20th United States Congress
1827-1829 U.S. Congress
The 20th 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, 1827, to March 4, 1829, during the third and fourth years of John Quincy Adams 's presidency . The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1820 United States census . Both chambers had a Jacksonian majority.
Major events
Major legislation
Party summary
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.
Senate
House of Representatives
Leadership
Senate
House of Representatives
Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class and members of the House 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 1832; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1828; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1830.
▌ 2. William R. King (J)
▌ 3. John McKinley (J)
▌ 1. Samuel A. Foot (NR)
▌ 3. Calvin Willey (NR)
▌ 1. Louis McLane (J)
▌ 2. Henry M. Ridgely (J)
▌ 2. Thomas W. Cobb (J), until November 7, 1828
▌ Oliver H. Prince (J), from November 7, 1828
▌ 3. John Macpherson Berrien (J)
▌ 2. Jesse B. Thomas (NR)
▌ 3. Elias K. Kane (J)
▌ 1. James Noble (NR)
▌ 3. William Hendricks (NR)
▌ 2. Richard M. Johnson (J)
▌ 3. John Rowan (J)
▌ 2. Dominique J. Bouligny (NR)
▌ 3. Josiah S. Johnston (NR)
▌ 1. Albion K. Parris (J), until August 26, 1828
▌ John Holmes (NR), from January 15, 1829
▌ 2. John Chandler (J)
▌ 1. Samuel Smith (J)
▌ 3. Ezekiel F. Chambers (NR)
▌ 1. Daniel Webster (NR), from June 8, 1827
▌ 2. Nathaniel Silsbee (NR)
▌ 1. Powhatan Ellis (J)
▌ 2. Thomas H. Williams (J)
▌ 1. Thomas H. Benton (J)
▌ 3. David Barton (NR)
▌ 2. Samuel Bell (NR)
▌ 3. Levi Woodbury (J)
▌ 1. Ephraim Bateman (NR), until January 12, 1829
▌ Mahlon Dickerson (J), from January 30, 1829
▌ 2. Mahlon Dickerson (J), until January 30, 1829, vacant thereafter
▌ 1. Martin Van Buren (J), until December 20, 1828
▌ Charles E. Dudley (J), from January 15, 1829
▌ 3. Nathan Sanford (NR)
▌ 2. John Branch (J)
▌ 3. Nathaniel Macon (J), until November 14, 1828
▌ James Iredell Jr. (J), from December 15, 1828
▌ 1. Benjamin Ruggles (NR)
▌ 3. William Henry Harrison (NR), until May 20, 1828
▌ Jacob Burnet (NR), from December 10, 1828
▌ 1. Isaac D. Barnard (J)
▌ 3. William Marks (NR)
▌ 1. Asher Robbins (NR)
▌ 2. Nehemiah R. Knight (NR)
▌ 2. Robert Y. Hayne (J)
▌ 3. William Smith (J)
▌ 1. John H. Eaton (J)
▌ 2. Hugh Lawson White (J)
▌ 1. Horatio Seymour (NR)
▌ 3. Dudley Chase (NR)
▌ 1. John Tyler (J)
▌ 2. Littleton W. Tazewell (J)
Senators' party membership by state at the opening of the 20th Congress in March 1827. 2 Jacksonians
1 Jacksonian and 1 Anti-Jacksonian
2 Anti-Jacksonians
House of Representatives
The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
▌ 1 . Gabriel Moore (J)
▌ 2 . John McKee (J)
▌ 3 . George W. Owen (J)
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket .
▌ At-large . John Baldwin (NR)
▌ At-large . Noyes Barber (NR)
▌ At-large . Ralph I. Ingersoll (NR)
▌ At-large . Orange Merwin (NR)
▌ At-large . Elisha Phelps (NR)
▌ At-large . David Plant (NR)
▌ At-large . Kensey Johns Jr. (NR), from October 2, 1827
Two representatives replacing those who had resigned were elected statewide on a general ticket .
