | John Holmes (F) | Elected June 13, 1820 |
| Maine (1) |
John Chandler (DR) | Elected June 14, 1820 | ||
| Massachusetts (1) |
Prentiss Mellen (F) | Resigned May 15, 1820 | Elijah H. Mills (F) | Elected June 12, 1820 |
| Mississippi (1) |
Walter Leake (DR) | Resigned May 15, 1820 after becoming US Marshal for Mississippi | David Holmes (DR) | Appointed August 30, 1820 |
| Kentucky (2) |
William Logan (DR) | Resigned May 28, 1820 to run for Governor of Kentucky | Isham Talbot (DR) | Elected October 19, 1820 |
| Rhode Island (2) |
James Burrill, Jr. (F) | Died December 25, 1820 | Nehemiah R. Knight (DR) | Elected January 9, 1821 |
| New Jersey (1) |
James J. Wilson (DR) | Resigned January 8, 1821 | Samuel L. Southard (DR) | Appointed January 26, 1821 |
House of Representatives
There were 13 resignations, 5 deaths, 2 contested elections, and 2 new seats. The Democratic-Republicans had a 1-seat net gain and the Federalists had no net change.
| District | Vacator | Reason for change | Successor | Date successor seated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
North Carolina 2nd |
Vacant | Hutchins G. Burton (DR) | Seated December 6, 1819 | |
| Alabama Territory | Vacant | Seat remained vacant until statehood | John Crowell (DR) | Seated December 14, 1819 |
|
Alabama At-large | ||||
| Arkansas Territory | Vacant | Arkansas Territory organized July 4, 1819 | James W. Bates | Seated December 21, 1819 |
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New York 1st |
Vacant | Contested election. Representative-elect Ebenezer Sage never qualified. | James Guyon, Jr. (DR) | Seated January 14, 1820 |
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New Jersey At-large |
John Condit (DR) | Resigned November 4, 1819 | Charles Kinsey (DR) | Seated February 16, 1820 |
| Virginia 17th | James Pleasants (DR) | Resigned December 14, 1819 | William S. Archer (F) | Seated January 18, 1820 |
| Vermont 1st | Orsamus C. Merrill (DR) | Contested election, served until January 12, 1820 | Rollin C. Mallary (DR) | Seated January 13, 1820 |
| Virginia 20th | James Johnson (DR) | Resigned February 1, 1820 | John C. Gray (DR) | Seated November 13, 1820 |
| Virginia 10th | George F. Strother (DR) | Resigned February 10, 1820 | Thomas L. Moore (DR) | Seated November 13, 1820 |
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Kentucky 6th |
David Walker (DR) | Died March 1, 1820 | Francis Johnson (DR) | Seated November 13, 1820 |
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Massachusetts 14th |
John Holmes (DR) | Resigned March 15, 1820 to become U.S. Senator from Maine. | District moved to Maine | District inactive until 1903 |
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Maine At-large |
New seat | Massachusetts's 14th district became Maine's at-large district | Joseph Dane (F) | Seated November 6, 1820 |
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Massachusetts 1st |
Jonathan Mason (F) | Resigned May 15, 1820 | Benjamin Gorham (DR) | Seated November 27, 1820 |
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Pennsylvania 5th |
David Fullerton (DR) | Resigned May 15, 1820 | Thomas G. McCullough (F) | Seated November 13, 1820 |
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Massachusetts 13th |
Edward Dowse (DR) | Resigned May 26, 1820 | William Eustis (DR) | |
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Kentucky 9th |
Tunstall Quarles (DR) | Resigned June 15, 1820 | Thomas Montgomery (DR) | |
| Virginia 1st | James Pindall (F) | Resigned July 26, 1820 | Edward B. Jackson (DR) | |
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Massachusetts 8th |
Zabdiel Sampson (DR) | Resigned July 26, 1820 | Aaron Hobart (DR) | Seated December 18, 1820 |
| Michigan Territory | William Woodbridge | Resigned August 9, 1820 | Solomon Sibley | Seated November 20, 1820 |
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Pennsylvania 7th |
Joseph Hiester (DR) | Resigned sometime in December 1820 | Daniel Udree (DR) | Seated January 8, 1821 |
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Rhode Island At-large |
Nathaniel Hazard (DR) | Died December 17, 1820 | Vacant | Not filled in this Congress |
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North Carolina 4th |
Jesse Slocumb (F) | Died December 20, 1820 | William S. Blackledge (DR) | Seated February 7, 1821 |
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New Jersey At-large |
John Linn (DR) | Died January 5, 1821 | Vacant | Not filled in this Congress |
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Delaware At-large |
Willard Hall (DR) | Resigned January 22, 1821 | Vacant | Not filled in this Congress |
| Virginia 14th | William A. Burwell (DR) | Died February 16, 1821 | Vacant | Not filled in this Congress |
Officers
- Architect of the Capitol: Charles Bulfinch, appointed January 8, 1818
Senate
- Chaplain: Reuben Post (Presbyterian), elected December 9, 1819
- William Ryland (Methodist), elected November 17, 1820
- Secretary: Charles Cutts
- Sergeant at Arms: Mountjoy Bayly
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: Burgess Allison (Baptist), elected December 6, 1819
- John N. Campbell (Presbyterian), elected November 18, 1820
- Clerk: Thomas Dougherty, elected December 6, 1819
- Doorkeeper of the House: Thomas Claxton, elected December 6, 1819
- Sergeant at Arms: Thomas Dunn, elected December 6, 1819
References
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
External links
- Statutes at Large, 1789–1875
- Senate Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
- House Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
- Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
- U.S. House of Representatives: House History
- U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists
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