33rd United States Congress
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The 33rd 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, 1853, to March 4, 1855, during the first two years of Franklin Pierce's presidency. During this session, the Kansas–Nebraska Act was passed, an act that soon led to the creation of the Republican Party. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1850 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic majority.
Major events
- March 4, 1853: Franklin Pierce became 14th President of the United States
- April 18, 1853: Vice President William R. King died
- July 8, 1853: Commodore Matthew C. Perry arrived in Edo Bay with a request for a trade treaty
- December 30, 1853: Gadsden Purchase: The United States bought land from Mexico to facilitate railroad building in the Southwest
- March 20, 1854: Republican Party founded
Major legislation
- May 30, 1854: Kansas–Nebraska Act, ch. 59, 10 Stat.
- March 3, 1855: The U.S. Congress appropriates $30,000 to create the U.S. Camel Corps
Treaties
- January 26, 1854: Point No Point Treaty signed
- March 31, 1854: Convention of Kanagawa signed with the Japanese government, opening the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American trade
Territories organized
- May 30, 1854 – Kansas Territory was organized.
- May 30, 1854 – Nebraska Territory was organized.
Party summary
Senate
| Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Know Nothing (A) | Democratic (D) | Free Soil (F) | Whig (W) | Other (O) | |||
| End of previous congress | 0 | 35 | 3 | 23 | 0 | 61 | 1 |
| Begin | 1 | 35 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 57 | 5 |
| End | 37 | 5 | 17 | 60 | 2 | ||
| Final voting share | 1.7% | 61.7% | 8.3% | 28.3% | 0.0% | ||
| Beginning of next congress | 2 | 35 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 55 | 7 |
House of Representatives
For the beginning of this congress, the size of the House was increased from 233 seats to 234 seats, following the 1850 United States census (See 9 Stat. ).
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (D) | Independent Democratic (ID) | Free Soil (FS) | Whig (W) | Independent Party (United States) (I) | Other | Vacant | ||
| End of previous Congress | 125 | 3 | 4 | 86 | 0 | 14 | 232 | 1 |
| Begin | 157 | 1 | 4 | 71 | 1 | 0 | 234 | 0 |
| End | 155 | 3 | 74 | |||||
| Final voting share | 66.7% | 0.4% | 0.9% | 31.6% | 0.4% | 0.1% | ||
| Beginning of next Congress | 79 | (Opposition coalition) 154 | 233 | 1 |
Leadership
Senate
- President: William R. King (D), until April 18, 1853; vacant thereafter.
- President pro tempore: David R. Atchison (D), until December 4, 1854 Lewis Cass (D), December 4, 1854 Jesse D. Bright (D), from December 5, 1854
House of Representatives
Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.
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 in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1856; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1858; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1854. The United States consisted of 31 states during this Congress.
Skip to House of Representatives, below
