1854–55 United States House of Representatives elections
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Elections to the United States House of Representatives for the 34th Congress were held at various dates in each State, the earliest being in the middle of President Franklin Pierce's term on August 4, 1854 (in Arkansas) and the latest on November 6, 1855 (in Louisiana and Maryland).
The Democratic and Whig parties, which had been the 2 largest parties for the past 20 years, both lost a substantial number of seats. The Democrats in particular lost their majority in the chamber which they had held since 1850. The American Party (commonly called the Know Nothings) and the Opposition Party formed a coalition government which elected Nathaniel P. Banks as House Speaker even though the Democratic Party won the election with the largest plurality of seats. The Opposition Party included members of the Whig Party (which would soon collapse), the People's Party of Indiana, Anti-Nebraska candidates, and members of the nascent Republican Party.
The major issue of this midterm election was the recently passed Kansas–Nebraska Act and the Bleeding Kansas conflict that resulted from it. The Act infuriated much of the North, as it repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, and opened the Federal territories to slavery. Because the Pierce Administration and Democrats in Congress had been the primary supporters of the Act, the party lost many seats in the Northern states; this included 16 in New York, 12 in Ohio and 9 in Pennsylvania. The new Anti-Nebraska movement (a loose group of independent, Free Soil, and early Republican politicians) gained a combined 37 seats in the North. The American Party gained seats in both the North and South. It ignored the slavery issue and focused on pushing for reduced immigration, especially from Catholic areas of Ireland and Germany.
The lack of any partisan majority led to a drawn out election for Speaker of the House. The Democratic Party supported William Alexander Richardson of Illinois as their candidate. Whigs, Republicans, Americans, and Free Soil members of the House supported various candidates, and no candidate received a majority vote. In the end, the House agreed to elect a Speaker by plurality vote, as the elections were taking up time for legislative matters. Non-Democratic members of Congress then elected Nathaniel P. Banks of Massachusetts as their Speaker.[4]
Election summaries
State | Type | Date | Total seats |
Opposition | Democratic | American | |||||
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Seats | Change[Note 5] | Seats | Change | Seats | Change | ||||||
Illinois | District | November 7, 1854 (Election Day)[Note 6] |
9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | |||||
Michigan | District | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||||
New Jersey | District | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||||
New York | District | 33 | 25 | 13 | 5 | 16 | 3 | 3 | |||
Wisconsin | District | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||||
Arkansas | District | August 4, 1854 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||
California | At-large | September 6, 1854 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||
Delaware | At-large | November 14, 1854 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
Florida | At-large | October 2, 1854 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
Indiana | District | October 10, 1854 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 0 | |||
Iowa | District | August 7, 1854 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |||||
Maine | District | September 11, 1854 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |||
Massachusetts | District | November 12, 1854 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 11 | ||
Missouri | District | August 7, 1854 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |||
Ohio | District | October 10, 1854 | 21 | 21 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |||
Pennsylvania | District | October 10, 1854 | 25 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 1 | ||
South Carolina | District | October 9–10, 1854 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |||||
Vermont | District | September 5, 1854 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |||||
1855 elections | |||||||||||
Alabama | District | August 6, 1855 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
Connecticut | District | April 2, 1855 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |||
Georgia | District | October 1, 1855 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | |||
Kentucky | District | August 6, 1855 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 6 | ||
Louisiana | District | November 5, 1855 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |||
Maryland | District | November 6, 1855 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | ||
Mississippi | District[Note 7] | November 5–6, 1855 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
New Hampshire | District | March 13, 1855 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |||
North Carolina | District | August 2, 1855 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | |||
Rhode Island | District | April 4, 1855 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |||
Tennessee | District | August 2, 1855 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |||
Texas | District | August 6, 1855 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
Virginia | District | May 24, 1855 | 13 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
Total | 234 | 100[1][2] 42.7% |
29[Note 8] | 83[1][2] 35.0% |
75 | 51[1][2] 21.8% |
51 |
Arkansas
District | Incumbent | Party | First elected |
Result | Candidates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arkansas 1 | Alfred B. Greenwood | Democratic | 1853 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Arkansas 2 | Albert Rust | Democratic | 1854 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
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California
Note: From statehood to 1864, California's representatives were elected at-large, with the top two vote-getters winning election from 1849 to 1858; in 1860 when California gained a seat in the House the top three vote-getters were elected.
