16th United States Congress
1819-1821 U.S. 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.
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 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.
November 13–15, 1820: A special election for the House speakership takes 22 ballots.
December 3, 1820: U.S. presidential election, 1820 : James Monroe was re-elected, virtually unopposed.
Major legislation
Proposed but not enacted
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
States admitted
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.
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.
Leadership
President of the Senate Daniel D. Tompkins
Senate
House of Representatives
Members
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
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.
▌ 2. William R. King (DR), from December 14, 1819 (newly admitted state)▌ 3. John W. Walker (DR), from December 14, 1819 (newly admitted state)▌ 1. Samuel W. Dana (F)▌ 3. James Lanman (DR)▌ 1. Outerbridge Horsey (F)▌ 2. Nicholas Van Dyke (F)▌ 2. Freeman Walker (DR), from November 6, 1819▌ 3. John Elliott (DR)▌ 2. Jesse B. Thomas (DR)▌ 3. Ninian Edwards (DR)▌ 1. James Noble (DR)▌ 3. Waller Taylor (DR)▌ 2. Richard M. Johnson (DR), from December 10, 1819▌ 3. William Logan (DR), until May 28, 1820
▌ Isham Talbot (DR), from October 19, 1820▌ 2. Henry Johnson (DR)▌ 3. James Brown (DR)▌ 1. John Holmes (DR), from June 13, 1820 (newly admitted state)▌ 2. John Chandler (DR), from June 14, 1820 (newly admitted state)▌ 1. Alexander C. Hanson (F), until April 23, 1819
▌ William Pinkney (DR), from December 21, 1819▌ 3. Edward Lloyd (DR), from December 21, 1819▌ 1. Prentiss Mellen (F), until May 15, 1820
▌ Elijah H. Mills (F), from June 12, 1820▌ 2. Harrison Gray Otis (F)▌ 1. Walter Leake (DR), until May 15, 1820
▌ David Holmes (DR), from August 30, 1820▌ 2. Thomas H. Williams (DR)
▌ 2. David L. Morril (DR)▌ 3. John F. Parrott (DR)▌ 1. James J. Wilson (DR), until January 8, 1821
▌ Samuel L. Southard (DR), from January 26, 1821▌ 2. Mahlon Dickerson (DR)▌ 1. Nathan Sanford (DR)▌ 3. Rufus King (F), from January 25, 1820▌ 2. Montfort Stokes (DR)▌ 3. Nathaniel Macon (DR)▌ 1. Benjamin Ruggles (DR)▌ 3. William A. Trimble (DR)▌ 1. Jonathan Roberts (DR)▌ 3. Walter Lowrie (DR)▌ 1. William Hunter (F)▌ 2. James Burrill Jr. (F), until December 25, 1820
▌ Nehemiah R. Knight (DR), from January 9, 1821▌ 2. William Smith (DR)▌ 3. John Gaillard (DR)▌ 1. John H. Eaton (DR)▌ 2. John Williams (DR)▌ 1. Isaac Tichenor (F)▌ 3. William A. Palmer (DR)▌ 1. James Barbour (DR)▌ 2. John W. Eppes (DR), until December 4, 1819
▌ James Pleasants (DR), from December 10, 1819
Senators' party membership by state at the opening of the 16th Congress in March 1819. The senators from Alabama and Maine were not seated until later in the Congress. 2 Democratic-Republicans
1 Democratic-Republican and 1 Federalist
2 Federalists
House of Representatives
▌ At-large John Crowell (DR), from December 14, 1819 (newly admitted state)All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket .
▌ At-large Henry W. Edwards (DR)▌ At-large Samuel A. Foote (DR)▌ At-large Jonathan O. Moseley (DR)▌ At-large Elisha Phelps (DR)▌ At-large John Russ (DR)▌ At-large James Stevens (DR)▌ At-large Gideon Tomlinson (DR)Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket .
▌ At-large Willard Hall (DR), until January 22, 1821, vacant thereafter▌ At-large Louis McLane (F)All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket .
▌ At-large Joel Abbot (DR)▌ At-large Thomas W. Cobb (DR)▌ At-large Joel Crawford (DR)▌ At-large John A. Cuthbert (DR)▌ At-large Robert R. Reid (DR)▌ At-large William Terrell (DR)▌ At-large Daniel P. Cook (DR)▌ At-large William Hendricks (DR)▌ 1 David Trimble (DR)▌ 2 Henry Clay (DR)▌ 3 William Brown (DR)▌ 4 Thomas Metcalfe (DR)▌ 5 Alney McLean (DR)▌ 6 David Walker (DR), until March 1, 1820
▌ Francis Johnson (DR), from November 13, 1820▌ 7 George Robertson (DR)▌ 8 Richard C. Anderson Jr. (DR)▌ 9 Tunstal Quarles (DR), until June 15, 1820
▌ Thomas Montgomery (DR), from November 13, 1820▌ 10 Benjamin Hardin (DR)▌ At-large Thomas Butler (DR)▌ Maine at-large Joseph Dane (F), seated December 11, 1820 (newly admitted state)[ a] The 5th district was a plural district with two representatives.
▌ 1 Raphael Neale (F)▌ 2 Joseph Kent (DR)▌ 3 Henry R. Warfield (F)▌ 4 Samuel Ringgold (DR)▌ 5 Peter Little (DR)▌ 5 Samuel Smith (DR)▌ 6 Stevenson Archer (DR)▌ 7 Thomas Culbreth (DR)▌ 8 Thomas Bayly (F)▌ 1 Jonathan Mason (F), until May 15, 1820
▌ Benjamin Gorham (DR), from November 27, 1820▌ 2 Nathaniel Silsbee (DR)▌ 3 Jeremiah Nelson (F)▌ 4 Timothy Fuller (DR)▌ 5 Samuel Lathrop (F)▌ 6 Samuel C. Allen (F)▌ 7 Henry Shaw (DR)▌ 8 Zabdiel Sampson (DR), until July 26, 1820
▌ Aaron Hobart (DR), from December 18, 1820▌ 9 Walter Folger Jr. (DR)▌ 10 Marcus Morton (DR)▌ 11 Benjamin Adams (F)▌ 12 Jonas Kendall (F)▌ 13 Edward Dowse (DR), until May 26, 1820
▌ William Eustis (DR), from November 13, 1820▌ 14 John Holmes (DR), until March 15, 1820, vacant thereafter▌ 15 Ezekiel Whitman (F)▌ 16 Mark L. Hill (DR)▌ 17 Martin Kinsley (DR)▌ 18 James Parker (DR)▌ 19 Joshua Cushman (DR)▌ 20 Enoch Lincoln (DR)▌ At-large Christopher Rankin (DR)All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket .
▌ At-large Joseph Buffum Jr. (DR)▌ At-large Josiah Butler (DR)▌ At-large Clifton Clagett (DR)▌ At-large Arthur Livermore (DR)▌ At-large William Plumer Jr. (DR)▌ At-large Nathaniel Upham (DR)All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket .
▌ At-large Ephraim Bateman (DR)▌ At-large Joseph Bloomfield (DR)▌ At-large John Condit (DR), until November 4, 1819
▌ Charles Kinsey (DR), from February 16, 1820▌ At-large John Linn (DR), until January 5, 1821, vacant thereafter▌ At-large Bernard Smith (DR)▌ At-large Henry Southard (DR)There were six plural districts, the 1st, 2nd, 12th, 15th, 20th & 21st, each had two representatives.
▌ 1 James Guyon Jr. (DR), from January 14, 1820▌ 1 Silas Wood (F)▌ 2 Henry Meigs (DR)▌ 2 Peter H. Wendover (DR)▌ 3 Caleb Tompkins (DR)▌ 4 Randall S. Street (F)▌ 5 James Strong (F)▌ 6 Walter Case (DR)▌ 7 Jacob H. De Witt (DR)▌ 8 Robert Clark (DR)▌ 9 Solomon Van Rensselaer (F)▌ 10 John D. Dickinson (F)▌ 11 John W. Taylor (DR)▌ 12 Ezra C. Gross (DR)▌ 12 Nathaniel Pitcher (DR)▌ 13 Harmanus Peek (DR)▌ 14 John Fay (DR)▌ 15 Joseph S. Lyman (DR)▌ 15 Robert Monell (DR)▌ 16 Henry R. Storrs (F)▌ 17 Aaron Hackley Jr. (DR)▌ 18 William D. Ford (DR)▌ 19 George Hall (DR)▌ 20 Caleb Baker (DR)▌ 20 Jonathan Richmond (DR)▌ 21 Nathaniel Allen (DR)▌ 21 Albert H. Tracy (DR)
▌ 1 Lemuel Sawyer (DR)▌ 2 Hutchins G. Burton (DR), from December 6, 1819▌ 3 Thomas H. Hall (DR)▌ 4 Jesse Slocumb (F), until December 20, 1820
▌ William S. Blackledge (DR), from February 7, 1821▌ 5 Charles Hooks (DR)▌ 6 Weldon N. Edwards (DR)▌ 7 John Culpepper (F)▌ 8 James S. Smith (DR)▌ 9 Thomas Settle (DR)▌ 10 Charles Fisher (DR)▌ 11 William Davidson (F)▌ 12 Felix Walker (DR)▌ 13 Lewis Williams (DR)▌ 1 Thomas R. Ross (DR)▌ 2 John W. Campbell (DR)▌ 3 Henry Brush (DR)▌ 4 Samuel Herrick (DR)▌ 5 Philemon Beecher (F)▌ 6 John Sloane (DR)There were six plural districts, the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th & 10th had two representatives each, the 1st had four representatives.