| Alabama ▌2. Clement C. Clay Jr. (D), from November 29, 1853 ▌3. Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D) Arkansas ▌2. William K. Sebastian (D) ▌3. Solon Borland (D), until April 11, 1853 ▌Robert W. Johnson (D), from July 6, 1853 California ▌1. John B. Weller (D) ▌3. William M. Gwin (D) Connecticut ▌1. Isaac Toucey (D) ▌3. Truman Smith (W), until May 24, 1854 ▌Francis Gillette (FS), from May 24, 1854 Delaware ▌1. James A. Bayard Jr. (D) ▌2. John M. Clayton (W) Florida ▌1. Stephen Mallory (D) ▌3. Jackson Morton (W) Georgia ▌2. Robert Toombs (D) ▌3. William C. Dawson (W) Illinois ▌2. Stephen A. Douglas (D) ▌3. James Shields (D) Indiana ▌1. Jesse D. Bright (D) ▌3. John Pettit (D) Iowa ▌2. George Wallace Jones (D) ▌3. Augustus C. Dodge (D), until February 22, 1855 Kentucky ▌2. John B. Thompson (A) ▌3. Archibald Dixon (W) Louisiana ▌2. Judah P. Benjamin (W) ▌3. Pierre Soulé (D), until April 11, 1853 ▌John Slidell (D), from December 5, 1853 Maine ▌1. Hannibal Hamlin (D) ▌2. William Pitt Fessenden (W), from February 10, 1854 Maryland ▌1. Thomas Pratt (W) ▌3. James A. Pearce (W) Massachusetts ▌1. Charles Sumner (FS) ▌2. Edward Everett (W), until June 1, 1854 ▌Julius Rockwell (W), from June 3, 1854, until January 31, 1855 ▌Henry Wilson (FS), from January 31, 1855 Michigan ▌1. Lewis Cass (D) ▌2. Charles E. Stuart (D) | Mississippi ▌1. Stephen Adams (D) ▌2. Albert G. Brown (D), from January 7, 1854 Missouri ▌1. Henry S. Geyer (W) ▌3. David R. Atchison (D) New Hampshire ▌2. Charles G. Atherton (D), until November 15, 1853 ▌Jared W. Williams (D), from November 29, 1853, until July 15, 1854 ▌3. Moses Norris Jr. (D), until January 11, 1855 ▌John S. Wells (D), from January 16, 1855 New Jersey ▌1. John R. Thomson (D) ▌2. William Wright (D) New York ▌1. Hamilton Fish (W) ▌3. William H. Seward (W) North Carolina ▌2. David S. Reid (D), from December 6, 1854 ▌3. George E. Badger (W) Ohio ▌1. Benjamin Wade (W) ▌3. Salmon P. Chase (FS) Pennsylvania ▌1. Richard Brodhead (D) ▌3. James Cooper (W) Rhode Island ▌1. Charles T. James (D) ▌2. Philip Allen (D), from July 20, 1853 South Carolina ▌2. Josiah J. Evans (D) ▌3. Andrew Butler (D) Tennessee ▌1. James C. Jones (W) ▌2. John Bell (W) Texas ▌1. Thomas J. Rusk (D) ▌2. Samuel Houston (D) Vermont ▌1. Solomon Foot (W) ▌3. Samuel S. Phelps (W), until March 16, 1854 ▌Lawrence Brainerd (FS), from October 14, 1854 Virginia ▌1. James M. Mason (D) ▌2. Robert M. T. Hunter (D) Wisconsin ▌1. Henry Dodge (D) ▌3. Isaac P. Walker (D) | Senators' party membership by state at the opening of the 33rd Congress in March 1853. The gray stripes represent Know-Nothings. The green stripes represent Free Soil. 2 Democrats 1 Democrat and 1 Whig 2 Whigs | Senate President pro tempore David R. Atchison Senate President pro tempore Jesse D. Bright |
House of Representatives
The names 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: 7 Democrats (D): 2 seat net gain Whigs (W): 2 seat net loss Free Soilers (FS): 3 seat net gain
- Deaths: 2
- Resignations: 4
- Interim appointments: 1
- Total seats with changes: 13
| State (class) | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island (2) | Vacant | Failure to elect. Successor was elected July 20, 1853. | Philip Allen (D) | July 20, 1853 |
| Alabama (2) | Vacant | Failure to elect. Successor elected November 29, 1853. | Clement C. Clay (D) | November 29, 1853 |
| Mississippi (2) | Vacant | Failure to elect. Successor elected January 7, 1854. | Albert G. Brown (D) | January 7, 1854 |
| Maine (2) | Vacant | Failure to elect. Successor was elected February 10, 1854. | William P. Fessenden (W) | February 10, 1854 |
| North Carolina (2) | Vacant | Failure to elect. Successor was elected December 6, 1854. | David Reid (D) | December 6, 1854 |
| Arkansas (3) | Solon Borland (D) | Resigned April 11, 1853, after being appointed U.S. Minister to Nicaragua and other Central American Republics. Successor appointed July 6, 1853. | Robert W. Johnson (D) | July 6, 1853 |