▌ 1 . Edward F. Tattnall (J), until sometime in 1827
▌ George R. Gilmer (J), from October 1, 1827
▌ 2 . John Forsyth (J), until November 7, 1827
▌ Richard Henry Wilde (J), from November 17, 1827
▌ 3 . Wiley Thompson (J)
▌ 4 . Wilson Lumpkin (J)
▌ 5 . Charles E. Haynes (J)
▌ 6 . Tomlinson Fort (J)
▌ 7 . John Floyd (J)
▌ At-large . Joseph Duncan (J)
▌ 1 . Thomas H. Blake (NR)
▌ 2 . Jonathan Jennings (NR)
▌ 3 . Oliver H. Smith (J)
▌ 1 . Henry Daniel (J)
▌ 2 . Thomas Metcalfe (NR), until June 1, 1828
▌ John Chambers (NR), from December 1, 1828
▌ 3 . James Clark (NR)
▌ 4 . Robert P. Letcher (NR)
▌ 5 . Robert L. McHatton (J)
▌ 6 . Joseph Lecompte (J)
▌ 7 . Thomas P. Moore (J)
▌ 8 . Richard A. Buckner (NR)
▌ 9 . Charles A. Wickliffe (J)
▌ 10 . Joel Yancey (J)
▌ 11 . William S. Young (NR), until September 20, 1827
▌ John Calhoon (NR), November 5, 1827 – November 7, 1827
▌ Thomas Chilton (J), from December 22, 1827
▌ 12 . Chittenden Lyon (J)
▌ 1 . Edward Livingston (J)
▌ 2 . Henry H. Gurley (NR)
▌ 3 . William L. Brent (NR)
▌ 1 . William Burleigh (NR), until July 2, 1827
▌ Rufus McIntire (J), from September 10, 1827
▌ 2 . John Anderson (J)
▌ 3 . Joseph F. Wingate (NR)
▌ 4 . Peleg Sprague (NR)
▌ 5 . James W. Ripley (J)
▌ 6 . Jeremiah O'Brien (NR)
▌ 7 . Samuel Butman (NR)
The 5th district was a plural district with two representatives.
▌ 1 . Clement Dorsey (NR)
▌ 2 . John C. Weems (J)
▌ 3 . George C. Washington (NR)
▌ 4 . Michael C. Sprigg (J)
▌ 5 . John Barney (NR)
▌ 5 . Peter Little (NR)
▌ 6 . Levin Gale (J)
▌ 7 . John L. Kerr (NR)
▌ 8 . Ephraim K. Wilson (NR)
▌ 1 . Daniel Webster (NR), until May 30, 1827
▌ Benjamin Gorham (NR), from July 23, 1827
▌ 2 . Benjamin W. Crowninshield (NR)
▌ 3 . John Varnum (NR)
▌ 4 . Edward Everett (NR)
▌ 5 . John Davis (NR)
▌ 6 . John Locke (NR)
▌ 7 . Samuel C. Allen (NR)
▌ 8 . Isaac C. Bates (NR)
▌ 9 . Henry W. Dwight (NR)
▌ 10 . John Bailey (NR)
▌ 11 . Joseph Richardson (NR)
▌ 12 . James L. Hodges (NR)
▌ 13 . John Reed Jr. (NR)
▌ At-large . William Haile (J), until September 12, 1828
▌ Thomas Hinds (J), from October 21, 1828
▌ At-large . Edward Bates (NR)
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket .
▌ At-large . David Barker Jr. (NR)
▌ At-large . Ichabod Bartlett (NR)
▌ At-large . Titus Brown (NR)
▌ At-large . Jonathan Harvey (J)
▌ At-large . Joseph Healy (NR)
▌ At-large . Thomas Whipple Jr. (NR)
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket .
▌ At-large . Lewis Condict (NR)
▌ At-large . George Holcombe (J), until January 14, 1828
▌ James F. Randolph (NR), from December 1, 1828
▌ At-large . Isaac Pierson (NR)
▌ At-large . Samuel Swan (NR)
▌ At-large . Hedge Thompson (NR), until July 23, 1828
▌ Thomas Sinnickson (NR), from December 1, 1828
▌ At-large . Ebenezer Tucker (NR)
There were three plural districts: the 20th & 26th had two representatives each, and the 3rd had three representatives.
