Wikipedia / 28th United States Congress
Wikipedia / 28th United States Congress
The 28th 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, 1843, to March 4, 1845, during the third and fourth years of John Tyler's presidency. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1840 United States census. The Senate had a Whig majority, and the House had a Democratic majority.
Major events
May 24, 1844: The first electrical telegram was sent by Samuel F. B. Morse from the U.S. Capitol to the B&O Railroad "outer depot" in Baltimore, Maryland, saying "What hath God wrought".
December 4, 1844: U.S. presidential election, 1844: James K. Polk defeated Henry Clay
Major legislation
January 23, 1845: Presidential Election Day Act, ch. 1,
March 3, 1845: For the first time, Congress overrode a Presidential veto. An act relating to revenue cutters and steamers was thereby enacted as the last Act of the 28th Congress: session II, ch. 78, .
Treaties
July 3, 1844: Treaty of Wanghia which was signed with the Qing Empire. The treaty established five U.S. treaty ports in China with extraterritoriality and was the first unequal treaty that the country imposed on the dynasty.
States admitted
March 1, 1845: Resolution for the Annexation of Texas, (Admitted in the next Congress, December 29, 1845.)
March 3, 1845: Florida admitted, . The statute also allowed for the provisional admission of Iowa, pending a referendum in that state. (Admitted in the next Congress, December 28, 1846.)
Party summary
Senate
During this congress, two Senate seats were added for the new state of Florida.
House of Representatives
Following the 1840 United States census, Congress reapportioned the House to include 223 seats. During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Florida.
Leadership
Senate
President: Vacant
House of Representatives
Speaker: John W. Jones (D)
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 reelection in 1844; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1846; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1848.
List of United States senators from AlabamaAlabama
2. William R. King (D), until April 15, 1844
Dixon H. Lewis (D), from April 22, 1844
3. Arthur P. Bagby (D)
List of United States senators from ArkansasArkansas
2. William S. Fulton (D), until August 15, 1844
Chester Ashley (D), from November 8, 1844
3. Ambrose H. Sevier (D)
List of United States senators from ConnecticutConnecticut
1. Jabez W. Huntington (W)
3. John M. Niles (D)
List of United States senators from DelawareDelaware
1. Richard H. Bayard (W)
2. Thomas Clayton (W)
List of United States senators from FloridaFlorida
1: Vacant from March 3, 1845, admission
2: Vacant from March 3, 1845, admission
List of United States senators from GeorgiaGeorgia
2. John MacPherson Berrien (W)
3. Walter T. Colquitt (D)
List of United States senators from IllinoisIllinois
2. Samuel McRoberts (D), until March 27, 1843
James Semple (D), from December 4, 1843
3. Sidney Breese (D)
List of United States senators from IndianaIndiana
1. Albert S. White (W)
3. Edward A. Hannegan (D)
List of United States senators from KentuckyKentucky
2. James T. Morehead (W)
3. John J. Crittenden (W)
List of United States senators from LouisianaLouisiana
2. Alexander Barrow (W)
3. Alexander Porter (W), until January 13, 1844
Henry Johnson (W), from February 12, 1844
List of United States senators from MaineMaine
1. John Fairfield (D), from December 4, 1843
2. George Evans (W)
List of United States senators from MarylandMaryland
1. William D. Merrick (W)
3. James A. Pearce (W)
List of United States senators from MassachusettsMassachusetts
1. Rufus Choate (W)
2. Isaac C. Bates (W)
List of United States senators from MichiganMichigan
1. Augustus S. Porter (W)
2. William Woodbridge (W)
List of United States senators from MississippiMississippi
1. John Henderson (W)
2. Robert J. Walker (D)
List of United States senators from MissouriMissouri
1. Thomas H. Benton (D)
3. Lewis F. Linn (D), until October 3, 1843
David R. Atchison (D), from October 14, 1843
List of United States senators from New HampshireNew Hampshire
2. Levi Woodbury (D)
3. Charles G. Atherton (D)
List of United States senators from New JerseyNew Jersey
1. William L. Dayton (W)
2. Jacob W. Miller (W)
List of United States senators from New YorkNew York
1. Nathaniel P. Tallmadge (W), until June 17, 1844
Daniel S. Dickinson (D), from November 30, 1844
3. Silas Wright Jr. (D), until November 26, 1844
Henry A. Foster (D), November 30, 1844 – January 27, 1845
John A. Dix (D), from January 27, 1845
List of United States senators from North CarolinaNorth Carolina
2. Willie P. Mangum (W)
3. William H. Haywood Jr. (D)
List of United States senators from OhioOhio
1. Benjamin Tappan (D)
3. William Allen (D)
List of United States senators from PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
1. Daniel Sturgeon (D)
3. James Buchanan (D)
List of United States senators from Rhode IslandRhode Island
1. William Sprague III (W), until January 17, 1844
John B. Francis (LO), from January 25, 1844
2. James F. Simmons (W)
List of United States senators from South CarolinaSouth Carolina
2. Daniel E. Huger (D), until March 3, 1845
3. George McDuffie (D)
List of United States senators from TennesseeTennessee
1. Ephraim H. Foster (W), from October 17, 1843
2. Spencer Jarnagin (W), from October 17, 1843
List of United States senators from VermontVermont
1. Samuel S. Phelps (W)
3. William Upham (W)
List of United States senators from VirginiaVirginia
1. William C. Rives (W)
2. William S. Archer (W)
House of Representatives
Representatives are listed by their district numbers.
