15th United States Congress

15th United States Congress
14th   16th

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)

Duration: March 4, 1817 – March 4, 1819

Senate President: Daniel D. Tompkins
Senate Pres. pro tem: James Barbour
House Speaker: Henry Clay
Members: 42 Senators
185 Representatives
3 Non-voting members
Senate Majority: Democratic-Republican
House Majority: Democratic-Republican

Sessions
Special: March 4, 1817 – March 6, 1817
1st: December 1, 1817 – April 20, 1818
2nd: November 16, 1818 – March 3, 1819

The Fifteenth 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, 1817, to March 4, 1819, during the first two 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.

Major events

Major legislation

Treaties

States admitted and territories created

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 Mississippi and Illinois.

Party
(Shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic-
Republican

(DR)
Federalist
(F)
End of the previous congress 25 13 38 0
Begin 25 13 38 0
End 28 12 402
Final voting share 70.0% 30.0%
Beginning of the next congress 30 10 40 2

House of Representatives

During this congress, one House seat was added for each of the new states of Mississippi and Illinois.

Party
(Shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic-
Republican

(DR)
Federalist
(F)
End of the previous congress 136 46 182 1
Begin 142 38 180 3
End 146 39 1850
Final voting share 78.9% 21.1%
Beginning of the next congress 158 25 183 2

Leadership

President of the Senate
Daniel D. Tompkins

Senate

House of Representatives

Speaker of the House
Henry Clay

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 began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1820; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1822; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1818.

Connecticut

Delaware

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

Massachusetts

Mississippi

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Vermont

Virginia

House of Representatives

The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

Connecticut

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

Delaware

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

Georgia

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

Illinois

Indiana

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

The 5th district was a plural district with two representatives.

Massachusetts

Mississippi

New Hampshire

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

New Jersey

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

New York

There were six plural districts, the 1st, 2nd, 12th, 15th, 20th & 21st, each had two representatives.

North Carolina

Ohio

Pennsylvania

There were six plural districts, the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th & 10th had two representatives each, the 1st had four representatives.

Rhode Island

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

South Carolina

Tennessee

Vermont

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

Virginia

Non-voting members

Changes in membership

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

Senate


State
(class)
Vacator Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation
New Hampshire
(3)
Jeremiah Mason (F) Resigned June 16, 1817 Clement Storer (DR) Seated June 27, 1817
Vermont
(3)
Dudley Chase (DR) Resigned November 3, 1817, to become Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court James Fisk (DR) Seated November 4, 1817
Louisiana
(2)
William C. C. Claiborne (DR) Died November 23, 1817 Henry Johnson (DR) Seated January 12, 1818
Mississippi
(1)
New seats Mississippi was admitted to the Union on December 10, 1817 Walter Leake (DR) Installed December 10, 1817
Mississippi
(2)
Thomas H. Williams (DR)
Vermont
(3)
James Fisk (DR) Resigned January 8, 1818, to become Vermont Collector of Customs.
Winner elected October 20, 1818.
William A. Palmer (DR) Seated October 20, 1818
Tennessee
(1)
George W. Campbell (DR) Resigned April 20, 1818, to become Ambassador to Russia John Eaton (DR) Seated September 5, 1818
Massachusetts
(1)
Eli P. Ashmun (F) Resigned May 10, 1818.
Winner elected June 5, 1818.
Prentiss Mellen (F) Seated June 5, 1818
Georgia
(2)
George Troup (DR) Resigned September 23, 1818, to run for Governor of Georgia.
Winner elected September 23, 1818.
John Forsyth (DR) Seated November 23, 1818
Illinois
(2)
New seats Illinois was admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818. Jesse B. Thomas (DR) Installed December 3, 1818
Illinois
(3)
Ninian Edwards (DR)
Georgia
(2)
John Forsyth (DR) Resigned February 17, 1819, to become U.S. Minister to Spain.
Winner was elected in the next Congress.
Not filled until next Congress
Kentucky
(2)
John J. Crittenden (DR) Resigned March 3, 1819, to return to private practice.
Winner was elected in the next Congress.

House of Representatives


District Vacator Reason for change Successor Date successor
seated
New York
4th
Vacant Rep.-elect Henry B. Lee died before this Congress began James Tallmadge, Jr. (DR) Seated June 6, 1817
Missouri Territory
At-large
Vacant Seat remained vacant from March 4, 1817, to August 4, 1817 John Scott Seated August 4, 1817
Pennsylvania
10th
Vacant Rep.-elect David Scott resigned before this Congress began John Murray (DR) Seated October 14, 1817
North Carolina
7th
Vacant Rep.-elect Alexander McMillan died before this Congress began James Stewart (DR) Seated January 5, 1818
South Carolina
6th
John C. Calhoun (DR) Resigned November 3, 1817, after being appointed United States Secretary of War Eldred Simkins (DR) Seated January 24, 1818
Mississippi Territory
At-large
Vacant Seat remained vacant until Mississippi was admitted to the Union December 10, 1817 George Poindexter (DR) Seated December 10, 1817
Mississippi
At-large
Connecticut
At-large
Uriel Holmes (F) Resigned sometime in 1818 Sylvester Gilbert (DR) Seated November 16, 1818
North Carolina
11th
Daniel Forney (DR) Resigned sometime in 1818 William Davidson (F) Seated December 2, 1818
Alabama Territory
At-large
Vacant The first delegate from this new territory was not seated until January 29, 1818. John Crowell Seated January 29, 1818
Massachusetts
20th
Albion K. Parris (DR Resigned February 3, 1818 Enoch Lincoln (DR) Seated November 4, 1818
Virginia
19th
Peterson Goodwyn (DR) Died February 21, 1818 John Pegram (DR) Seated April 21, 1818
Pennsylvania
6th
John Ross (DR) Resigned February 24, 1818, to become President Judge of Pennsylvania's 7th Judicial Circuit Thomas J. Rogers (DR) Seated March 3, 1818
Louisiana
At-large
Thomas B. Robertson (DR) Resigned April 20, 1818 Thomas Butler (DR) Seated November 16, 1818
Pennsylvania
4th
Jacob Spangler (DR) Resigned April 20, 1818 Jacob Hostetter (DR) Seated November 16, 1818
Pennsylvania
6th
Samuel D. Ingham (DR) Resigned July 6, 1818 Samuel Moore (DR) Seated October 13, 1818
Georgia
At-large
John Forsyth (DR) Resigned November 23, 1818, after being elected to the U.S. Senate Robert R. Reid (DR) Seated February 18, 1819
Illinois Territory
At-large
Nathaniel Pope Pope's term ended November 30, 1818, and the seat remained vacant until Illinois was admitted to the Union December 3, 1818 John McLean (DR) Seated December 3, 1818
Illinois
At-large
North Carolina
10th
George Mumford (DR) Died December 31, 1818 Charles Fisher (DR) Seated February 11, 1819

Employees

Senate

House of Representatives

References

    External links

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