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14th United States Congress
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The 14th 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 the Old Brick Capitol in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1815, to March 4, 1817, during the seventh and eighth years of James Madison's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1810 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic-Republican majority.
| 14th United States Congress | |
|---|---|
13th ← → 15th | |
The Old Brick Capitol, the temporary Capitol while the U.S. Capitol was being renovated after the Burning of Washington. (pictured here around 1861 in use as a Civil War prison) | |
March 4, 1815 – March 4, 1817 | |
| Members | 38 senators 183 representatives 4 non-voting delegates |
| Senate majority | Democratic-Republican |
| Senate President | Vacant[a] |
| House majority | Democratic-Republican |
| House Speaker | Henry Clay (DR) |
| Sessions | |
| 1st: December 4, 1815 – April 30, 1816 2nd: December 2, 1816 – March 3, 1817 | |
Major events
- November 1816: James Monroe defeated Rufus King in the U.S. presidential election.
Speaker of the House
Henry Clay
Henry Clay
Major legislation
- April 10, 1816: Establishment of the Second Bank of the United States
- April 27, 1816: Dallas tariff
Proposed, but not enacted
- March 3, 1817: Bonus Bill of 1817 (vetoed)
Treaties
- August 24, 1816: Treaty of St. Louis signed
States admitted and territories organized
- December 11, 1816: Indiana was admitted as the 19th state, 3 Stat. 399
- March 3, 1817: Alabama Territory was created from a portion of the Mississippi Territory
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 the new state of Indiana.
| Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic- Republican (DR) | Federalist (F) | |||
| End of previous congress | 25 | 10 | 35 | 1 |
| Begin | 22 | 11 | 33 | 3 |
| End | 25 | 13 | 38 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 65.8% | 34.2% | ||
| Beginning of next congress | 25 | 13 | 38 | 0 |
House of Representatives
During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Indiana.
| Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic- Republican (DR) | Federalist (F) | |||
| End of previous congress | 115 | 67 | 182 | 0 |
| Begin | 114 | 63 | 177 | 5 |
| End | 119 | 182 | 1 | |
| Final voting share | 65.4% | 34.6% | ||
| Beginning of next congress | 142 | 38 | 180 | 3 |
Leadership
Senate
- President: Vacant
- President pro tempore: John Gaillard (DR) of South Carolina, first elected December 4, 1815
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Henry Clay (DR) of Kentucky
Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class 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 began with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1820; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1816; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1818.
Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
| New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vermont
Virginia
| Senators' party membership by state at the opening of the 14th Congress in March 1815. Indiana's senators were not seated until December 11, 1816. 2 Democratic-Republicans 1 Democratic-Republican and 1 Federalist 2 Federalists
|
House of Representatives
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
Senate
| State (class) | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee (1) | Vacant | For unknown reasons, a Senator was not elected until after the term began. Winner elected October 10, 1815. | George W. Campbell (DR) | Took seat October 10, 1815 |
| Tennessee (2) | Jesse Wharton (DR) | Appointee was not elected to finish the term. Successor elected October 10, 1815. | John Williams (DR) | Seated October 10, 1815 |
| North Carolina (3) | Francis Locke Jr. | Resigned when successor was elected, having never qualified. Successor elected December 5, 1815 to finish term.[1] | Nathaniel Macon (DR) | Seated December 13, 1815 |
| Virginia (2) | Vacant | Resignation of William B. Giles (DR) in the previous congress. Successor elected January 3, 1816 to finish the term. | Armistead T. Mason (DR) | Took seat January 3, 1816 |
| Maryland (1) | Vacant | Legislature failed to elect in time for the term. Successor elected January 29, 1816 for the term.[2] | Robert G. Harper (F) | Took seat January 29, 1816 |
| Kentucky (2) | William T. Barry (DR) | Resigned May 1, 1816 after being appointed to a judicial position. Successor appointed November 13, 1816, to continue the term and then finished the term either by special election or by the appointment. | Martin D. Hardin (F) | Seated November 13, 1816 |