▌ 1 . Silas Wood (NR)
▌ 2 . John J. Wood (J)
▌ 3 . Churchill C. Cambreleng (J)
▌ 3 . Jeromus Johnson (J)
▌ 3 . Gulian C. Verplanck (J)
▌ 4 . Aaron Ward (NR)
▌ 5 . Thomas J. Oakley (J), until May 9, 1828
▌ Thomas Taber II (J), from November 5, 1828
▌ 6 . John Hallock Jr. (J)
▌ 7 . George O. Belden (J)
▌ 8 . James Strong (NR)
▌ 9 . John D. Dickinson (NR)
▌ 10 . Stephen Van Rensselaer (NR)
▌ 11 . Selah R. Hobbie (J)
▌ 12 . John I. De Graff (J)
▌ 13 . Samuel Chase (NR)
▌ 14 . Henry R. Storrs (NR)
▌ 15 . Michael Hoffman (J)
▌ 16 . Henry Markell (NR)
▌ 17 . John W. Taylor (NR)
▌ 18 . Henry C. Martindale (NR)
▌ 19 . Richard Keese (J)
▌ 20 . Rudolph Bunner (J)
▌ 20 . Silas Wright Jr. (J), until February 16, 1829, vacant thereafter
▌ 21 . John C. Clark (J)
▌ 22 . John G. Stower (J)
▌ 23 . Jonas Earll Jr. (J)
▌ 24 . Nathaniel Garrow (J)
▌ 25 . David Woodcock (NR)
▌ 26 . Dudley Marvin (NR)
▌ 26 . John Maynard (NR)
▌ 27 . Daniel D. Barnard (NR)
▌ 28 . John Magee (J)
▌ 29 . David E. Evans (J), until May 2, 1827
▌ Phineas L. Tracy (NR), from November 5, 1827
▌ 30 . Daniel G. Garnsey (J)
▌ 1 . Lemuel Sawyer (J)
▌ 2 . Willis Alston (J)
▌ 3 . Thomas H. Hall (J)
▌ 4 . John H. Bryan (NR)
▌ 5 . Gabriel Holmes (J)
▌ 6 . Daniel Turner (J)
▌ 7 . John Culpepper (NR)
▌ 8 . Daniel L. Barringer (J)
▌ 9 . Augustine H. Shepperd (J)
▌ 10 . John Long (NR)
▌ 11 . Henry W. Connor (J)
▌ 12 . Samuel P. Carson (J)
▌ 13 . Lewis Williams (NR)
▌ 1 . James Findlay (J)
▌ 2 . John Woods (NR)
▌ 3 . William McLean (NR)
▌ 4 . Joseph Vance (NR)
▌ 5 . William Russell (J)
▌ 6 . William Creighton Jr. (NR), until sometime in 1828
▌ Francis S. Muhlenberg (NR), from December 19, 1828
▌ 7 . Samuel F. Vinton (NR)
▌ 8 . William Wilson (NR), until June 6, 1827
▌ William Stanbery (J), from October 9, 1827
▌ 9 . Philemon Beecher (NR)
▌ 10 . John Davenport (NR)
▌ 11 . John C. Wright (NR)
▌ 12 . John Sloane (NR)
▌ 13 . Elisha Whittlesey (NR)
▌ 14 . Mordecai Bartley (NR)
There were six plural districts: the 7th, 8th, 11th & 16th had two representatives each, and the 4th & 9th had three representatives each.