List of United States representatives from AlabamaAlabama
. James Dellet (W)
. James E. Belser (D)
. Dixon H. Lewis (D), until April 22, 1844
William L. Yancey (D), from December 2, 1844
. William W. Payne (D)
. George S. Houston (D)
. Reuben Chapman (D)
. Felix G. McConnell (D)
List of United States representatives from ArkansasArkansas
. Edward Cross (D)
List of United States representatives from ConnecticutConnecticut
. Thomas H. Seymour (D)
. John Stewart (D)
. George S. Catlin (D)
. Samuel Simons (D)
List of United States representatives from DelawareDelaware
. George B. Rodney (W)
List of United States representatives from FloridaFlorida
: Vacant from March 3, 1845, admission
List of United States representatives from GeorgiaGeorgia
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
. Edward J. Black (D)
. Howell Cobb (D)
. Mark A. Cooper (D), until June 26, 1843
Alexander H. Stephens (W), from October 2, 1843
. Hugh A. Haralson (D)
. John B. Lamar (D), until July 29, 1843
Absalom H. Chappell (W), from October 2, 1843
. John H. Lumpkin (D)
. John Millen (D), until October 15, 1843
Duncan L. Clinch (W), from February 15, 1844
. William H. Stiles (D)
List of United States representatives from IllinoisIllinois
. Robert Smith (D)
. John A. McClernand (D)
. Orlando B. Ficklin (D)
. John Wentworth (D)
. Stephen A. Douglas (D)
. Joseph P. Hoge (D)
. John J. Hardin (W)
List of United States representatives from IndianaIndiana
. Robert D. Owen (D)
. Thomas J. Henley (D)
. Thomas Smith (D)
. Caleb B. Smith (W)
. William J. Brown (D)
. John W. Davis (D)
. Joseph A. Wright (D)
. John Pettit (D)
. Samuel C. Sample (W)
. Andrew Kennedy (D)
List of United States representatives from KentuckyKentucky
. Linn Boyd (D)
. Willis Green (W)
. Henry Grider (W)
. George Caldwell (D)
. James W. Stone (D)
. John White (W)
. William P. Thomasson (W)
. Garrett Davis (W)
. Richard French (D)
. John W. Tibbatts (D)
List of United States representatives from LouisianaLouisiana
. John Slidell (D)
. Alcée L. La Branche (D)
. John B. Dawson (D)
. Pierre E. J. B. Bossier (D), until April 24, 1844
Isaac E. Morse (D), from December 2, 1844
List of United States representatives from MaineMaine
. Joshua Herrick (D)
. Robert P. Dunlap (D)
. Luther Severance (W)
. Freeman H. Morse (W)
. Benjamin White (D)
. Hannibal Hamlin (D)
. Shepard Cary (D) from May 10, 1844
List of United States representatives from MarylandMaryland
. John M. S. Causin (W)
. Francis Brengle (W)
. John Wethered (W)
. John P. Kennedy (W)
. Jacob A. Preston (W)
. Thomas A. Spence (W)
List of United States representatives from MassachusettsMassachusetts
. Robert C. Winthrop (W)
. Daniel P. King (W)
. Amos Abbott (W)
. William Parmenter (D)
. Charles Hudson (W)
. Osmyn Baker (W)
. Julius Rockwell (W)
. John Quincy Adams (W)
. Henry Williams (D)
. Barker Burnell (W), until June 15, 1843
Joseph Grinnell (W), from December 7, 1843
List of United States representatives from MichiganMichigan
. Robert McClelland (D)
. Lucius Lyon (D)
. James B. Hunt (D)
List of United States representatives from MississippiMississippi
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
. William H. Hammett (D)
. Robert W. Roberts (D)
. Jacob Thompson (D)
. Tilghman M. Tucker (D)
List of United States representatives from MissouriMissouri
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
. Gustavus M. Bower (D)
. James B. Bowlin (D)
. James M. Hughes (D)
. John Jameson (D)
. James H. Relfe (D)
List of United States representatives from New HampshireNew Hampshire
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