| Massachusetts (1) | Christopher Gore (F) | Resigned May 30, 1816. Successor elected June 12, 1816, to finish the term. | Eli P. Ashmun (F) | Seated June 12, 1816 |
| South Carolina (2) | John Taylor (DR) | Resigned November 1816. Successor elected December 4, 1816, to finish the term. | William Smith (DR) | Seated December 4, 1816 |
| Georgia (2) | William W. Bibb (DR) | Resigned November 9, 1816 after being appointed Governor of Alabama Territory. Successor elected November 13, 1816, to finish the term, having already been elected to the next term. | George Troup (DR) | Seated November 13, 1816 |
| North Carolina (2) | James Turner (DR) | Resigned November 21, 1816 due to ill health. Successor elected December 4, 1816, to finish the term. | Montfort Stokes (DR) | Seated December 4, 1816 |
| Maryland (1) | Robert G. Harper (F) | Resigned December 6, 1816. Successor elected December 20, 1816, to finish the term. | Alexander C. Hanson (F) | Seated December 20, 1816 |
| Indiana (1) | New seats | Indiana was admitted to the Union on December 11, 1816. | James Noble (DR) | Seated December 11, 1816 |
| Indiana (3) | Waller Taylor (DR) |
House of Representatives
| District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York 12 | Vacant | Member-elect Benjamin Pond died during previous congress | Asa Adgate (DR) | December 7, 1815 |
| Pennsylvania 3 | Vacant | Amos Ellmaker resigned on July 3, 1815, upon State appointment as judge | James M. Wallace (DR) | December 4, 1815 |
| Kentucky 2 | Vacant | Seat declared vacant by the governor, “caused by the acceptance of Henry Clay to sign a commercial convention as Minister Plenipotentiary to Great Britain”, but Clay was elected to fill his own vacancy | Henry Clay (DR) | December 4, 1815 |
| New York 17 | Vacant | Credentials for incumbent William S. Smith (F) were issued by the Secretary of State of New York, but Smith did not take or claim the seat, contested by Willoughby Jr. | Westel Willoughby Jr. (DR) | December 13, 1815 |
| New York 8 | Vacant | Credentials for John Adams (F) were issued by the Secretary of State of New York, but Adams did not take or claim the seat, contested by Root | Erastus Root (DR) | December 26, 1815 |
| Maryland 5 | Nicholas R. Moore (DR) | Resigned sometime in 1815 before Congress convened | Samuel Smith (DR) | February 4, 1816 |
| New York 6 | Jonathan Fisk (DR) | Resigned sometime in March, 1815, upon appointment as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York | James W. Wilkin (DR) | December 4, 1815 |
| Pennsylvania 9 | David Bard (DR) | Died March 12, 1815 | Thomas Burnside (DR) | December 11, 1815 |
| Pennsylvania 1 | Jonathan Williams (DR) | Died May 16, 1815 | John Sergeant (F) | December 6, 1815 |
| Virginia 15 | Matthew Clay (DR) | Died May 27, 1815 | John Kerr (DR) | December 5, 1815 |
| Tennessee 2 | John Sevier (DR) | Died September 24, 1815 | William G. Blount (DR) | January 8, 1816 |
| North Carolina 6 | Nathaniel Macon (DR) | Resigned December 13, 1815, after being elected to the U.S. Senate | Weldon N. Edwards (DR) | February 7, 1816 |
| Maryland 3 | Alexander C. Hanson (F) | Resigned sometime in 1816 | George Peter (F) | October 7, 1816 |
| Ohio 1 | John McLean (DR) | Resigned sometime in 1816 | William Henry Harrison (DR) | December 2, 1816 |
| New York 21 | Peter B. Porter (DR) | Resigned January 23, 1816 | Archibald S. Clarke (DR) | December 2, 1816 |
| Massachusetts 11 | Elijah Brigham (F) | Died February 22, 1816 | Benjamin Adams (F) | December 2, 1816 |
| Pennsylvania 9 | Thomas Burnside (DR) | Resigned April, 1816 | William P. Maclay (DR) | December 3, 1816 |
| North Carolina 8 | Richard Stanford (DR) | Died April 9, 1816 | Samuel Dickens (DR) | December 2, 1816 |
| Maryland 5 | William Pinkney (DR) | Resigned April 18, 1816, upon appointment as Minister Plenipotentiary to Russia | Peter Little (DR) | December 2, 1816 |
| Vermont at-large | Daniel Chipman (F) | Resigned May 5, 1816 | Vacant until next Congress | |
| New York 20 | Enos T. Throop (DR) | Resigned June 4, 1816 | Daniel Avery (DR) | December 3, 1816 |
| Virginia 18 | Thomas Gholson Jr. (DR) | Died July 4, 1816 | Thomas M. Nelson (DR) | December 4, 1816 |
| Kentucky 1 | James Clark (DR) | Resigned sometime in August, 1816 | Thomas Fletcher (DR) | December 2, 1816 |
| Missouri Territory at-large | Rufus Easton | Served throughout the first session; Scott presented credentials at the beginning of the second session and was contested by Easton | John Scott | December 2, 1816 |
