16th United States Congress
The 16th 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, 1819, to March 4, 1821, during the third and fourth years of James Monroe'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
- A "speech for Buncombe County, North Carolina" given by North Carolina representative Felix Walker in 1820 was credited with introducing into the language the term "bunkum".
- March 6, 1819: McCulloch v. Maryland: Supreme Court ruled that the Bank of the United States is constitutional.
- July 3, 1820: House of Representatives elections, 1820">United States House of Representatives">House of Representatives elections, 1820 began in Louisiana
- August 7, 1820: 1820 United States census conducted, eventually determining a population of 9,638,453, of which 1,538,022 were slaves.
- November 13–15, 1820: List of Speaker of [the United States House of Representatives elections#November 1820|A special election for the House speakership] takes 22 ballots.
- December 3, 1820: U.S. presidential election, 1820: James Monroe was re-elected, virtually unopposed.
Major legislation
- March 6, 1820: Missouri Compromise, Sess. 1, ch. 22,
- April 24, 1820: Land Act of 1820, Sess. 1, ch. 51,
Proposed but not enacted
- Tallmadge Amendment would allow Missouri into the Union as a slave state, but would also implement gradual emancipation in Missouri. The amendment passed the House of Representatives, but not the Senate. The Tallmadge Amendment led to the passage of the Missouri Compromise.
Treaties
- February 22, 1819: Adams-Onís Treaty : Spain ceded Florida to the United States.
States admitted
- December 14, 1819: Alabama was admitted as the 22nd state,.
- March 15, 1820: Maine was admitted as the 23rd state. It was formerly the District of Maine, part of Massachusetts,.
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 each of the new states of Alabama and Maine.House of Representatives
During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Alabama and one seat was reapportioned from Massachusetts to the new state of Maine. For the beginning of the next congress, six more seats from Massachusetts would be reapportioned to Maine.Leadership
Senate
- President: Daniel D. Tompkins
- President pro tempore: James Barbour,, until December 26, 1819
- * John Gaillard,, elected January 25, 1820
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Henry Clay, resigned October 28, 1820
- * John Taylor,, elected November 15, 1820, on the 22nd ballot
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 ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1820; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1822; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1824.Louisiana">List of United States senators from Louisiana">Louisiana
North Carolina">List of United States senators from North Carolina">North 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 this Congress.Senate
There were 5 resignations, 2 deaths, 2 vacancies before the Congress, and 4 new seats. The Democratic-Republicans had a 7-seat net gain and the Federalists had a 1-seat net loss.House of Representatives
There were 13 resignations, 5 deaths, 2 contested elections, and 2 new seats. The Democratic-Republicans had a 1-seat net gain and the Federalists had no net change.Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.Senate
- Amendments to the Constitution
- American Colonization Society
- Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
- Claims
- Commerce and Manufactures
- Constitution of the State of Alabama
- District of Columbia
- Engrossed Bills
- Finance
- Foreign Relations
- Indian Affairs
- Judiciary
- Land Commissioner Reports
- Military Affairs
- Militia
- Missouri's Admission to the Union
- Naval Affairs
- Pensions
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Public Buildings
- Public Lands
- Purchase of Fire Engines
- Reduction of Congressional Salaries
- Roads and Canals
- Whole
House of Representatives
- Accounts
- Agriculture
- Apportionment of Representatives
- Army Appropriations Inquiry
- Bank of the United States
- Brownstown Treaty
- Claims
- Commerce
- 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
- Manufactures
- 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
Officers
Legislative branch agency">List of federal agencies in the United States#United States Congress">Legislative branch agency directors
Senate
- Chaplain: John Clark, until December 9, 1819
- * Reuben Post, elected December 9, 1819
- * William Ryland, elected November 17, 1820
- Secretary: Charles Cutts
- Sergeant at Arms: Mountjoy Bayly
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: Burgiss Allison, until November 16, 1820
- * John N. Campbell, elected November 16, 1820
- Clerk: Thomas Dougherty
- Doorkeeper: Thomas Claxton
- Reading Clerks:
- Sergeant at Arms: Thomas Dunn