. Edmund Burke (D)
. John P. Hale (D)
. Moses Norris Jr. (D)
. John R. Reding (D)
List of United States representatives from New JerseyNew Jersey
. Lucius Q. C. Elmer (D)
. George Sykes (D)
. Isaac G. Farlee (D)
. Littleton Kirkpatrick (D)
. William Wright (Ind. W)
List of United States representatives from New YorkNew York
. Selah B. Strong (D)
. Henry C. Murphy (D)
. J. Phillips Phoenix (W)
. William B. Maclay (D)
. Moses G. Leonard (D)
. Hamilton Fish (W)
. Joseph H. Anderson (D)
. Richard D. Davis (D)
. James G. Clinton (D)
. Jeremiah Russell (D)
. Zadock Pratt (D)
. David L. Seymour (D)
. Daniel D. Barnard (W)
. Charles Rogers (W)
. Lemuel Stetson (D)
. Chesselden Ellis (D)
. Charles S. Benton (D)
. Preston King (D)
. Orville Hungerford (D)
. Samuel Beardsley (D), until February 29, 1844
Levi D. Carpenter (D), from November 5, 1844
. Jeremiah E. Cary (D)
. Smith M. Purdy (D)
. Orville Robinson (D)
. Horace Wheaton (D)
. George O. Rathbun (D)
. Amasa Dana (D)
. Byram Green (D)
. Thomas J. Paterson (W)
. Charles H. Carroll (W)
. William S. Hubbell (D)
. Asher Tyler (W)
. William A. Moseley (W)
. Albert Smith (W)
. Washington Hunt (W)
List of United States representatives from North CarolinaNorth Carolina
. Thomas L. Clingman (W)
. Daniel M. Barringer (W)
. David S. Reid (D)
. Edmund Deberry (W)
. Romulus M. Saunders (D)
. James I. McKay (D)
. John R. J. Daniel (D)
. Archibald H. Arrington (D)
. Kenneth Rayner (W)
List of United States representatives from OhioOhio
. Alexander Duncan (D)
. John B. Weller (D)
. Robert C. Schenck (W)
. Joseph Vance (W)
. Emery D. Potter (D)
. Henry St. John (D)
. Joseph J. McDowell (D)
. John I. Vanmeter (W)
. Elias Florence (W)
. Heman Allen Moore (D), until April 3, 1844
Alfred P. Stone (D), from October 8, 1844
. Jacob Brinkerhoff (D)
. Samuel F. Vinton (W)
. Perley B. Johnson (W)
. Alexander Harper (W)
. Joseph Morris (D)
. James Mathews (D)
. William C. McCauslen (D)
. Ezra Dean (D)
. Daniel R. Tilden (W)
. Joshua R. Giddings (W)
. Henry R. Brinkerhoff (D), until April 30, 1844
Edward S. Hamlin (W), from October 8, 1844
List of United States representatives from PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
. Edward Joy Morris (W)
. Joseph R. Ingersoll (W)
. John T. Smith (D)
. Charles J. Ingersoll (D)
. Jacob S. Yost (D)
. Michael H. Jenks (W)
. Abraham R. McIlvaine (W)
. Jeremiah Brown (W)
. John Ritter (D)
. Richard Brodhead (D)
. Benjamin A. Bidlack (D)
. Almon H. Read (D), until June 3, 1844
George Fuller (D), from December 2, 1844
. Henry Frick (W), until March 1, 1844
James Pollock (W), from April 5, 1844
. Alexander Ramsey (W)
. Henry Nes (Ind. D)
. James Black (D)
. James Irvin (W)
. Andrew Stewart (W)
. Henry D. Foster (D)
. John Dickey (W)
. William Wilkins (D), until February 14, 1844
Cornelius Darragh (W), from March 26, 1844
. Samuel Hays (D)
. Charles M. Reed (W)
. Joseph Buffington (W)
List of United States representatives from Rhode IslandRhode Island
List of United States representatives from South CarolinaSouth Carolina
. James A. Black (D)
. Richard F. Simpson (D)
. Joseph A. Woodward (D)
. John Campbell (D)
. Armistead Burt (D)
. Isaac E. Holmes (D)
. Robert Rhett (D)
List of United States representatives from TennesseeTennessee
. Andrew Johnson (D)
. William T. Senter (W)
. Julius W. Blackwell (D)
. Alvan Cullom (D)
. George W. Jones (D)
. Aaron V. Brown (D)
. David W. Dickinson (W)
. Joseph H. Peyton (W)
. Cave Johnson (D)
. John B. Ashe (W)
. Milton Brown (W)
List of United States representatives from VermontVermont
. Solomon Foot (W)
. Jacob Collamer (W)
. George P. Marsh (W)
