20th United States 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
- December 3, 1828: U.S. presidential election, 1828: Challenger Andrew Jackson beat incumbent John Quincy Adams and was elected President of the United States
Major legislation
- May 24, 1828: Tariff of Abominations, ch. 111,
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.Leadership
Senate
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 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.Louisiana">List of United States senators from Louisiana">Louisiana
New York">List of United States senators from New York">New York
House of Representatives
The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.Connecticut">List of United States representatives from Connecticut">Connecticut
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.Georgia">List of United States representatives from Georgia">Georgia
Two representatives replacing those who had resigned 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 three plural districts: the 20th & 26th had two representatives each, and the 3rd had three representatives.Pennsylvania">List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
There were six plural districts: the 7th, 8th, 11th & 16th had two representatives each, and the 4th & 9th had three representatives each.Rhode Island">List of United States representatives from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
Both 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.Senate
- Replacements: 6
- *National Republican (NR): no net change
- *Jacksonian (J): no net change
- Deaths: 0
- Resignations: 7
- Interim appointments: 0
- '''Total seats with changes: 8'''
House of Representatives
- Replacements: 9
- *National Republican (NR): 1-seat net loss
- *Jacksonian (J): 1-seat net gain
- Deaths: 5
- Resignations: 9
- Contested election: 1
- '''Total seats with changes: 15'''
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.Senate
- Agriculture
- Alabama Land Purchase
- Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
- Claims
- Commerce
- Debt Imprisonment Abolition
- Distributing Public Revenue Among the States
- District of Columbia
- Engrossed Bills
- Finance
- Foreign Relations
- French Spoilations
- Indian Affairs
- Judiciary
- Manufactures
- Military Affairs
- Militia
- Naval Affairs
- Pensions
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Private Land Claims
- Public Lands
- Revolutionary Officers
- Roads and Canals
- Tariff Regulation
- Vaccination
- Whole
House of Representatives
- Accounts
- Agriculture
- Assault on the President's Secretary
- American Colonization Society
- Claims
- Commerce
- District of Columbia
- Elections
- Ethics
- 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
- Foreign Affairs
- Indian Affairs
- Judiciary
- Manufactures
- Military Affairs
- Military Pensions
- Naval Affairs
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Private Land Claims
- Public Expenditures
- Public Lands
- Revisal and Unfinished Business
- Revolutionary Claims
- Rules
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Territories
- Ways and Means
- Whole
Joint committees
- Enrolled Bills
- The Library
- To Prepare a Code of Laws for the District of Columbia
Employees
[List of [federal agencies in the United States#United States Congress|Legislative branch agency]] directors
Senate
- Chaplain: William Ryland
- Secretary: Walter Lowrie
- Sergeant at Arms: Mountjoy Bayly
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: Reuben Post
- Clerk: Matthew St. Clair Clarke
- Doorkeeper: Benjamin Birch
- Reading Clerks:
- Sergeant at Arms: John O. Dunn