14th United States Congress
The 14th 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 the Old Brick Capitol in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1815, to March 3, 1817, during the seventh and eighth years of James Madison's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1810 [United States census]. Both chambers had a Democratic-Republican majority.
Major events
- November 1816: James Monroe defeated Rufus King in the U.S. presidential election.
Henry Clay
- According to abolitionist Jesse Torrey, "One of the members of the house of representatives related to me, while at Washington, the following fact: — "That during the last session of congress, as several members were standing in the street, near the new capitol, a drove of manacled coloured people were passing by; and when just opposite one of them elevating his manacles as high as he could reach, commenced singing the favorite national song,
'Hail Columbia! happy land!' &c."
Major legislation
- April 10, 1816: Establishment of the Second Bank of the United States
- April 27, 1816: Dallas tariff
Proposed, but not enacted
- March 3, 1817: Bonus Bill of 1817
Treaties
- August 24, 1816: Treaty of St. Louis signed
States admitted and territories organized
- December 11, 1816: Indiana was admitted as the 19th state,
- March 3, 1817: Alabama Territory was created from a portion of the Mississippi Territory
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
During this congress, two Senate seats were added for the new state of Indiana.House of Representatives
During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Indiana.Leadership
Senate
- President of [the United States Senate|President]: Vacant
- President pro tempore: John Gaillard of South Carolina, first elected December 4, 1815
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Henry Clay of Kentucky
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 with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1820; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1816; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1818.Massachusetts">List of United States senators from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
South Carolina">List of United States senators from South Carolina">South Carolina
House of Representatives
Connecticut">List of United States representatives from Connecticut">Connecticut
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.Delaware">List of United States representatives from Delaware">Delaware
Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.Georgia">List of United States representatives from Georgia">Georgia
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.Maryland">List of United States representatives from Maryland">Maryland
The 5th district was a plural district with two representatives.New Hampshire">List of United States representatives from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.New Jersey">List of United States representatives from New Jersey">New Jersey
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.New York">List of United States representatives from New York">New York
There were six plural districts, the 1st, 2nd, 12th, 15th, 20th & 21st, each had two representatives.Pennsylvania">List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
There were six plural districts, the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th & 10th had two representatives each, the 1st had four representatives.Rhode Island">List of United States representatives from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.Vermont">List of United States representatives from Vermont">Vermont
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.Senate
- Attorney General's Office
- Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
- Claims
- Commerce and Manufactures
- Compensation of Members of Congress
- District of Columbia
- Engrossed Bills
- Finance
- Indiana Admission to the Union
- Judiciary
- Military Affairs
- Militia
- Memorial of the Mississippi Territory
- National University
- Naval Affairs
- Pensions
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Public Lands
- Slave Trade
- Weights and Measures
- Whole
House of Representatives
- Accounts
- Assent of Congress to an Act of the Virginia Legislature
- Attorney General's Office
- Banks of the District of Columbia
- Berkshire Association
- Bible Society of Philadelphia
- Bonus of the National Banks
- Bounty Lands Communication
- Claims
- Commerce and Manufactures
- District of Columbia
- Elections
- Expenditures in the Navy Department
- Expenditures in the Post Office Department
- Expenditures in the State Department
- Expenditures in the Treasury Department
- Expenditures in the War Department
- Expenditures on Public Buildings
- Judiciary
- Pensions and Revolutionary Claims
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Private Land Claims
- Public Expenditures
- Public Lands
- Revisal and Unfinished Business
- Rules
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Ways and Means
- Whole
Joint committees
Employees
Legislative branch agency">List of federal agencies in the United States#United States Congress">Legislative branch agency directors
- Architect of the Capitol: Benjamin Latrobe, from April 6, 1815
- Librarian of Congress: George Watterston
Senate
- Chaplain: Jesse Lee, until December 8, 1815
- * John Glendie, elected December 8, 1815
- * Sereno Edwards Dwight, elected December 16, 1816
- Secretary: Charles Cutts
- Sergeant at Arms: Mountjoy Bayly
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: Obadiah B. Brown, until December 7, 1815
- * Spencer H. Cone, December 7, 1815 – December 2, 1816
- * Burgiss Allison, elected December 2, 1816
- Clerk: Thomas Dougherty
- Doorkeeper: Thomas Claxton
- Reading Clerks:
- Sergeant at Arms: Thomas Dunn