▌ 1 Samuel Edwards (F)▌ 1 Thomas Forrest (F)▌ 1 Joseph Hemphill (F)▌ 1 John Sergeant (F)▌ 2 William Darlington (DR)▌ 2 Samuel Gross (DR)▌ 3 Jacob Hibshman (DR)▌ 3 James M. Wallace (DR)▌ 4 Jacob Hostetter (DR)▌ 5 Andrew Boden (DR)▌ 5 David Fullerton (DR), until May 15, 1820
▌ Thomas G. McCullough (F), from November 13, 1820▌ 6 Samuel Moore (DR)▌ 6 Thomas J. Rogers (DR)▌ 7 Joseph Hiester (DR), until December 1820
▌ Daniel Udree (DR), from January 8, 1821▌ 8 Robert Philson (DR)▌ 9 William P. Maclay (DR)▌ 10 George Denison (DR)▌ 10 John Murray (DR)▌ 11 David Marchand (DR)▌ 12 Thomas Patterson (DR)▌ 13 Christian Tarr (DR)▌ 14 Henry Baldwin (DR)▌ 15 Robert Moore (DR)Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket .
▌ At-large Samuel Eddy (DR)▌ At-large Nathaniel Hazard (DR), until December 17, 1820; vacant thereafter▌ 1 Charles Pinckney (DR)▌ 2 William Lowndes (DR)▌ 3 James Ervin (DR)▌ 4 James Overstreet (DR)▌ 5 Starling Tucker (DR)▌ 6 Eldred Simkins (DR)▌ 7 Elias Earle (DR)▌ 8 John McCreary (DR)▌ 9 Joseph Brevard (DR)▌ 1 John Rhea (DR)▌ 2 John Cocke (DR)▌ 3 Francis Jones (DR)▌ 4 Robert Allen (DR)▌ 5 Newton Cannon (DR)▌ 6 Henry H. Bryan (DR)All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket .
▌ At-large Samuel C. Crafts (DR)▌ At-large Ezra Meech (DR)▌ At-large Orsamus C. Merrill (DR), until January 12, 1820
▌ Rollin C. Mallary (DR), from January 13, 1820▌ At-large Charles Rich (DR)▌ At-large Mark Richards (DR)▌ At-large William Strong (DR)▌ 1 James Pindall (F), until July 26, 1820
▌ Edward B. Jackson (DR), from November 13, 1820▌ 2 Thomas Van Swearingen (F)▌ 3 Jared Williams (DR)▌ 4 William McCoy (DR)▌ 5 John Floyd (DR)▌ 6 Alexander Smyth (DR)▌ 7 Ballard Smith (DR)▌ 8 Charles F. Mercer (F)▌ 9 William Lee Ball (DR)▌ 10 George F. Strother (DR), until February 10, 1820
▌ Thomas L. Moore (DR), from November 13, 1820▌ 11 Philip P. Barbour (DR)▌ 12 Robert S. Garnett (DR)▌ 13 Severn E. Parker (DR)▌ 14 William A. Burwell (DR), until February 16, 1821, vacant for remainder of term▌ 15 George Tucker (DR)▌ 16 John Randolph (DR)▌ 17 James Pleasants (DR), until December 14, 1819
▌ William S. Archer (DR), from January 18, 1820▌ 18 Mark Alexander (DR)▌ 19 James Jones (DR)▌ 20 James Johnson (DR), until February 1, 1820
▌ John C. Gray (DR), from November 13, 1820▌ 21 Thomas Newton Jr. (DR)▌ 22 Hugh Nelson (DR)▌ 23 John Tyler (DR)
Non-voting members
Alabama Territory Arkansas Territory James W. Bates , from December 21, 1819Michigan Territory William Woodbridge , until August 9, 1820
Solomon Sibley , from November 20, 1820Missouri Territory John Scott
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 a 7-seat net gain and the Federalists had a 1-seat net loss.