| Louisiana (3) | Pierre Soulé (D) | Resigned April 11, 1853, after being appointed U.S. Minister to Spain. Successor elected December 5, 1853. | John Slidell (D) | December 5, 1853 |
| New Hampshire (2) | Charles G. Atherton (D) | Died November 15, 1853. | Jared W. Williams (D) | November 29, 1853 |
| Vermont (3) | Samuel S. Phelps (W) | Senate declared not entitled to seat March 16, 1854. Successor elected October 14, 1854. | Lawrence Brainerd (FS) | October 14, 1854 |
| Connecticut (3) | Truman Smith (W) | Resigned May 24, 1854. Successor was elected May 24, 1854. | Francis Gillette (FS) | May 24, 1854 |
| Massachusetts (2) | Edward Everett (W) | Resigned June 1, 1854 Successor was appointed to serve until a new successor was elected. | Julius Rockwell (W) | June 3, 1854 |
| New Hampshire (2) | Jared W. Williams (D) | Resigned August 4, 1854. | Vacant | Not filled this term |
| New Hampshire (3) | Moses Norris Jr. (D) | Died January 11, 1855. Successor appointed January 16, 1855, to finish the term. | John S. Wells (D) | January 16, 1855 |
| Massachusetts (2) | Julius Rockwell (W) | Successor elected January 31, 1855. | Henry Wilson (FS) | January 31, 1855 |
| Iowa (3) | Augustus C. Dodge (D) | Resigned February 22, 1855, after being appointed U.S. Minister to Spain. | Vacant | Not filled this term |
House of Representatives
- Replacements: 7 Democrats (D): 2 seat net loss Whigs (W): 3 seat net gain Free Soilers (FS): 1 seat net loss
- Deaths: 4
- Resignations: 4
- Total seats with changes: 8
| District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Territory at-large | Vacant | New seat established after Washington became a territory near the end of previous Congress. Seat was vacant until April 12, 1854. | Columbia Lancaster (D) | Seated April 12, 1854 |
| New York 29th | Azariah Boody (W) | Resigned on October 13, 1853 | Davis Carpenter (W) | Seated November 8, 1853 |
| Tennessee 1st | Brookins Campbell (D) | Died December 25, 1853 | Nathaniel G. Taylor (W) | Seated March 30, 1854 |
| Pennsylvania 8th | Henry A. Muhlenberg (D) | Died January 9, 1854 | J. Glancy Jones (D) | Seated February 4, 1854 |
| Massachusetts 1st | Zeno Scudder (W) | Resigned March 4, 1854 | Thomas D. Eliot (W) | Seated April 17, 1854 |
| Kansas Territory at-large | New seat | New seat established after Kansas became a territory May 30, 1854. Seat was vacant until December 20, 1854. | John W. Whitfield (D) | Seated December 20, 1854 |
| Nebraska Territory at-large | New seat | New seat established after Nebraska became a territory May 30, 1854. Seat was vacant until January 5, 1855. | Napoleon B. Giddings (D) | Seated December 5, 1855 |
| Virginia 11th | John F. Snodgrass (D) | Died June 5, 1854 | Charles S. Lewis (D) | Seated December 4, 1854 |
| New York 12th | Gilbert Dean (D) | Resigned July 3, 1854, after being appointed justice of the Supreme Court of New York | Isaac Teller (W) | Seated November 7, 1854 |
| New York 22nd | Gerrit Smith (W) | Resigned August 7, 1854 | Henry C. Goodwin (W) | Seated November 7, 1854 |
| Kentucky 3rd | Presley Ewing (W) | Died September 27, 1854 | Francis Bristow (W) | Seated December 4, 1854 |
Committees
List of committees and their party leaders.
Senate
- Agriculture (Chairman: Philip Allen)
- American Association for the Promotion of Science (Select)
- Atmospheric Telegraph Between Washington and Baltimore (Select)
- Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate (Chairman: Josiah J. Evans)
- Claims (Chairman: Richard Brodhead)
- Commerce (Chairman: Hannibal Hamlin)
- Distributing Public Revenue Among the States (Select)
- District of Columbia (Chairman: Moses Norris Jr.)