. Paul Dillingham Jr. (D)
List of United States representatives from VirginiaVirginia
. Archibald Atkinson (D)
. George C. Dromgoole (D)
. Walter Coles (D)
. Edmund W. Hubard (D)
. Thomas W. Gilmer (D), until February 16, 1844
William L. Goggin (W), from April 25, 1844
. John W. Jones (D)
. Henry A. Wise (D), until February 12, 1844
Thomas H. Bayly (D), from May 6, 1844
. Willoughby Newton (W)
. Samuel Chilton (W)
. William Lucas (D)
. William Taylor (D)
. Augustus A. Chapman (D)
. George W. Hopkins (D)
. George W. Summers (W)
. Lewis Steenrod (D)
Non-voting members
. David Levy Yulee (D), until March 3, 1845
. Augustus C. Dodge (D)
. Henry Dodge (D)
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
Senate
Replacements: 7
Democrats (D): no net change
Whigs (W): 1 seat net loss
Law and Order (LO): 1 seat net gain
Deaths: 3
Resignations: 5
Interim appointments: 1
Total seats with changes: 10
|- | Tennessee(1) | Vacant | Senator Alfred O. P. Nicholson (D) resigned in 26th Congress.Successor elected October 17, 1843. | | Ephraim H. Foster (W) | Elected October 17, 1843
|- | Tennessee(2) | Vacant | Failure to elect.Successor elected October 17, 1843. | | Spencer Jarnagin (W) | Elected October 17, 1843
|- | Maine(1) | Vacant | Senator Reuel Williams (D) resigned in previous congress.Successor elected December 4, 1843. | | John Fairfield (D) | Elected December 4, 1843
|- | Louisiana(3) | | Alexander Porter (W) | Elected but, due to ill health, never took his seat.Incumbent died January 13, 1844.Successor elected February 12, 1844. | | Henry Johnson (W) | Elected February 12, 1844
|- | Illinois(2) | | Samuel McRoberts (D) | Died March 27, 1843.Successor appointed December 4, 1843, to continue the term until an election.Appointee was later elected, on an unknown date. | | James Semple (D) | Seated December 4, 1843
|- | Missouri(3) | | Lewis F. Linn (D) | Died October 3, 1843.Successor appointed October 14, 1843, to continue the term until an election.Appointee was later elected, on an unknown date in 1843. | | David R. Atchison (D) | Seated October 14, 1843
|- | Rhode Island(1) | | William Sprague (W) | Resigned January 17, 1844.Successor elected January 25, 1844. | | John B. Francis (LO) | Seated January 25, 1844
|- | Alabama(2) | | William R. King (D) | Resigned April 15, 1844, after being appointed U.S. Minister to France.Successor appointed April 22, 1844, to finish the term. | | Dixon H. Lewis (D) | Seated April 22, 1844
|- | New York(1) | | Nathaniel P. Tallmadge (W) | Resigned June 17, 1844, after being appointed Governor of Wisconsin Territory.Successor was appointed November 30, 1945.Appointee was later elected January 18, 1845. | | Daniel S. Dickinson (D) | Seated December 9, 1844
|- | Arkansas(2) | | William S. Fulton (D) | Died August 15, 1844.Successor elected November 8, 1844. | | Chester Ashley (D) | Seated November 8, 1844
|- | New York(3) | | Silas Wright (D) | Resigned November 26, 1844, after being elected Governor of New York.Successor appointed November 30, 1945. | | Henry A. Foster (D) | Seated December 9, 1844
|- | New York(3) | | Henry A. Foster (D) | Appointee was not nominated for election.Successor elected January 18, 1845. | | John A. Dix (D) | Seated January 27, 1845
|- | South Carolina(2) | | Daniel E. Huger (D) | Resigned March 3, 1845 | Vacant | Not filled this term
|- | Florida(1) | colspan=2 | New state: Florida admitted to the Union March 3, 1845.First Senator wasn't elected until the next Congress. | Vacant | Not filled this term
|- | Florida(2) | colspan=2 | New state: Florida admitted to the Union March 3, 1845.First Senator wasn't elected until the next Congress. | Vacant | Not filled this term
