16th United States Congress

16th United States Congress

15th ← → 17th United States Capitol (1827) Duration: March 4, 1819 – March 4, 1821 Senate President: Daniel D. Tompkins Senate Pres. pro tem: James Barbour John Gaillard House Speaker: Henry Clay John W. Taylor Members: 46 Senators 186 Representatives 3 Non-voting members Senate Majority: Democratic-Republican House Majority: Democratic-Republican Sessions 1st: December 6, 1819 – May 15, 1820 2nd: November 13, 1820 – March 3, 1821

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

Main articles: 1819 in the United States, 1820 in the United States, and 1821 in the United States

• 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".
• 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

Main article: List of United States federal legislation § 16th United States Congress

• 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

• 3. John W. Walker (DR), from December 14, 1819
• 2. William R. King (DR), from December 14, 1819

Connecticut

• 1. Samuel W. Dana (F)
• 3. James Lanman (DR)

Delaware

• 1. Outerbridge Horsey (F)
• 2. Nicholas Van Dyke (F)

Georgia

• 3. John Elliott (DR)
• 2. Freeman Walker (DR), from November 6, 1819

Illinois

• 2. Jesse B. Thomas (DR)
• 3. Ninian Edwards (DR)

Indiana

• 1. James Noble (DR)
• 3. Waller Taylor (DR)

Kentucky

• 3. William Logan (DR), until May 28, 1820
  • Isham Talbot (DR), from October 19, 1820
• 2. Richard M. Johnson (DR), from December 10, 1819

Louisiana

• 2. Henry Johnson (DR)
• 3. James Brown (DR)

Maine

• 2. John Chandler (DR), from June 14, 1820
• 1. John Holmes (DR), from June 13, 1820

Maryland

• 1. Alexander C. Hanson (F), until April 23, 1819
  • William Pinkney (DR), from December 21, 1819
• 3. Edward Lloyd (DR)

Massachusetts

• 2. Harrison Gray Otis (F)
• 1. Prentiss Mellen (F), until May 15, 1820
  • Elijah H. Mills (F), from June 12, 1820

Mississippi

• 1. Walter Leake (DR), until May 15, 1820
  • David Holmes (DR), from August 30, 1820
• 2. Thomas H. Williams (DR)

New Hampshire

• 2. David L. Morril (DR)
• 3. John F. Parrott (DR)

New Jersey

• 1. James J. Wilson (DR), until January 8, 1821
  • Samuel L. Southard (DR), from January 26, 1821
• 2. Mahlon Dickerson (DR)

New York

• 3. Rufus King (F)
• 1. Nathan Sanford (DR)

North Carolina

• 3. Nathaniel Macon (DR)
• 2. Montfort Stokes (DR)

Ohio

• 1. Benjamin Ruggles (DR)
• 3. William A. Trimble (DR)

Pennsylvania

• 1. Jonathan Roberts (DR)
• 3. Walter Lowrie (DR)

Rhode Island

• 1. William Hunter (F)
• 2. James Burrill, Jr. (F), until December 25, 1820
  • Nehemiah R. Knight (DR), from January 9, 1821

South Carolina

• 3. John Gaillard (DR)
• 2. William Smith (DR)

Tennessee

• 2. John Williams (DR)
• 1. John H. Eaton (DR)

Vermont

• 1. Isaac Tichenor (F)
• 3. William A. Palmer (DR)

Virginia

• 1. James Barbour (DR)
• 2. John W. Eppes (DR), until December 4, 1819
  • James Pleasants (DR), from December 10, 1819

House of Representatives

See also: United States House of Representatives elections, 1818

Alabama

• At-large. John Crowell (DR), from December 14, 1819

Connecticut

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)

Delaware

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)

Georgia

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)

Illinois

• At-large. Daniel P. Cook (DR)

Indiana

• At-large. William Hendricks (DR)

Kentucky

• 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)

Louisiana

• At-large. Thomas Butler (DR)

Maine

• At large. Joseph Dane (F), seated November 6, 1820

Maryland

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)

Massachusetts

• 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)

Mississippi

• At-large. Christopher Rankin (DR)

New Hampshire

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)

New Jersey

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)

New York

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)

North Carolina

• 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)

Ohio

• 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)

Pennsylvania

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)

Rhode Island

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

• At-large. Samuel Eddy (DR)
• At-large. Nathaniel Hazard (DR), until December 20, 1820; vacant thereafter

South Carolina

• 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)

Tennessee

• 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)

Vermont

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)

Virginia

• 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: Vacant until statehood
• Arkansas Territory. James W. Bates, from December 21, 1819
• Michigan Territory. William Woodbridge, until August 9, 1820
  • Solomon Sibley, from November 20, 1820
• Missouri 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 an 7-seat net gain and the Federalists had a 1-seat net loss.

See also: List of special elections to the United States Senate

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

Main article: List of special elections to the United States 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.

Main article: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives

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
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 (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
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

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

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