District | Incumbent | Party | First elected |
Result | Candidates |
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California at-large 2 seats on a general ticket |
Milton S. Latham | Democratic | 1852 | Incumbent withdrew. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
√ James W. Denver (Democratic) 22.41% √ Philemon T. Herbert (Democratic) 22.24% George W. Bowie (Whig) 21.14% Calhoun Benham (Whig) 20.94% James Churchman (Broderick Democratic) 6.09% James A. McDougall (Broderick Democratic) 6.07% Milton S. Latham (Broderick Democratic) 1.12% |
James A. McDougall | Democratic | 1852 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
Florida
District | Incumbent | Party | First elected |
Result | Candidates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida at-large | Augustus Maxwell | Democratic | 1852 | Incumbent re-elected. | √ Augustus Maxwell (Democratic) 55.26% Thomas Brown (Whig) 44.74% |
Iowa
District | Incumbent | Party | First elected |
Result | Candidates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Iowa 1 | Bernhart Henn | Democratic | 1850 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
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Iowa 2 | William Vandever | Whig | 1852 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Whig hold. |
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Maine
District | Incumbent | Party | First elected |
Result | Candidates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maine 1 | Moses Macdonald | Democratic | 1850 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain. |
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Maine 2 | Samuel Mayall | Democratic | 1852 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain. |
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Maine 3 | E. Wilder Farley | Whig | 1852 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain. |
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Maine 4 | Samuel P. Benson | Whig | 1852 | Incumbent re-elected. Republican gain. |
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Maine 5 | Israel Washburn, Jr. | Whig | 1850 | Incumbent re-elected. Republican gain. |
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Maine 6 | Thomas J. D. Fuller | Democratic | 1848 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Missouri
District | Incumbent | Party | First elected |
Result | Candidates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Missouri 1 | Thomas Hart Benton | Benton Democratic (Opposition) | 1852 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Whig gain. |
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Missouri 2 | Alfred W. Lamb | Democratic | 1852 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Whig gain. |
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Missouri 3 | James J. Lindley | Whig | 1853 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Missouri 4 | Mordecai Oliver | Whig | 1852 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Missouri 5 | John G. Miller | Whig | 1850 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Missouri 6 | John S. Phelps | Democratic | 1844 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Missouri 7 | Samuel Caruthers | Whig | 1853 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Pennsylvania
District | Incumbent | Party | First elected |
Result | Candidates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pennsylvania 1 | Thomas B. Florence | Democratic | 1848 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Pennsylvania 2 | Joseph R. Chandler | Whig | 1848 | Incumbent lost re-election as an Independent. New member elected. Whig gain. |
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Pennsylvania 3 | John Robbins | Democratic | 1848 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Whig gain. |
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Pennsylvania 4 | William Henry Witte | Democratic | 1852 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. American gain. |
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Pennsylvania 5 | John McNair | Democratic | 1850 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
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Pennsylvania 6 | William Everhart | Whig | 1852 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Pennsylvania 7 | Samuel A. Bridges | Democratic | 1852 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain. |
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Pennsylvania 8 | J. Glancy Jones | Democratic | 1854 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Pennsylvania 9 | Isaac E. Hiester | Whig | 1852 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Independent gain. |
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Pennsylvania 10 | Ner Middleswarth | Whig | 1852 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Whig hold. |
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Pennsylvania 11 | Christian M. Straub | Democratic | 1852 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Whig gain. |
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Pennsylvania 12 | Hendrick B. Wright | Democratic | 1852 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Whig gain. |
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Pennsylvania 13 | Asa Packer | Democratic | 1852 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Pennsylvania 14 | Galusha A. Grow | Democratic | 1850 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Vermont
District | Incumbent | Party | First elected |
Result | Candidates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vermont 1 | James Meacham | Whig | 1849 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Vermont 2 | Andrew Tracy | Whig | 1852 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain. |
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Vermont 3 | Alvah Sabin | Whig | 1852 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Wisconsin
Election results in Wisconsin for 1854:[5]
District | Incumbent | Party | First elected |
Result | Candidates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wisconsin 1 | Daniel Wells, Jr. | Democratic | 1852 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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Wisconsin 2 | Ben C. Eastman | Whig | 1850 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican gain. |
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Wisconsin 3 | Alvah Sabin | Whig | 1852 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain. |
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See also
- United States elections, 1854
- List of United States House of Representatives elections, 1824–54
- United States Senate elections, 1854 and 1855
- 33rd United States Congress
- 34th United States Congress
Notes
- ^ While Martis, et al. count 51 American Party members, Dubin (p. 174) counts 52.
- ^ a b c Counted as part of the plurality winning "Opposition Party".
- ^ According to Dubin (p. 174), this figure includes 13 Republicans, along with approximately 24 Anti-Nebraskans.
- ^ Compared to Free Soilers elected in the previous election of 1852.
- ^ Compared to Whigs, Free Soilers, and Independents elected in the previous election of 1852.
- ^ In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform date for choosing presidential electors (see: Statutes at Large, 28th Congress, 2nd Session, p. 721). Congressional elections were unaffected by this law, but the date was gradually adopted by the states for Congressional elections as well.
- ^ At-large district abolished in redistricting.
- ^ Compared to just Whig Party members elected in the previous election of 1852. If Whig Party and Free Soil Party members are counted together, the increase was only 25.
References
- ^ a b c d e Martis, pp. 108–109.
- ^ a b c d e "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present". Office of the Historian, House of United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
- ^ Dubin, p. 174.
- ^ Allan Nevins (1947). Ordeal of the Union, Volume II: A House Dividing 1852-1857. New York. pp. 413–415.
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Wisconsin U.S. House Election Results" (PDF). Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 5, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
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Bibliography
- Dubin, Michael J. (March 1, 1998). United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results of the Elections of the 1st Through 105th Congresses. McFarland and Company. ISBN 978-0786402830.
- Martis, Kenneth C. (January 1, 1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress, 1789-1989. Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0029201701.
- Moore, John L., ed. (1994). Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections (Third ed.). Congressional Quarterly Inc. ISBN 978-0871879967.
- "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives* 1789–Present". Office of the Historian, House of United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
External links
- Office of the Historian (Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)