16th United States Congress

The 16th 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 1810 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic-Republican majority.

16th United States Congress
15th ←
→ 17th

March 4, 1819 – March 4, 1821
Members46 senators
186 representatives
3 non-voting delegates
Senate majorityDemocratic-Republican
Senate PresidentDaniel D. Tompkins (DR)
House majorityDemocratic-Republican
House SpeakerHenry Clay (DR)
John W. Taylor (DR)
Sessions
1st: December 6, 1819 – May 15, 1820
2nd: November 13, 1820 – March 3, 1821

Major events

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Major legislation

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Proposed but not enacted

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  • Tallmadge Amendment would allow Missouri into the Union as a slave state, but would also implement gradual emancipation in Missouri. The amendment passed the House of Representatives, but not the Senate. The Tallmadge Amendment led to the passage of the Missouri Compromise.

Treaties

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States admitted

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Party summary

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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

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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 previous congress 28 12 40 2
Begin 29 9 38 4
End 38 8 460
Final voting share 82.6% 17.4%
Beginning of next congress 40 4 44 2

House of Representatives

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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 previous congress 146 39 185 0
Begin 155 28 183 2
End 27 1825
Final voting share 85.2% 14.8%
Beginning of next congress 150 31 181 5

Leadership

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President of the Senate Daniel D. Tompkins

Senate

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House of Representatives

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Members

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This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class and representatives are listed by district.

Skip to House of Representatives, below

Senate

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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 re-election in 1820; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1822; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1824.

House of Representatives

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Changes in membership

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The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress.

Senate

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There were 5 resignations, 2 deaths, 2 vacancies before the Congress, and 4 new seats. The Democratic-Republicans had a 7-seat net gain and the Federalists had a 1-seat net loss.

Senate changes
State
(class)
Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[b]
Georgia
(2)
Vacant John Forsyth had resigned before the beginning of the Congress. Freeman Walker (DR) Elected November 6, 1819
Kentucky
(2)
Vacant John J. Crittenden had resigned before the beginning of the Congress. Richard Mentor Johnson (DR) Elected December 10, 1819
Maryland
(3)
Vacant Legislature did not elect until after the term began. Edward Lloyd (DR) Elected December 14, 1819, and qualified December 21, 1819
New York
(3)
Vacant Legislature failed to elect, held late election. Rufus King (F) Elected January 8, 1820, and qualified January 25, 1820
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 (DR) 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
(3)
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

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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.

House changes
District Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[b]
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
New York
1st
Vacant Contested election. Representative-elect Ebenezer Sage never qualified. James Guyon Jr. (DR) Seated January 14, 1820
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 (DR) 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
Kentucky
6th
David Walker (DR) Died March 1, 1820 Francis Johnson (DR) Seated November 13, 1820
Massachusetts
14th
John Holmes (DR) Resigned March 15, 1820, to become U.S. Senator from Maine. District moved to Maine District inactive until 1903
Maine
at-large
New seat Massachusetts's 14th district became Maine's at-large district Joseph Dane (F) Seated November 6, 1820
Massachusetts
1st
Jonathan Mason (F) Resigned May 15, 1820 Benjamin Gorham (DR) Seated November 27, 1820
Pennsylvania
5th
David Fullerton (DR) Resigned May 15, 1820 Thomas G. McCullough (F) Seated November 13, 1820
Massachusetts
13th
Edward Dowse (DR) Resigned May 26, 1820 William Eustis (DR)
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)
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
Pennsylvania
7th
Joseph Hiester (DR) Resigned sometime in December 1820 Daniel Udree (DR) Seated January 8, 1821
Rhode Island
at-large
Nathaniel Hazard (DR) Died December 17, 1820 Vacant Not filled in this Congress
North Carolina
4th
Jesse Slocumb (F) Died December 20, 1820 William S. Blackledge (DR) Seated February 7, 1821
New Jersey
at-large
John Linn (DR) Died January 5, 1821 Vacant Not filled in this Congress
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

Committees

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Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

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House of Representatives

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Joint committees

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Officers

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Senate

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House of Representatives

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Joseph Dane (Maine) was elected November 7, 1820.
  2. ^ a b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

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  1. ^ "debunk". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth edition. Houghton Mifflin. 2000. Archived from the original on 2008-04-06. Retrieved January 11, 2009.
  2. ^ "Proceedings and Debates of the House of Representatives of the United States at the Second Session of the Sixteenth Congress Begun at the City of Washington, Monday, November 13, 1820". Annuals of Congress: 434–435. November 1820.
  3. ^ "Election of Speaker". Annuals of Congress: 437. November 1820.
  • 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.
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