|}
House of Representatives
Replacements: 14
Democrats (D): 6 seat net loss
Whigs (W): 6 seat net gain
Deaths: 7
Resignations: 7
Contested election: 0
Total seats with changes: 16
|- | | | Barker Burnell (W) | style="font-size:80%" | Died June 15, 1843 | | Joseph Grinnell (W) | Seated December 7, 1843 |- | | | Mark A. Cooper (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned June 26, 1843, to become candidate for Governor of Georgia | | Alexander H. Stephens (W) | Seated October 2, 1843 |- | | | John B. Lamar (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned July 29, 1843 | | Absalom H. Chappell (W) | Seated October 2, 1843 |- | | | John Millen (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Died October 15, 1843 | | Duncan L. Clinch (W) | Seated February 15, 1844 |- | | | Henry A. Wise (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned February 12, 1844, after being appointed Minister to Brazil | | Thomas H. Bayly (D) | Seated May 6, 1844 |- | | | William Wilkens (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned February 14, 1844, after being appointed United States Secretary of War | | Cornelius Darragh (W) | Seated March 26, 1844 |- | | | Thomas W. Gilmer (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned February 16, 1844, after being appointed United States Secretary of the Navy | | William L. Goggin (W) | Seated April 25, 1844 |- | | | Henry Frick (W) | style="font-size:80%" | Died March 1, 1844 | | James Pollock (W) | Seated April 5, 1844 |- | | | Heman A. Moore (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Died April 3, 1844 | | Alfred P. Stone (D) | Seated October 8, 1844 |- | | | Dixon H. Lewis (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned April 22, 1844, after being appointed US Senator | | William L. Yancey (D) | Seated December 2, 1844 |- | | | Pierre Bossier (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Died April 24, 1844 | | Isaac E. Morse (D) | Seated December 2, 1844 |- | | | Samuel Beardsley (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned February 29, 1844, after being appointed associate judge of New York Supreme Court | | Levi D. Carpenter (D) | Seated November 5, 1844 |- | | | Henry R. Brinkerhoff (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Died April 30, 1844 | | Edward S. Hamlin (W) | Seated October 8, 1844 |- | | | Almon H. Read (D) | style="font-size:80%" | Died June 3, 1844 | | George Fuller (D) | Seated December 2, 1844 |- | | | David L. Yulee (D) | colspan=3 style="font-size:80%" | Seat was eliminated when Florida achieved statehood March 3, 1845 |- | nowrap | | colspan=2 style="font-size:80%" | Florida was admitted to the Union on March 3, 1845 | Vacant | Not filled this term |}
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Senate
House of Representatives
Joint committees
Employees
Senate
House of Representatives
Chaplain: Isaac S. Tinsley (Baptist), elected December 16, 1843
William M. Daily (Methodist), from December 4, 1844
Clerk: Matthew St. Clair Clarke, until December 7, 1843
Caleb J. McNulty, elected December 7, 1843
Benjamin B. French, elected January 18, 1845
Doorkeeper: Jesse E. Dow, elected December 7, 1843
Postmaster: William J. McCormick, until January 4, 1844
John M. Johnson, from January 4, 1844
Sergeant at Arms: Eleazor M. Townsend, until December 8, 1843
Newton Lane, from December 8, 1843
See also
1842 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress)
1844 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)