| 17th United States Congress | |
|---|---|
16th ← → 18th | |
 United States Capitol (1827) | |
March 4, 1821 – March 4, 1823 | |
| Members | 48 senators 187 representatives 3 non-voting delegates |
| Senate majority | Democratic-Republican |
| Senate President | Daniel D. Tompkins (DR) |
| House majority | Democratic-Republican |
| House Speaker | Philip P. Barbour (DR) |
| Sessions | |
| 1st: December 3, 1821 – May 8, 1822 2nd: December 2, 1822 – March 3, 1823 | |
The17th United States Congress was a meeting of thelegislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of theUnited States Senate and theUnited States House of Representatives. While its term was officially March 4, 1821, to March 4, 1823, during the fifth and sixth years ofJames Monroe'spresidency, its first session began on December 3, 1821, ending on May 8, 1822, and its second session began on December 2, 1822, to March 3, 1823. The apportionment of seats in theHouse of Representatives was based on the1810 United States census. Both chambers had aDemocratic-Republican majority.
The membersWilliam Smith,John Gaillard,Joseph Gist,John Wilson,George McDuffie,Starling Tucker,James Overstreet,Thomas R. Mitchell,William Lowndes,Joel Roberts Poinsett, andJames Blair were described as being "outspokenly pro-British" in their outlook. All of whom signed a "letter of brotherhood and solidarity" addressed to British Prime MinisterRobert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool and the BritishSecretary of State for Foreign AffairsRobert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh in 1822. The same letter harshly condemned the actions of France and specifically those ofKing Louis XVIII.[1]
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 the new state of Missouri.
| Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic- Republican (DR) | Federalist (F) | |||
| End ofprevious congress | 38 | 8 | 46 | 0 |
| Begin | 39 | 4 | 43 | 3 |
| End | 43 | 47 | 1 | |
| Final voting share | 91.5% | 8.5% | ||
| Beginning ofnext congress | 42 | 3 | 45 | 3 |
For the beginning of this congress, six seats from Massachusetts were reapportioned to the new state of Maine (one seat had already moved during the previous congress), 3 Stat. 555. During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Missouri, 3 Stat. 547.
| Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic- Republican (DR) | Federalist (F) | |||
| End ofprevious congress | 159 | 24 | 183 | 3 |
| Begin | 150 | 31 | 181 | 5 |
| End | 154 | 185 | 2 | |
| Final voting share | 83.2% | 16.8% | ||
| Beginning ofnext congress | 188 | 24 | 212 | 1 |
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 with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1826; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1822; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1824.
|
|  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] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee (1) | Vacant | Legislature failed to re-electJohn Eaton (DR). Late election held. | John Eaton (DR) | Elected September 27, 1821 |
| Pennsylvania (1) | Vacant | Seat remained vacant at end of previous Congress | William Findlay (DR) | Elected December 10, 1821 |
| Delaware (1) | Vacant | Seat remained vacant at end of previous Congress | Caesar A. Rodney (DR) | Elected January 24, 1822 |
| Georgia (2) | Freeman Walker (DR) | Resigned August 6, 1821 | Nicholas Ware (DR) | Elected November 10, 1821 |
| Missouri (1) | New seats | Missouri was admitted to the Union. | Thomas Hart Benton (DR) | Elected August 10, 1821 |
| Missouri (3) | David Barton (DR) | Elected August 10, 1821 | ||
| Ohio (3) | William A. Trimble (DR) | Died December 13, 1821 | Ethan Allen Brown (DR) | Elected January 3, 1822 |
| Maryland (1) | William Pinkney (DR) | Died February 25, 1822 | Samuel Smith (DR) | Elected December 17, 1822 |
| Massachusetts (2) | Harrison Gray Otis (F) | Resigned May 30, 1822, to run forMayor of Boston | James Lloyd (F) | Elected June 5, 1822 |
| Alabama (3) | John W. Walker (DR) | Resigned December 12, 1822, due to failing health | William Kelly (DR) | Elected December 12, 1822 |
