List of United States House of Representatives elections (1824–1854)

The table below summarizes results of elections to the United States House of Representatives from 1824 to 1854, a period corresponding to the Second Party System. In the House of Representatives, "Independent Democrats" and "Independent Whigs" are counted with the Democrats and the Whigs, respectively, and as described in the accompanying 'Note'. For more detailed results, see the main page for that election. Parties with a House majority or a plurality are shown in bold.

'Summary of the 1824–1854 United States House of Representatives elections
Election
year 		Democrats[Note 1] Whigs[Note 2] Other Parties Total
apportionment
Seats Change Seats Change Anti-Masonic American[Note 3] Independents Others
1824 104 +33[Note 4] 109 +22[Note 5] – – – – 213
1826 113 +9 100 –9 – – – – 213
1828 136 +23 72 –28 5 – – – 213
1830 126 –10 66 –6 17 – – 4[Note 6] 213
1832 143 +17 63 –3 25 – – 9[Note 6] 240
1834 143[Note 7] 0 75 +12 16 – – 8[Note 6] 242
1836 128 –15 100 +25 7 – 1 6[Note 6] 242
1838 125 –3 109 +9 6 – – 2[Note 8] 242
1840 99[Note 9] –26 142 +33 – – 1 – 242
1842 148[Note 9] +49 73[Note 10] –69 – – – 2[Note 11] 223
1844 142[Note 7] –6 79 +6 – 6 – – 228
1846 112[Note 7][Note 12] –30 116 +37 – 1 1 – 230
1848 113[Note 7] +1 108 –8 – 1 1 9[Note 13] 233
1850 130[Note 14] +17 86[Note 10] –22 – – – 17[Note 15] 233
1852 158[Note 9] +28 71 –15 – – 1 4[Note 16] 234
1854 83 –75 100[Note 17] +29[Note 17] – 51 –[Note 18] – 234

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The successor to the Democratic-Republican Party, they were initially called Jacksonians, before becoming the modern Democratic Party after 1828.
  2. ^ Initially called "Adams Men" as supporters of John Quincy Adams, they would later become known as the National Republican Party, before becoming the Whig Party in the 1830s.
  3. ^ More commonly known as the Know Nothing movement rather than the American Party.
  4. ^ The Jacksonians and Anti-Jacksonians were two factions of the Democratic-Republican Party that parted ways in 1824. Each Democratic-Republican member of Congress chose an allegiance before the 1824 election was held, so changes only indicate seats gained by each faction during that election. In the case of the Jacksonians, there were 64 "Jackson" Democrat-Republicans and 7 "Jackson" Federalists, for a total of 71 Jacksonians, in the U.S. House before the 1824 election.
  5. ^ The Jacksonians and Anti-Jacksonians were two factions of the Democratic-Republican Party that parted ways in 1824. Each Democratic-Republican member of Congress chose an allegiance before the 1824 election was held, so changes only indicate seats gained by each faction during that election. In the case of the Anti-Jacksonians (aka. Adams Men), there were 72 "Adams-Clay" Democrat-Republicans and 15 "Adams-Clay" Federalists, for a total of 87 Anti-Jacksonians, in the U.S. House before the 1824 election.
  6. ^ a b c d Nullifiers: The Nullifiers had no formal party organization.
  7. ^ a b c d Includes late elections.
  8. ^ Two members of the Conservative Party from Virginia.
  9. ^ a b c Includes one Independent Democrat.
  10. ^ a b Includes one Independent Whig.
  11. ^ Two Law and Order Party members from Rhode Island.
  12. ^ Includes two Independent Democrats.
  13. ^ Nine members of the Free Soil Party.
  14. ^ Includes three Independent Democrats from Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
  15. ^ Ten members of the Constitutional Union Party, four members of the Free Soil Party, and three members of the States' Rights Party.
  16. ^ Four members of the Free Soil Party.
  17. ^ a b With the Whig Party collapsing and the Republican Party not yet fully organized, the plurality in the 34th Congress coalesced as the transitional Opposition Party, comprising 54 Whigs, 22 Anti-Nebraska, 13 Republicans, 9 People's Party, 1 Free Soil, and 1 Independent. To form a majority, the Opposition Party coalesced with the American Party (Know Nothing).
  18. ^ In 1854, there was one Independent member, but the Independent is included with the Opposition Party's figures.

Bibliography

  • Dubin, Michael J. (March 1, 1998). United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results of the Elections of the 1st Through 105th Congresses. McFarland and Company. ISBN 978-0786402830.
  • Martis, Kenneth C. (January 1, 1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress, 1789-1989. Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0029201701.
  • Moore, John L., ed. (1994). Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections (Third ed.). Congressional Quarterly Inc. ISBN 978-0871879967.
  • "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present". Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 21, 2015.