House elections for the 15th U.S. Congress
The 1816–17 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between April 30, 1816 and August 14, 1817. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before the first session of the 15th United States Congress convened on December 1, 1817. The size of the House increased to 184 after Indiana and Mississippi achieved statehood.
The Democratic-Republican Party entered the election with a large majority, yet made sizable gains, helping trigger the virtually nonpartisan Era of Good Feelings under new President James Monroe, elected in 1816.
Two major events combined to help eliminate the declining Federalist Party from meaningful contention. First, the War of 1812 had concluded in 1815 with a feeling of national pride and relief, with the small American military fighting the much more powerful British forces to a draw punctuated by General Andrew Jackson's dramatic victory at the Battle of New Orleans. Federalists had opposed the risky but ultimately successful war, with some New England Federalists advocating radical measures at the Hartford Convention. Second, the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in present-day Indonesia, itself the most powerful in recorded history and following other major eruptions, temporarily disrupted global climate. The effects severely damaged the agricultural economy of New England, where Federalist support was strongest, causing privation, popular discontent, and mass emigration westward.
Election summaries
Mississippi was admitted as a state in 1817 during the 15th Congress, adding one seat.[1]
Special elections
There were special elections in 1816 and 1817 to the 14th United States Congress and 15th United States Congress.
Special elections are sorted by date then district.
14th Congress
15th Congress
Connecticut
Connecticut elected its members September 16, 1816.
Delaware
Delaware elected its members October 7, 1816.
Georgia
Georgia elected its members October 7, 1816.
Illinois Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
Indiana
Indiana elected its member August 4, 1817, having just elected him just the year before to the new seat.
14th Congress
15th Congress
Kentucky
Kentucky elected its members August 5, 1816.
Louisiana
Louisiana elected its members July 1–3, 1816.
Maryland
Maryland elected its members October 6, 1816.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts's electoral law required a majority for election. In five districts this was not met on the first election, requiring additional trials to be held.
Massachusetts elected its members November 4, 1816.
District numbers differed between source used and elsewhere on Wikipedia; district numbers used elsewhere on Wikipedia used here.
Mississippi
Mississippi was admitted as a state on December 10, 1817[15] from the western half of the former Mississippi Territory (the eastern half became Alabama Territory) It elected its first representative to Congress August 4–5, 1817.
Missouri Territory
See Non-voting delegates, below.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire elected its members August 26, 1816.
New Jersey
In 1816, the Democratic-Republican candidates ran unopposed.
New Jersey elected its members November 4–5, 1816.
New York
New York elected its members April 23 to 25, 1816.
North Carolina
North Carolina elected its members August 14, 1817.
Ohio
Ohio elected its members October 8, 1816.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania elected its members October 8, 1816.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island elected its members August 27, 1816.
South Carolina
South Carolina elected its members October 14–15, 1816.
Tennessee
Tennessee elected its members August 7–8, 1817.
Vermont
Vermont elected its members September 3, 1816, replacing its six Federalists with six Democratic-Republicans.
Virginia
Virginia elected its members in April 1817.
Non-voting delegates
There were three territories with the right to send delegates during at least part of the 15th Congress.
Illinois Territory also only existed during the 1st Session, as it was admitted to the Union as the State of Illinois on December 3, 1818.
Mississippi Territory only existed during the first few months of the 15th Congress, but did not elect a delegate, since it was admitted to the Union as a state a few days into the 1st Session of the 15th Congress.
There were two elections held for the delegate from Missouri Territory. The first was contested by Rufus Easton on the grounds of electoral fraud. This election was declared void, and a second election was held on August 4, 1817.[2] It was won without controversy by John Scott, who took his seat on December 8, 1817.
See also
Notes
- ^ Regular elections only
- ^ a b c d Figures are at variance with both Dubin (p. 62, which includes "140 Republicans, 1 Independent Republican, and 2 vacancies", in addition to "41 Federalists"), and Martis (p. 84) and "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* ▌1789–Present". Office of the Historian, House of United States House of Representatives. (which both report 146 Democrat-Republicans, and 39 Federalists). But Dubin appears to incorrectly list Lewis Williams of NC-13 as a "Federalist" (see pg. 60 and 55, etc.) instead of a "Democrat-Republican", while Martis lists Philemon Beecher of OH-05 as a "Democrat-Republican" instead of a "Federalist", which if accounted for would revise both Dubin's and Martis's totals to 40 Federalists (and therefore 144 Democrat-Republicans).
- ^ A majority was required for election, which was not met in the initial election for 5 districts requiring additional trials to be held on January 27, May 1, July 21, September 29, and December 1, 1817.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Only candidates with at least 1% of the vote listed.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Numbers of votes missing or incomplete in source
- ^ a b Full name unknown.
- ^ Exactly 50%.
References
- ^ 3 Stat. 349
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Fourteenth Congress March 4, 1815, to March 3, 1817". Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
- ^ "North Carolina 1816 U.S. House of Representatives, District 6, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ "Maryland 1816 U.S. House of Representatives, District 5, Special, January". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ "New York 1816 U.S. House of Representatives, District 21, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ "North Carolina 1816 U.S. House of Representatives, District 5, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ "North Carolina 1816 U.S. House of Representatives, District 8, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ "New York 1816 U.S. House of Representatives, District 20, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ "Maryland 1816 U.S. House of Representatives, District 5, Special, September". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ "Maryland 1816 U.S. House of Representatives, District 3, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ "Ohio 1816 U.S. House of Representatives, District 1, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ "by a majority of 200 votes" "South Carolina 1816 U.S. House of Representatives, District 9, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ "Georgia 1816 U.S. House of Representatives, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ "Virginia 1816 U.S. House of Representatives, District 23, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f "Fifteenth Congress March 4, 1817, to March 3, 1819". Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved November 2, 2018 – via History.house.gov.
- ^ "Indiana 1816 U.S. House of Representatives". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ "Maryland 1816 U.S. House of Representatives, District 5". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
- ^ Cox, Harold (January 31, 2007). "Pennsylvania Election Statistics: 1682–2006". The Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.
- ^ "Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress - Retro Member details".
- ^ a b "Our Campaigns - MO Territorial Delegate Race - Sep 10, 1816".
Bibliography
- "A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825". Tufts Digital Library, Tufts University. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
- Dubin, Michael J. (March 1, 1998). 1788–1997 United States Congressional Elections: 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.
- "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present". Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
External links
- Office of the Historian (Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)