◐ Shell
reader mode source ↗
Jump to content
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1859-1861 U.S. Congress

36th United States Congress
35th 
 37th

March 4, 1859 – March 4, 1861
Members66 senators
238 representatives
5 non-voting delegates
Senate majorityDemocratic
(until February 4, 1861)
Republican
(from February 4, 1861)
Senate PresidentJohn C. Breckinridge (D)
House majorityRepublican-led coalition
House SpeakerWilliam Pennington (R)
Sessions
Special[a]: March 4, 1859 – March 10, 1859
1st: December 5, 1859 – June 26, 1860
Special[b]: June 26, 1860 – June 28, 1860
2nd: December 3, 1860 – March 4, 1861

The 36th 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, 1859, to March 4, 1861, during the third and fourth years of James Buchanan's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1850 United States census. The Senate had a Democratic majority, and the House had a Republican plurality.

Major events

[edit]

Major legislation

[edit]

Constitutional amendments

[edit]

Treaties

[edit]

Party summary

[edit]

Senate

[edit]
Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Know
Nothing

(A)
Democratic
(D)
Republican
(R)
Other
End of previous congress 4 42 20 0 66 0
Begin 2 38 25 0 65 1
End 25 26 5315
Final voting share 3.8% 47.2% 49.1% 0.0%
Beginning of next congress 0 22 29 1[c] 52 16

House of Representatives

[edit]
Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Know
Nothing

(A)
Democratic
(D)
Anti-
Lecompton
Democratic

(ALD)
Independent
Democratic

(ID)
Opposition
(O)
Republican
(R)
Other
End of previous congress 14 130 0 1 0 92 0 237 0
Begin 5 83 8 7 19 113 0 235 2
End 59 7 17 115 21028
Final voting share 2.4% 28.1% 3.3% 3.3% 8.1% 54.8% 0.0%
Beginning of next congress 0 44 0 1 0 108 25[d] 178 62
President of the Senate
John C. Breckinridge

Senate

[edit]

House of Representatives

[edit]

Members

[edit]

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

[edit]

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 1862; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1864; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1860.

House of Representatives

[edit]

The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

Changes in membership

[edit]

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

Senate

[edit]
  • Replacements: 4
  • Deaths: 1
  • Resignations: 1
  • Interim appointments: 1
  • Withdrawals: 13
  • Total seats with changes: 16
Senate changes
State
(class)
Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[e]
Oregon
(2)
Vacant Successor elected late due to legislature's failure to elect. Edward D. Baker (R) October 2, 1860
California
(1)
David C. Broderick (D) Died September 16, 1859, after taking part in a duel he participated in, which he was unlucky.
Interim successor was appointed to continue the term.
Henry P. Haun (D) November 3, 1859
Texas
(1)
Matthias Ward (D) Interim appointee lost nomination to finish the term
Successor elected December 5, 1859.
Louis Wigfall (D) December 5, 1859
California
(1)
Henry P. Haun (D) Interim appointee lost election to finish the term
Successor elected March 5, 1860.
Milton Latham (D) March 5, 1860
South Carolina
(2)
James Chesnut Jr. (D) Withdrew November 10, 1860. Vacant Not filled this Congress
South Carolina
(3)
James H. Hammond (D) Withdrew November 11, 1860. Vacant Not filled this Congress
Mississippi
(2)
Albert G. Brown (D) Withdrew January 12, 1861. Vacant Not filled this Congress
Maine
(1)
Hannibal Hamlin (R) Resigned January 17, 1861, to become Vice President of the United States.
Successor elected January 17, 1861.
Lot M. Morrill (R) January 17, 1861
Alabama
(3)
Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D) Withdrew January 21, 1861. Vacant Not filled this Congress
Alabama
(2)
Clement C. Clay (D) Withdrew January 21, 1861. Vacant Not filled this Congress
Florida
(1)
Stephen Mallory (D) Withdrew January 21, 1861. Vacant Not filled this Congress
Florida
(3)
David L. Yulee (D) Withdrew January 21, 1861. Vacant Not filled this Congress
Mississippi
(1)
Jefferson Davis (D) Withdrew January 21, 1861. Vacant Not filled this Congress
Georgia
(3)
Alfred Iverson Sr. (D) Withdrew January 28, 1861. Vacant Not filled this Congress
Kansas
(2)
New seat New state admitted to the Union January 29, 1861
Senator was not elected until the next Congress.
Vacant Not filled this Congress
Kansas
(3)
New seat New state admitted to the Union January 29, 1861
Senator was not elected until the next Congress.
Vacant Not filled this Congress
Georgia
(2)
Robert Toombs (D) Withdrew February 4, 1861. Vacant Not filled this Congress
Louisiana
(2)
Judah P. Benjamin (D) Withdrew February 4, 1861. Vacant Not filled this Congress
Louisiana
(3)
John Slidell (D) Withdrew February 4, 1861. Vacant Not filled this Congress
Tennessee
(2)
Alfred O. P. Nicholson (D) Withdrew March 3, 1861. Vacant Not filled this Congress

Committees

[edit]

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

[edit]

House of Representatives

[edit]

Joint committees

[edit]

Caucuses

[edit]

Employees

[edit]

Senate

[edit]

House of Representatives

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. Special session of the Senate.
  2. Special session of the Senate.
  3. Unconditional Union
  4. Unconditional Union & Constitutional Union
  5. 1 2 When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

[edit]
  1. "1860 Democratic Convention Number 1 - Charleston, South Carolina". Usgovinfo.about.com. June 19, 2010. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 "1860 Democratic National Convention". Blueandgraytrail.com. August 19, 2006. Archived from the original on November 11, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  3. "Constitutional Union party Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Constitutional Union party". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  4. "Ordinance of Secession of South Carolina". Csawardept.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2002. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hart, Albert Bushnell; Channing, Edward, eds. (November 1893). Ordinances of Secession and Other Documents. 1860-1861. American History Leaflets Colonial and Constitutional. Vol. 12. New York: A. Lovell & Company. OCLC 7759360. Retrieved November 15, 2017. Alt URL
  6. "The Delaware Legislature.; Reception Of The Secession Commissioner From Mississippi". The New York Times. January 4, 1861.
  7. "Ordinance of Secession of Mississippi". Csawardept.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  8. "Ordinance of Secession of Florida". Csawardept.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  9. "Ordinance of Secession of Alabama". Csawardept.com. Archived from the original on January 15, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  10. "Ordinance of Secession of Georgia". Csawardept.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  11. "Ordinance of Secession of Louisiana". Csawardept.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  12. 1 2 "Ordinance of Secession of Texas". Csawardept.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  13. "Historical Highlights: Session to Count 1860 Electoral College Votes". United States House of Representatives History, Art & Archives. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  14. Shafer, Ronald G. (December 30, 2012). "When the House needed two months and 133 votes to elect a speaker". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved January 3, 2023.

References

[edit]
  • 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.
  • Hart, Albert Bushnell; Channing, Edward, eds. (November 1893). Ordinances of Secession and Other Documents. 1860-1861. American History Leaflets Colonial and Constitutional. Vol. 12. New York: A. Lovell & Company. OCLC 7759360. Retrieved November 15, 2017. Alt URL
[edit]