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29th United States Congress
28th ←
→  30th
United States Capitol (1846)
March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1847
Members58 senators
228 representatives
2 non-voting delegates
Senate majority Democratic
Senate President George M. Dallas (D)
House majority Democratic
House Speaker John W. Davis (D)
Sessions
1st: December 1, 1845 – August 10, 1846
2nd: December 7, 1846 – March 3, 1847
Special: March 4, 1845 – March 20, 1845

The 29th 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, 1845, to March 4, 1847, during the first two years of James Polk's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1840 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic majority.

Major events

Main articles: 1845 in the United States, 1846 in the United States, and 1847 in the United States

Major legislation

Main article: Major legislation: 29th United States Congress

Treaties

States admitted

  • December 29, 1845: Texas admitted as the 28th state
  • December 28, 1846: Iowa admitted as the 29th state

Party summary

Senate

During this congress, two Senate seats were added for each of the new states of Texas and Iowa.

Party
(shading shows control) 		Total Vacant
Democratic
(D) 		Liberty
(L)		 Whig
(W)		Other
End of previous congress 23 0 27 1 51 3
Begin 26 0 24 0 50 4
End 31 1 562
Final voting share 55.4% 1.8% 42.9% 0.0%
Beginning of next congress 34 0 20 1 55 3

House of Representatives

During this congress, two House seats were added for each of the new states of Texas and Iowa.

Party
(shading shows control) 		Total Vacant
American
(A) 		Democratic
(D)		 Whig
(W)		Other
End of previous congress 0 141 78 4 223 1
Begin 6 137 78 0 221 3
End 142 2262
Final voting share 2.7% 62.8% 34.5% 0.0%
Beginning of next congress 1 107 116 3 227 1

Leadership

President of the Senate
George M. Dallas (D)
Presidents pro tempore
Willie P. Mangum
Willie P. Mangum (D)
until March 4, 1845
Ambrose H. Sevier
Ambrose H. Sevier (D)
on December 27, 1845
David R. Atchison
David R. Atchison (D)
from August 8, 1846

Senate

House of Representatives

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class and representatives are listed by district.

Skip to House of Representatives, below

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 with this Congress, facing re-election in 1850; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1846; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1848.

House of Representatives

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

Changes in membership

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

Senate

  • Replacements: 8
  • Deaths: 3
  • Resignations: 6
  • Interim appointments: 1
  • Seats of newly admitted states: 4
  • Total seats with changes: 14
See also: List of special elections to the United States Senate
Senate changes
State
(class) 		Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation [a]
Florida
(1) 		Vacant Florida admitted to the Union at end of previous congress David L. Yulee (D) Elected July 1, 1845
Florida
(3) 		Vacant Florida admitted to the Union at end of previous congress James Westcott (D) Elected July 1, 1845
South Carolina
(2) 		Vacant Senator Daniel E. Huger resigned in previous congress.
Successor elected November 26, 1845. 		John C. Calhoun (D) Elected November 26, 1845
Virginia
(1) 		Vacant Failure to elect Isaac S. Pennybacker (D) Elected December 3, 1845
Mississippi
(2) 		Robert J. Walker (D) Resigned March 5, 1845, after being appointed U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
Successor appointed November 3, 1845.
Appointee was later elected on an unknown date. 		Joseph W. Chalmers (D) Appointed November 3, 1845
Pennsylvania
(3) 		James Buchanan (D) Resigned March 5, 1845, after being appointed U.S. Secretary of State Simon Cameron (D) Elected March 13, 1845
Massachusetts
(2) 		Isaac C. Bates (W) Died March 16, 1845 John Davis (W) Elected March 24, 1845
Georgia
(2) 		John M. Berrien (W) Resigned May, 1845 when appointed to the Georgia Supreme Court John M. Berrien (W) Elected November 13, 1845
New Hampshire
(2) 		Levi Woodbury (D) Resigned November 20, 1845, to become Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Benning W. Jenness (D) Appointed December 1, 1845
Texas
(1) 		Texas admitted to the Union December 29, 1845, and remained vacant until February 21, 1846 Thomas J. Rusk (D) Elected February 21, 1846
Texas
(2) 		Texas admitted to the Union December 29, 1845, and remained vacant until February 21, 1846 Sam Houston (D) Elected February 21, 1846
New Hampshire
(2) 		Benning W. Jenness (D) Lost election to finish the term.
Winner elected June 13, 1846. 		Joseph Cilley ( L) Elected June 13, 1846
North Carolina
(3) 		William H. Haywood Jr. (D) Resigned July 25, 1846, after having refused to be instructed by the North Carolina state legislature on a tariff question George E. Badger (W) Elected November 25, 1846
South Carolina
(3) 		George McDuffie (D) Resigned August 17, 1846.
Successor appointed December 4, 1846, and subsequently elected to finish the term. 		Andrew Butler (D) Seated December 4, 1846
Iowa
(2) 		Iowa admitted to the Union December 28, 1846 Vacant Not filled this term
Iowa
(3) 		Iowa admitted to the Union December 28, 1846 Vacant Not filled this term
Louisiana
(2) 		Alexander Barrow (W) Died December 29, 1846 Pierre Soulé (D) Elected January 21, 1847
Virginia
(1) 		Isaac S. Pennybacker (D) Died January 12, 1847 James M. Mason (D) Elected January 21, 1847