| Illinois Territory at-large | Benjamin Stephenson | Term ended September 3, 1816 | Nathaniel Pope | December 2, 1816 |
| Virginia 23 | John Clopton (DR) | Died September 11, 1816 | John Tyler (DR) | December 17, 1816 |
| South Carolina 9 | William Mayrant (DR) | Resigned October 21, 1816 | Stephen D. Miller (DR) | January 2, 1817 |
| North Carolina 5 | William R. King (DR) | Resigned November 4, 1816 | Charles Hooks (DR) | December 2, 1816 |
| Georgia at-large | Alfred Cuthbert (DR) | Resigned November 9, 1816 | Zadock Cook (DR) | January 23, 1817 |
| Indiana Territory at-large | Jonathan Jennings (Territorial delegate) | Indiana was admitted to the Union on December 11, 1816 | William Hendricks (DR) | December 11, 1816 |
| Missouri Territory at-large | John Scott | His election was contested by his predecessor Easton. On January 13, 1817, the election was declared illegal, but the seat was declared vacant. | Vacant until next Congress | |
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Senate
- Attorney General's Office (Select)
- Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate (Chairman: Abner Lacock)
- Claims (Chairman: Jonathan Roberts)
- Commerce and Manufactures (Chairman: William Hunter)
- Compensation of Members of Congress (Select)
- District of Columbia (Chairman: Armistead Mason)
- Engrossed Bills (Chairman: Eligius Fromentin)
- Finance (Select)
- Indiana Admission to the Union (Select)
- Judiciary (Chairman: Dudley Chase)
- Military Affairs (Chairman: John Williams)
- Militia (Chairman: Joseph Varnum)
- Memorial of the Mississippi Territory (Chairman: N/A)
- National University (Chairman: N/A)
- Naval Affairs (Chairman: Charles Tait)
- Pensions (Chairman: Jeremiah Howell)
- Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: James J. Wilson)
- Public Lands (Chairman: Jeremiah Morrow)
- Slave Trade (Select)
- Weights and Measures (Select)
- Whole
House of Representatives
- Accounts (Chairman: John McLean then Peter Little)
- Assent of Congress to an Act of the Virginia Legislature (Select)
- Attorney General's Office (Select)
- Banks of the District of Columbia (Select)
- Berkshire Association (Select)
- Bible Society of Philadelphia (Select)
- Bonus of the National Banks (Select)
- Bounty Lands Communication (Select)
- Claims (Chairman: Bartlett Yancey)
- Commerce and Manufactures (Chairman: Thomas Newton Jr.)
- District of Columbia (Chairman: Henry S. Tucker)
- Elections (Chairman: John W. Taylor)
- Expenditures in the Navy Department (Chairman: Stevenson Archer)
- Expenditures in the Post Office Department (Chairman: Newton Cannon)
- Expenditures in the State Department (Chairman: John B. Yates)
- Expenditures in the Treasury Department (Chairman: Samuel Smith)
- Expenditures in the War Department (Chairman: Erastus Root)
- Expenditures on Public Buildings (Chairman: Lewis Condict)
- Judiciary (Chairman: Hugh Nelson)
- Pensions and Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: John J. Chappell)
- Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Samuel D. Ingham)
- Private Land Claims (Chairman: Solomon P. Sharp)
- Public Expenditures (Chairman: William H. Murfree then Israel Pickens)
- Public Lands (Chairman: Thomas B. Robertson)
- Revisal and Unfinished Business (Chairman: Lewis Condict)
- Rules (Select)
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Ways and Means (Chairman: William Lowndes)
- Whole
Joint committees
Employees
Legislative branch agency directors
- Architect of the Capitol: Benjamin Latrobe, from April 6, 1815
- Librarian of Congress: George Watterston
Senate
- Chaplain: Jesse Lee (Methodist), until December 8, 1815
- John Glendie (Presbyterian), elected December 8, 1815
- Sereno Edwards Dwight, (Congregationalist) elected December 16, 1816
- Secretary: Charles Cutts
- Sergeant at Arms: Mountjoy Bayly
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: Obadiah B. Brown (Baptist), until December 7, 1815
- Spencer H. Cone (Baptist), December 7, 1815 – December 2, 1816
- Burgiss Allison (Baptist), elected December 2, 1816
- Clerk: Thomas Dougherty
- Doorkeeper: Thomas Claxton
- Reading Clerks:[data unknown/missing]
- Sergeant at Arms: Thomas Dunn
See also
- 1814 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress)
- 1816 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
Notes
- ^ President pro tempore John Gaillard acted his duties as the President of the Senate.
- ^ a b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.
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
- U.S. House of Representatives: House History
- U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists
- Congressional Directory for the 14th Congress, 2nd Session.