| Virginia (2) | James Pleasants (DR) | Resigned December 15, 1822, after being electedGovernor of Virginia | John Taylor (DR) | Elected December 18, 1822 |
| Delaware (1) | Caesar A. Rodney (DR) | Resigned January 29, 1823, to accept a diplomatic appointment | Vacant | Not filled in this Congress |
| District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee 6th | Vacant | Rep.Henry Hunter Bryan was re-elected but did not take his seat | Vacant | |
| Ohio 4th | Vacant | Rep.-electJohn C. Wright resigned his seat in the next Congress on March 3, 1821 | David Chambers (DR) | Seated December 3, 1821 |
| Pennsylvania 5th | Vacant | Rep.-electJames Duncan resigned before Congress met | John Findlay (DR) | Seated December 12, 1821 |
| Pennsylvania 10th | Vacant | Rep.-electWilliam Cox Ellis resigned before Congress met | Thomas Murray Jr. (DR) | Seated December 12, 1821 |
| New York 1st | Vacant | Credentials forPeter Sharpe were issued by theSecretary of State of New York, but Sharpe never claimed or took the seat, Sharpe's election was contested by Colden, seeUnited States House of Representatives elections in New York, 1821 | Cadwallader D. Colden (F) | Seated December 12, 1821 |
| Kentucky 7th | George Robertson (DR) | resigned before Congress met | John S. Smith (DR) | Seated December 3, 1821 |
| Missouri Territory at-large | Vacant | Missouri was admitted to the Union on August 10, 1821 | John Scott (DR) | Seated December 3, 1821 |
| Missouri at-large | ||||
| New York 6th | Vacant | Selah Tuthill (DR) was elected after the Congress term had already begun, and died on September 7, 1821, before Congress met. It is uncertain whether credentials were ever issued for Tuthill. | Charles Borland Jr. (DR) | Seated December 3, 1821 |
| Kentucky 8th | Wingfield Bullock (DR) | Died October 13, 1821, before Congress met | James D. Breckinridge (DR) | Seated January 2, 1822 |
| New York 9th | Solomon Van Rensselaer (F) | Resigned January 14, 1822, upon appointment as Postmaster ofAlbany | Stephen Van Rensselaer (F) | Seated March 12, 1822 |
| Delaware at-large | Caesar A. Rodney (DR) | Resigned on January 24, 1822, after being elected to theUS Senate | Daniel Rodney (F) | Seated December 2, 1822 |
| Maryland 6th | Jeremiah Cosden (DR) | Cosden's election was contested by Reed | Philip Reed (DR) | Seated March 19, 1822 |
| Pennsylvania 1st | William Milnor (F) | Resigned on May 8, 1822, to run forMayor of Philadelphia | Thomas Forrest (F) | Seated December 2, 1822 |
| Pennsylvania 14th | Henry Baldwin (DR) | Resigned on May 8, 1822 | Walter Forward (DR) | Seated December 2, 1822 |
| South Carolina 9th | James Blair (DR) | Resigned on May 8, 1822 | John Carter (DR) | Seated December 11, 1822 |
| South Carolina 2nd | William Lowndes (DR) | Resigned on May 8, 1822 | James Hamilton Jr. (DR) | Seated January 6, 1823 |
| Pennsylvania 6th | Samuel Moore (DR) | Resigned on May 20, 1822 | Samuel D. Ingham (DR) | Seated December 2, 1822 |
| South Carolina 4th | James Overstreet (DR) | Died May 24, 1822 | Andrew R. Govan (DR) | Seated December 4, 1822 |
| Maine 2nd | Ezekiel Whitman (F) | Resigned on June 1, 1822, after becoming a judge of a Court of Common Pleas in Maine | Mark Harris (DR) | Seated December 2, 1822 |
| Indiana at-large | William Hendricks (DR) | Resigned on July 25, 1822, after his election asGovernor of Indiana | Jonathan Jennings (DR) | Seated December 2, 1822 |
| Virginia 2nd | Thomas Van Swearingen (F) | Died on August 19, 1822 | James Stephenson (F) | Seated December 2, 1822 |
| Florida Territory at-large | Vacant | Florida Territory was organized on March 30, 1822 | Joseph M. Hernández | Seated January 3, 1823 |
| Pennsylvania 7th | Ludwig Worman (F) | Died October 17, 1822 | Daniel Udree (DR) | Seated December 23, 1822 |
| Maryland 5th | Samuel Smith (DR) | Resigned on December 17, 1822, after his election to theUS Senate | Isaac McKim (DR) | Seated January 8, 1823 |
| Virginia 22nd | Hugh Nelson (DR) | Resigned on January 14, 1823, upon appointment asMinister to Spain | Vacant |
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