- Engrossed Bills (Chairman: Benjamin Fitzpatrick)
- Finance (Chairman: Robert M.T. Hunter)
- Foreign Relations (Chairman: James M. Mason)
- French Spoilations (Select)
- Indian Affairs (Chairman: William K. Sebastian)
- Judiciary (Chairman: Andrew P. Butler)
- Library (Chairman: James A. Pearce)
- Loss of Original Papers of Mark and Richard Bean (Select)
- Manufactures (Chairman: Hannibal Hamlin)
- Mexican Claims Commission (Select)
- Military Affairs (Chairman: James Shields)
- Militia (Chairman: Sam Houston)
- Naval Affairs (Chairman: William M. Gwin)
- Ordnance and War Ships (Select)
- Pacific Railroad (Select) (Chairman: William M. Gwin)
- Patents and the Patent Office (Chairman: Charles T. James)
- Pensions (Chairman: George Wallace Jones)
- Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Thomas J. Rusk)
- Printing (Chairman: Benjamin Fitzpatrick)
- Private Claims Commission (Select)
- Private Land Claims (Chairman: John Pettit)
- Protection of Life and Health in Passenger Ships (Select)
- Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: James A. Bayard Jr.)
- Public Lands (Chairman: Augustus Dodge)
- Retrenchment (Chairman: Stephen Adams)
- Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: Isaac P. Walker)
- Roads and Canals (Chairman: John Slidell)
- Sickness on Emigrant Ships (Select)
- Tariff Regulation (Select)
- Territories (Chairman: Stephen A. Douglas)
- Whole
House of Representatives
- Accounts (Chairman: Carlton B. Curtis)
- Agriculture (Chairman: John L. Dawson)
- Claims (Chairman: Alfred P. Edgerton)
- Commerce (Chairman: Frederick P. Stanton)
- District of Columbia (Chairman: William T. Hamilton)
- Elections (Chairman: Richard H. Stanton)
- Engraving (Chairman: George R. Riddle)
- Expenditures in the Navy Department (Chairman: Fayette McMullen)
- Expenditures in the Post Office Department (Chairman: Samuel Lilly)
- Expenditures in the State Department (Chairman: Daniel Wells Jr.)
- Expenditures in the Treasury Department (Chairman: David Stuart)
- Expenditures in the War Department (Chairman: George W. Kittredge)
- Expenditures on Public Buildings (Chairman: Henry A. Edmundson)
- Foreign Affairs (Chairman: Thomas H. Bayly)
- Indian Affairs (Chairman: James L. Orr)
- Invalid Pensions (Chairman: Thomas A. Hendricks)
- Judiciary (Chairman: Frederick P. Stanton)
- Manufactures (Chairman: John McNair)
- Mileage (Chairman: Andrew J. Harlan)
- Military Affairs (Chairman: William H. Bissell)
- Militia (Chairman: Elijah W. Chastain)
- Naval Affairs (Chairman: Thomas S. Bocock)
- Patents (Chairman: Benjamin B. Thurston)
- Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Edson B. Olds)
- Private Land Claims (Chairman: Junius Hillyer)
- Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: Francis B. Craige)
- Public Expenditures (Chairman: William H. Kurtz)
- Public Lands (Chairman: David T. Disney)
- Revisal and Unfinished Business (Chairman: Williamson R. W. Cobb)
- Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: Rufus W. Peckham)
- Revolutionary Pensions (Chairman: William M. Churchwell)
- Roads and Canals (Chairman: Cyrus L. Dunham)
- Rules (Select)
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Territories (Chairman: William A. Richardson)
- Ways and Means (Chairman: George S. Houston)
- Whole
Joint committees
- Amending the Constitution on Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections
- Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Sen. George Wallace Jones)
- The Library (Chairman: Joseph R. Chandler)
- Printing (Chairman: William Murray)
- San Francisco Disaster
Caucuses
- Democratic (House)
- Democratic (Senate)
Employees
Legislative branch agency directors
Senate
- Chaplain: Clement M. Butler (Episcopalian), until December 7, 1853 Henry Slicer (Methodist), elected December 7, 1853
- Secretary: Asbury Dickins
- Sergeant at Arms: Robert Beale, until March 17, 1853 Dunning R. McNair, elected March 17, 1853
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: William H. Milburn (Methodist)
- Clerk: John W. Forney
- Doorkeeper: Zadock W. McKnew
- Postmaster: John M. Johnson
- Reading Clerks: [data missing]
- Sergeant at Arms: Adam J. Glossbrenner
See also
- 1852 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress) 1852 United States presidential election 1852–53 United States Senate elections 1852–53 United States House of Representatives elections
- 1854 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress) 1854–55 United States Senate elections 1854–55 United States House of Representatives elections
Notes
- 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
- . U.S. Govt. Print. Off., etc. 1809.
- . 1809.