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| 15th United States Congress | |
|---|---|
14th ← → 16th | |
 TheOld Brick Capitol, the temporary Capitol while theU.S. Capitol was being renovated after theBurning of Washington. (pictured here around 1861 in use as a Civil War prison) | |
March 4, 1817 – March 4, 1819 | |
| Members | 42 senators 185 representatives 3 non-voting delegates |
| Senate majority | Democratic-Republican |
| Senate President | Daniel D. Tompkins (DR) |
| House majority | Democratic-Republican |
| House Speaker | Henry Clay (DR) |
| Sessions | |
| Special[a]: March 4, 1817 – March 6, 1817 1st: December 1, 1817 – April 20, 1818 2nd: November 16, 1818 – March 3, 1819 | |
The15th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of theUnited States Senate and theUnited States House of Representatives. It met in theOld Brick Capitol inWashington, D.C. from March 4, 1817, to March 4, 1819, during the first two years ofJames Monroe'spresidency. The apportionment of seats in theHouse of Representatives was based on the1810 United States census. Both chambers had aDemocratic-Republican majority.
Two major treaties with the United Kingdom were approved, finalized and signed during the 15th Congress, both theRush–Bagot Treaty and theTreaty of 1818, both of which pertained to the United States-Canada border, and both of which were overwhelmingly popular in the United States. PresidentJames Monroe and Secretary of StateJohn Quincy Adams were credited with the accomplishments. A letter signed by many members of congress expressing "Gratitude, amity and brotherhood with Great Britain" was addressed to British Prime MinisterRobert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, British Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesHenry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst, British foreign secretaryRobert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh and Britain's minister plenipotentiary and envoy extraordinaire to the United StatesCharles Bagot. The letter also attackedKing Louis XVIII of France for insulting remarks he had made towards American diplomats and about the United States, as well as his refusal to pay reparations owed to the United States from damages incurred during theQuasi-War. The letter was signed in December 1818 byJoel Abbot,Thomas W. Cobb,Zadock Cook,Joel Crawford,John Forsyth,William Terrell,Charles Tait,William Smith,John Gaillard,Henry Middleton,William Lowndes,James Ervin,Joseph Bellinger,Starling Tucker,Eldred Simkins,Elias Earle,Wilson Nesbitt,Stephen Decatur Miller,Montfort Stokes,Nathaniel Macon,Lemuel Sawyer,Joseph Hunter Bryan,Thomas H. Hall,Jesse Slocumb,James Owen,Weldon Nathaniel Edwards,James Stewart,James Strudwick Smith,Thomas Settle,George Mumford,Daniel Munroe Forney,Felix Walker,Lewis Williams,John J. Crittenden,Isham Talbot,David Trimble,Henry Clay,Richard Mentor Johnson,Joseph Desha,Anthony New,David Walker,George Robertson,Richard Clough Anderson Jr.,Tunstall Quarles,Thomas Speed,William Hendricks,James Noble,Waller Taylor,John Eaton,John Williams,John Rhea,William Grainger Blount,Francis Jones,Samuel E. Hogg,Thomas Claiborne,George W.L. Marr,George Poindexter,Prentiss Mellen,Harrison Gray Otis,Enoch Lincoln,Jonathan Mason,Nathaniel Silsbee,Jeremiah Nelson,Timothy Fuller,Elijah H. Mills,Samuel Clesson Allen,Henry Shaw,Zabdiel Sampson,Walter Folger Jr.,Marcus Morton,Benjamin Adams,Solomon Strong,Nathaniel Ruggles,John Holmes,Ezekiel Whitman,Benjamin Orr,John Wilson,Thomas Rice,Joshua Gage andAlbion Parris, all of whom also voted to ratify both of the aforementioned treaties. Several governors also signed the letter, which was entirely symbolic and intended as a gesture of goodwill, includingGabriel Slaughter,William Rabun,John Geddes,John Branch,John Brooks,James Patton Preston andDavid Holmes. This was significant because the governors and the members of congress were from different regions (both Massachusetts and several southern states were represented), and because signers came from both the Whig Party and the Democratic-Republicans.[1][2][3][4] Many members of congress and Washington DC had a very hostile relationship with France's notoriously combative ambassadorJean-Guillaume, baron Hyde de Neuville, which contributed to the letters contents as per France.[5]
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.
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 ofprevious congress | 25 | 13 | 38 | 0 |
| Begin | 25 | 13 | 38 | 0 |
| End | 28 | 12 | 40 | 2 |
| Final voting share | 70.0% | 30.0% | ||
| Beginning ofnext congress | 29 | 9 | 38 | 4 |
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 ofprevious congress | 136 | 46 | 182 | 1 |
| Begin | 141 | 39 | 180 | 3 |
| End | 144 | 40 | 184 | 1 |
| Final voting share | 78.3% | 21.7% | ||
| Beginning ofnext congress | 158 | 25 | 183 | 2 |
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class and representatives are listed by district.
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 areSenate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1820; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1822; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1818.
|
|  2 Democratic-Republicans 1 Democratic-Republican and 1 Federalist 2 Federalists
|
The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
| State (class) | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 theVermont 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 becomeAmbassador 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 forGovernor 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 becomeU.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. | ||
| District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York 4 | Vacant | Member-electHenry 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 10 | Vacant | Member-electDavid Scott resigned before this Congress began | John Murray (DR) | Seated October 14, 1817 |
| North Carolina 7 | Vacant | Member-electAlexander McMillan died before this Congress began | James Stewart (F) | Seated January 5, 1818 |
| South Carolina 6 | John C. Calhoun (DR) | Resigned November 3, 1817, after being appointedUnited 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 11 | 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 20 | Albion K. Parris (DR | Resigned February 3, 1818 | Enoch Lincoln (DR) | Seated November 4, 1818 |
| Virginia 19 | Peterson Goodwyn (DR) | Died February 21, 1818 | John Pegram (DR) | Seated April 21, 1818 |
| Pennsylvania 6 | 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 4 | Jacob Spangler (DR) | Resigned April 20, 1818 | Jacob Hostetter (DR) | Seated November 16, 1818 |
| Pennsylvania 6 | 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 theU.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 10 | George Mumford (DR) | Died December 31, 1818 | Charles Fisher (DR) | Seated February 11, 1819 |
| Vermont at-large | Heman Allen (DR) | resigned April 20, 1818 | Vacant |
Lists of committees and their party leaders.