Senate changes
State
Vacated by
Reason for change
Successor
Date of successor's formal installation[ b]
Georgia Vacant
John Forsyth had resigned before the beginning of the Congress.
Freeman Walker (DR)
Elected November 6, 1819
Kentucky Vacant
John J. Crittenden had resigned before the beginning of the Congress.
Richard Mentor Johnson (DR)
Elected December 10, 1819
Maryland Vacant
Legislature did not elect until after the term began.
Edward Lloyd (DR)
Elected December 14, 1819, and qualified December 21, 1819
New York Vacant
Legislature failed to elect, held late election.
Rufus King (F)
Elected January 8, 1820, and qualified January 25, 1820
Maryland Alexander C. Hanson (F)
Died April 23, 1819
William Pinkney (DR)
Elected December 21, 1819
Virginia John W. Eppes (DR)
Resigned December 4, 1819
James Pleasants (DR)
Elected December 10, 1819
Alabama New seats
Alabama was admitted to the Union December 14, 1819.
John W. Walker (DR)
Elected December 14, 1819
Alabama William R. King (DR)
Elected December 14, 1819
Maine New seats
Maine was admitted to the Union March 15, 1820.
John Holmes (DR)
Elected June 13, 1820
Maine John Chandler (DR)
Elected June 14, 1820
Massachusetts Prentiss Mellen (F)
Resigned May 15, 1820
Elijah H. Mills (F)
Elected June 12, 1820
Mississippi Walter Leake (DR)
Resigned May 15, 1820, after becoming US Marshal for Mississippi
David Holmes (DR)
Appointed August 30, 1820
Kentucky William Logan (DR)
Resigned May 28, 1820, to run for Governor of Kentucky
Isham Talbot (DR)
Elected October 19, 1820
Rhode Island James Burrill Jr. (F)
Died December 25, 1820
Nehemiah R. Knight (DR)
Elected January 9, 1821
New Jersey 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.
House changes
District
Vacated by
Reason for change
Successor
Date of successor's formal installation[ b]
North Carolina 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
Arkansas Territory Vacant
Arkansas Territory organized July 4, 1819
James W. Bates
Seated December 21, 1819
New York Vacant
Contested election. Representative-elect Ebenezer Sage never qualified.
James Guyon Jr. (DR)
Seated January 14, 1820
New Jersey 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 David Walker (DR)
Died March 1, 1820
Francis Johnson (DR)
Seated November 13, 1820
Massachusetts John Holmes (DR)
Resigned March 15, 1820, to become U.S. Senator from Maine.
District moved to Maine
District inactive until 1903
Maine New seat
Massachusetts's 14th district became Maine's at-large district
Joseph Dane (F)
Seated November 6, 1820
Massachusetts Jonathan Mason (F)
Resigned May 15, 1820
Benjamin Gorham (DR)
Seated November 27, 1820
Pennsylvania David Fullerton (DR)
Resigned May 15, 1820
Thomas G. McCullough (F)
Seated November 13, 1820
Massachusetts Edward Dowse (DR)
Resigned May 26, 1820
William Eustis (DR)
Kentucky Tunstall Quarles (DR)
Resigned June 15, 1820
Thomas Montgomery (DR)
Virginia 1st James Pindall (F)
Resigned July 26, 1820
Edward B. Jackson (DR)
Massachusetts 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 Joseph Hiester (DR)
Resigned sometime in December 1820
Daniel Udree (DR)
Seated January 8, 1821
Rhode Island Nathaniel Hazard (DR)
Died December 17, 1820
Vacant
Not filled in this Congress
North Carolina Jesse Slocumb (F)
Died December 20, 1820
William S. Blackledge (DR)
Seated February 7, 1821
New Jersey John Linn (DR)
Died January 5, 1821
Vacant
Not filled in this Congress
Delaware 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
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Senate
House of Representatives
Joint committees
Officers
Senate
House of Representatives
See also
Notes
^ Joseph Dane (Maine) was elected November 7, 1820.^ 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