▌ 1 . Joel B. Sutherland (J)
▌ 2 . John Sergeant (NR)
▌ 3 . Daniel H. Miller (J)
▌ 4 . Samuel Anderson (NR)
▌ 4 . James Buchanan (J)
▌ 4 . Charles Miner (NR)
▌ 5 . John B. Sterigere (J)
▌ 6 . Innis Green (J)
▌ 7 . William Addams (J)
▌ 7 . Joseph Fry Jr. (J)
▌ 8 . Samuel D. Ingham (J)
▌ 8 . George Wolf (J)
▌ 9 . George Kremer (J)
▌ 9 . Samuel McKean (J)
▌ 9 . Espy Van Horne (J)
▌ 10 . Adam King (J)
▌ 11 . William Ramsey (J)
▌ 11 . James Wilson (NR)
▌ 12 . John Mitchell (J)
▌ 13 . Chauncey Forward (J)
▌ 14 . Andrew Stewart (NR)
▌ 15 . Joseph Lawrence (NR)
▌ 16 . Robert Orr Jr. (J)
▌ 16 . James S. Stevenson (J)
▌ 17 . Richard Coulter (J)
▌ 18 . Stephen Barlow (J)
Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket .
▌ At-large . Tristam Burges (NR)
▌ At-large . Dutee J. Pearce (NR)
▌ 1 . William Drayton (J)
▌ 2 . James Hamilton Jr. (J)
▌ 3 . Thomas R. Mitchell (J)
▌ 4 . William D. Martin (J)
▌ 5 . George McDuffie (J)
▌ 6 . Warren R. Davis (J)
▌ 7 . William T. Nuckolls (J)
▌ 8 . John Carter (J)
▌ 9 . Starling Tucker (J)
▌ 1 . John Blair (J)
▌ 2 . Pryor Lea (J)
▌ 3 . James C. Mitchell (J)
▌ 4 . Jacob C. Isacks (J)
▌ 5 . Robert Desha (J)
▌ 6 . James K. Polk (J)
▌ 7 . John Bell (J)
▌ 8 . John H. Marable (J)
▌ 9 . Davy Crockett (J)
▌ 1 . Jonathan Hunt (NR)
▌ 2 . Rollin C. Mallary (NR)
▌ 3 . George E. Wales (NR)
▌ 4 . Benjamin Swift (NR)
▌ 5 . Daniel A. A. Buck (NR)
▌ 1 . Thomas Newton Jr. (NR)
▌ 2 . James Trezvant (J)
▌ 3 . William S. Archer (J)
▌ 4 . Mark Alexander (J)
▌ 5 . John Randolph (J)
▌ 6 . Thomas Davenport (J)
▌ 7 . Nathaniel H. Claiborne (J)
▌ 8 . Burwell Bassett (J)
▌ 9 . Andrew Stevenson (J)
▌ 10 . William C. Rives (J)
▌ 11 . Philip P. Barbour (J)
▌ 12 . John Roane (J)
▌ 13 . John Taliaferro (NR)
▌ 14 . Charles F. Mercer (NR)
▌ 15 . John S. Barbour (J)
▌ 16 . William Armstrong (NR)
▌ 17 . Robert Allen (J)
▌ 18 . Isaac Leffler (NR)
▌ 19 . William McCoy (J)
▌ 20 . John Floyd (J)
▌ 21 . Lewis Maxwell (NR)
▌ 22 . Alexander Smyth (J)
Non-voting members
▌ Arkansas Territory . Henry W. Conway , until November 9, 1827
▌ Ambrose H. Sevier , from February 13, 1828
▌ Florida Territory . Joseph M. White
▌ Michigan Territory . Austin E. Wing (NR)
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
Senate
Replacements: 6
Deaths: 0
Resignations: 7
Interim appointments: 0
Total seats with changes: 8
Senate changes
State (class)
Vacated by
Reason for change
Successor
Date of successor's formal installation[ b]
Massachusetts (1)
Vacant
Seat remained vacant because legislature had failed to elect.Winner was elected June 8, 1827.
Daniel Webster (NR)
Installed December 17, 1827
Ohio (3)
William Henry Harrison (NR)
Resigned May 20, 1828, to become U.S. Minister Plenipotentiary to Gran Colombia . A special election was held December 10, 1828.
Jacob Burnet (NR)
Installed December 10, 1828
Maine (1)
Albion K. Parris (J)
Resigned August 26, 1828, after being appointed to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court . A special election was held January 15, 1829.