House of Representatives

  • Replacements: 12
  • Deaths: 5
  • Resignations: 6
  • Contested election: 1
  • Seats of newly admitted states: 4
  • Total seats with changes: 17
Main article: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives
House changes
District Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation [a]
Florida At-large Vacant Florida admitted to the Union at end of previous congress Edward C. Cabell (W) Seated October 6, 1845
Georgia 3rd Vacant Rep-elect Washington Poe declined the seat George W. Towns (D) Seated January 5, 1846
Texas 1st Texas admitted into the Union December 29, 1845, and seat remained vacant until March 30, 1846 David S. Kaufman (D) Seated March 30, 1846
Texas 2nd Texas admitted into the Union December 29, 1845, and seat remained vacant until March 30, 1846 Timothy Pilsbury (D) Seated March 30, 1846
New Jersey 2nd Samuel G. Wright (W) Died July 30, 1845 George Sykes (D) Seated November 4, 1845
Louisiana 1st John Slidell (D) Resigned November 10, 1845, after being appointed Minister to Mexico, but government refused to accept him Emile La Sére (D) Seated January 29, 1846
Tennessee 8th Joseph H. Peyton (W) Died November 11, 1845 Edwin H. Ewing (W) Seated January 2, 1846
Virginia 11th William Taylor (D) Died January 17, 1846 James McDowell (D) Seated March 6, 1846
Florida At-large Edward C. Cabell (W) Lost contested election January 24, 1846 William H. Brockenbrough (D) Seated January 24, 1846
Mississippi At-large Jefferson Davis (D) Resigned some time in June, 1846 in order to take part in the Mexican War Henry T. Ellett (D) Seated January 26, 1847
New York 12th Richard P. Herrick (W) Died June 20, 1846 Thomas C. Ripley (W) Seated December 17, 1846
Arkansas At-large Archibald Yell (D) Resigned July 1, 1846, in order to take part in the Mexican War Thomas W. Newton (W) Seated February 6, 1847
Missouri At-large Sterling Price (D) Resigned August 12, 1846, in order to take part in the Mexican War William McDaniel (D) Seated December 7, 1846
Alabama 3rd William L. Yancey (D) Resigned September 1, 1846 James L. Cottrell (D) Seated December 7, 1846
Alabama 7th Felix G. McConnell (D) Died September 10, 1846 Franklin W. Bowdon (D) Seated December 7, 1846
Iowa Territory At-large Augustus C. Dodge (D) Territory was dissolved after Iowa was admitted to the Union December 28, 1846
Iowa At-large Iowa admitted into the Union December 28, 1846 S. Clinton Hastings (D) Seated December 28, 1846
Iowa At-large Iowa admitted into the Union December 28, 1846 Shepherd Leffler (D) Seated December 28, 1846
Illinois 7th Edward D. Baker (W) Resigned January 15, 1847, in order to take part in the Mexican War John Henry (W) Seated February 5, 1847
Illinois 5th Stephen A. Douglas (D) Resigned March 3, 1847, at close of congress after being elected to the US Senate Vacant Not filled this term

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

House of Representatives

Joint committees

Employees

Senate

House of Representatives

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

  • Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
  • Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.

External links

Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=29th_United_States_Congress&oldid=1213271076"