29th United States Congress
The 29th 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, 1845, to March 4, 1847, during the first two years of James Polk's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1840 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic majority.
Major events
- March 4, 1845: James K. Polk became President of the United States
- October 10, 1845: The Naval School opened in Annapolis, Maryland
- December 2, 1845: President Polk announced to Congress that the Monroe Doctrine should be strictly enforced and that the United States should aggressively expand into the West.
- April 25, 1846: Open conflict over border disputes of Texas's boundaries began the Mexican–American War
Major legislation
- May 13, 1846: Mexican–American War declared, ch. 16,
- July 9, 1846: District of Columbia retrocession, ch. 35,
- July 30, 1846: Walker tariff, ch. 74,
Treaties
- June 15, 1846: Oregon Treaty established the 49th parallel as the border between the United States and Canada, from the Rocky Mountains to the Strait of Juan de Fuca
- January 13, 1847: Treaty of Cahuenga ended the fighting in the Mexican–American War in California
States admitted
- December 29, 1845: Texas admitted as the 28th state
- December 28, 1846: Iowa admitted as the 29th state
Party summary
Senate
During this congress, two Senate seats were added for each of the new states of Texas and Iowa.House of Representatives
During this congress, two House seats were added for each of the new states of Texas and Iowa.Leadership
Senate
- President: George M. Dallas
- President pro tempore: Willie P. Mangum, until March 4, 1845
- * Ambrose Hundley Sevier, only on December 27, 1845
- * David R. Atchison, from August 8, 1846
House of Representatives
- Speaker of the [United States House of Representatives|Speaker]: John W. Davis
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 1850; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1846; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1848.Indiana">List of United States senators from Indiana">Indiana
Mississippi">List of United States senators from Mississippi">Mississippi
Rhode Island">List of United States senators from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
House of Representatives
The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.Indiana">List of United States representatives from Indiana">Indiana
Mississippi">List of United States representatives from Mississippi">Mississippi
Rhode Island">List of United States representatives from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
Non-voting members
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.Senate
- Replacements: 8
- * Democrats (D): no net change
- * Whigs (W): no net change
- Deaths: 3
- Resignations: 6
- Interim appointments: 1
- Seats of newly admitted states: 4
- '''Total seats with changes: 14'''
House of Representatives
- Replacements: 12
- * Democrats (D): 1 seat net gain
- * Whigs (W): 1 seat net loss
- Deaths: 5
- Resignations: 6
- Contested election: 1
- Seats of newly admitted states: 4
- '''Total seats with changes: 17'''
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.Senate
- Agriculture
- United States Senate [Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate|Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate]
- Charges of Corruption Contained in the Daily Times
- Claims
- Commerce
- Distributing Public Revenue Among the States
- District of Columbia
- Finance
- Foreign Relations
- French Spoilations
- Indian Affairs
- International Copyright Law
- Judiciary
- Manufactures
- Memorial on W.T.G. Morton
- Memphis Convention
- Military Affairs
- Militia
- Naval Affairs
- Ordnance and War Ships
- United States Senate [Committee on Patents and the Patent Office|Patents and the Patent Office]
- Pensions
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Printing
- Private Land Claims
- Public Buildings and Grounds
- Public Lands
- Retrenchment
- Revolutionary Claims
- Roads and Canals
- Tariff Regulation
- Territories
- Smithsonian Institution
- Whole
House of Representatives
- Accounts
- Agriculture
- Claims
- Commerce
- District of Columbia
- Elections
- Engraving
- United States House Committee on Expenditures [in the Navy Department|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
- Invalid Pensions
- Judiciary
- Manufactures
- Mileage
- Military Affairs
- Militia
- Naval Affairs
- Patents
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Private Land Claims
- Public Buildings and Grounds
- Public Expenditures
- Public Lands
- Revisal and Unfinished Business
- Revolutionary Claims
- Revolutionary Pensions
- Roads and Canals
- Rules
- United States House [Committee on Standards of Official Conduct|Standards of Official Conduct]
- Territories
- Ways and Means
- Whole (United States House of Representatives)|Whole]
Joint committees
- Enrolled Bills
- The Library
- Printing
- Smithsonian Bequest
Employees
Senate
- Chaplain: Septimus Tustin, until December 16, 1846
- * Henry Slicer, elected December 16, 1846
- Secretary: Asbury Dickins
- Sergeant at Arms: Edward Dyer, died September 8, 1845
- * Robert Beale, elected December 9, 1845
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: William H. Milburn, elected December 3, 1845
- * William T.S. Sprole, elected December 7, 1846
- Clerk: Benjamin B. French
- Doorkeeper: Cornelius C. Whitney, elected December 3, 1845
- Postmaster: John M. Johnson
- Clerk of the United States House of Representatives|Reading Clerks]:
- Sergeant at Arms: Newton Lane