John Holmes (NR)
Installed January 15, 1829
Georgia (2)
Thomas W. Cobb (J)
Resigned before November 7, 1828. A special election was held November 7, 1828.
Oliver H. Prince (J)
Installed November 7, 1828
North Carolina (3)
Nathaniel Macon (J)
Resigned November 14, 1828. A special election was held December 15, 1828.
James Iredell Jr. (J)
Installed December 15, 1828
New York (1)
Martin Van Buren (J)
Resigned December 20, 1828, to become Governor of New York . A special election was held January 15, 1829.
Charles E. Dudley (J)
Installed January 15, 1829
New Jersey (1)
Ephraim Bateman (NR)
Resigned January 12, 1829, due to failing health. A special election was held January 30, 1829.
Mahlon Dickerson (J)
Installed January 30, 1829
New Jersey (2)
Mahlon Dickerson (J)
Resigned January 30, 1829, after being elected to New Jersey's Class 1 U.S. Senate seat .
Vacant
Not filled in this Congress
House of Representatives
Replacements: 9
Deaths: 5
Resignations: 9
Contested election: 1
Total seats with changes: 15
House changes
District
Vacated by
Reason for change
Successor
Date of successor's formal installation[ b]
Georgia's 1st
Edward F. Tattnall (J)
Resigned some time in 1827 before the assembling of Congress
George R. Gilmer (J)
Seated October 1, 1827
Delaware at-large
Vacant
Louis McLane (J) resigned despite winning reelection in 1826 after being elected to the US Senate .
Kensey Johns Jr. (NR)
Seated October 2, 1827
New York's 29th
David E. Evans (J)
Resigned May 2, 1827
Phineas L. Tracy (NR)
Seated November 5, 1827
Massachusetts's 1st
Daniel Webster (NR)
Resigned May 30, 1827, to run for the US Senate
Benjamin Gorham (NR)
Seated July 23, 1827
Ohio's 8th
William Wilson (NR)
Died June 6, 1827
William Stanbery (J)
Seated October 9, 1827
Maine's 1st
William Burleigh (NR)
Died July 2, 1827
Rufus McIntire (J)
Seated September 10, 1827
Kentucky's 11th
William S. Young (NR)
Died September 20, 1827
John Calhoon (NR)
Seated November 5, 1827
Kentucky's 11th
John Calhoon (NR)
Resigned November 7, 1827, to avoid an election dispute
Thomas Chilton (J)
Seated December 22, 1827
Georgia's 2nd
John Forsyth (J)
Resigned November 7, 1827, after being elected Governor of Georgia
Richard H. Wilde (J)
Seated November 17, 1827
Arkansas Territory at-large
Henry W. Conway
Died November 9, 1827
Ambrose H. Sevier
Seated February 13, 1828
New Jersey at-large
George Holcombe (J)
Died January 14, 1828
James F. Randolph (NR)
Seated December 1, 1828
New York's 5th
Thomas J. Oakley (J)
Resigned May 9, 1828, after being appointed judge of the Superior Court of New York City
Thomas Taber II (J)
Seated November 5, 1828
Kentucky's 2nd
Thomas Metcalfe (NR)
Resigned June 1, 1828, after being elected Governor of Kentucky
John Chambers (NR)
Seated December 1, 1828
New Jersey at-large
Hedge Thompson (NR)
Died July 23, 1828
Thomas Sinnickson (NR)
Seated December 1, 1828
Mississippi at-large
William Haile (J)
Resigned September 12, 1828
Thomas Hinds (J)
Seated October 21, 1828
Ohio's 6th
William Creighton Jr. (NR)
Resigned before December 19, 1828, after being nominated as a judge to district court
Francis S. Muhlenberg (NR)
Seated December 19, 1828
New York's 20th
Silas Wright (J)
Resigned February 16, 1829
Vacant
Not filled this Congress
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Senate
House of Representatives
Joint committees
Employees
Senate
House of Representatives
See also
Notes
^ Anti-Masonic
^ 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