15th United States Congress
The 15th 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 the Old Brick Capitol in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1817, to March 4, 1819, during the first two years of James Monroe's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Third Census of the United States in 1810. Both chambers had a Democratic-Republican majority.
Major events
- March 4, 1817: James Monroe became President of the United States
- July 4, 1817: Construction on the Erie Canal began
- November 20, 1817: The first Seminole War began in Florida
- January 2, 1819: The Panic of 1819, the first major financial crisis in the United States, began.
- February 2, 1819: Dartmouth College v. Woodward: Supreme Court allowed Dartmouth to keep its charter and remain a private institution.
Major legislation
- April 4, 1818: Flag Act of 1818, Sess. 1, ch. 34,
Treaties
- April 29, 1817: Rush–Bagot Treaty signed between the U.S. and the United Kingdom
- October 20, 1818: Treaty of 1818 between the U.S. and the United Kingdom established the northern boundary as the 49th parallel from the Lake of the Woods to the Rocky Mountains, also creating the Northwest Angle.
- February 22, 1819: Adams-Onís Treaty: Spain ceded Florida to the United States
States admitted and territories created
- December 10, 1817: Mississippi admitted as the 20th state
- December 3, 1818: Illinois admitted as the 21st state
- March 2, 1819: Arkansas Territory was created, ; it was formerly part of the Missouri Territory
Party summary
Senate
During this congress, two Senate seats were added for each of the new states of Mississippi and Illinois.House of Representatives
During this congress, one House seat was added for each of the new states of Mississippi and Illinois.Leadership
Senate
- President: Daniel D. Tompkins
- President pro tempore:
- * John Gaillard, elected March 4, 1817
- * James Barbour, elected February 15, 1819
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Henry Clay
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 in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1820; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1822; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1818.[List of [United States Senators from Connecticut|Connecticut]]
- 1. Samuel W. Dana
- 3. David Daggett
Delaware">List of United States Senators from Delaware">Delaware
- 1. Outerbridge Horsey
- 2. Nicholas Van Dyke
Georgia">List of United States Senators from Georgia">Georgia
- 2. George Troup, until September 23, 1818
- * John Forsyth, November 23, 1818 – February 17, 1819
- 3. Charles Tait
Illinois">List of United States Senators from Illinois">Illinois
- 2. Jesse B. Thomas, from December 3, 1818
- 3. Ninian Edwards, from December 3, 1818
Indiana">List of United States Senators from Indiana">Indiana
- 1. James Noble
- 3. Waller Taylor
Kentucky">List of United States Senators from Kentucky">Kentucky
- 2. John J. Crittenden, until March 3, 1819
- 3. Isham Talbot
Louisiana">List of United States Senators from Louisiana">Louisiana
- 2. William C. C. Claiborne, died November 23, 1817
- * Henry Johnson, from January 12, 1818
- 3. Eligius Fromentin
Maryland">List of United States Senators from Maryland">Maryland
- 1. Alexander C. Hanson
- 3. Robert H. Goldsborough
Massachusetts">List of United States Senators from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
- 1. Eli P. Ashmun, until May 10, 1818
- * Prentiss Mellen, from June 5, 1818
- 2. Harrison Gray Otis
Mississippi">List of United States Senators from Mississippi">Mississippi
- 1. Walter Leake, from December 10, 1817
- 2. Thomas H. Williams, from December 10, 1817
New Hampshire">List of United States Senators from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
- 2. David L. Morril
- 3. Jeremiah Mason, until June 16, 1817
- * Clement Storer, from June 27, 1817
New Jersey">List of United States Senators from New Jersey">New Jersey
- 1. James J. Wilson
- 2. Mahlon Dickerson
New York">List of United States Senators from New York">New York
- 1. Nathan Sanford
- 3. Rufus King
North Carolina">List of United States Senators from North Carolina">North Carolina
- 2. Montfort Stokes
- 3. Nathaniel Macon
Ohio">List of United States Senators from Ohio">Ohio
- 1. Benjamin Ruggles
- 3. Jeremiah Morrow
Pennsylvania">List of United States Senators from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
- 1. Jonathan Roberts
- 3. Abner Lacock
Rhode Island">List of United States Senators from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
- 1. William Hunter
- 2. James Burrill, Jr.
South Carolina">List of United States Senators from South Carolina">South Carolina
- 2. William Smith
- 3. John Gaillard
Tennessee">List of United States Senators from Tennessee">Tennessee
- 1. George W. Campbell, until April 20, 1818
- * John Eaton, from September 5, 1818
- 2. John Williams
Vermont">List of United States Senators from Vermont">Vermont
- 1. Isaac Tichenor
- 3. Dudley Chase, until November 3, 1817
- * James Fisk, November 4, 1817 – January 8, 1818
- * William A. Palmer, from October 20, 1818
Virginia">List of United States Senators from Virginia">Virginia
- 1. James Barbour
- 2. John W. Eppes
House of Representatives
[List of [United States Representatives from Connecticut|Connecticut]]
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.- . Uriel Holmes, until 1818
- * Sylvester Gilbert, from November 16, 1818
- . Ebenezer Huntington
- . Jonathan O. Moseley
- . Timothy Pitkin
- . Samuel B. Sherwood
- . Nathaniel Terry
- . Thomas S. Williams
Delaware">List of United States Representatives from Delaware">Delaware
- . Willard Hall
- . Louis McLane
Georgia">List of United States Representatives from Georgia">Georgia
- . Joel Abbot
- . Thomas W. Cobb
- . Zadock Cook
- . Joel Crawford
- . John Forsyth, until November 23, 1818
- * Robert R. Reid, from February 18, 1819
- . William Terrell
Illinois">List of United States Representatives from Illinois">Illinois
- . John McLean, from December 3, 1818
Indiana">List of United States Representatives from Indiana">Indiana
- . William Hendricks
Kentucky">List of United States Representatives from Kentucky">Kentucky
- . David Trimble
- . Henry Clay
- . Richard M. Johnson
- . Joseph Desha
- . Anthony New
- . David Walker
- . George Robertson
- . Richard C. Anderson, Jr.
- . Tunstal Quarles
- . Thomas Speed
Louisiana">List of United States Representatives from Louisiana">Louisiana
- . Thomas B. Robertson, until April 20, 1818
- * Thomas Butler, from November 16, 1818
Maryland">List of United States Representatives from Maryland">Maryland
- . Philip Stuart
- . John C. Herbert
- . George Peter
- . Samuel Ringgold
- . Peter Little
- . Samuel Smith
- . Philip Reed
- . Thomas Culbreth
- . Thomas Bayly
Massachusetts">List of United States Representatives from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
- . Jonathan Mason
- . Nathaniel Silsbee
- . Jeremiah Nelson
- . Timothy Fuller
- . Elijah H. Mills
- . Samuel C. Allen
- . Henry Shaw
- . Zabdiel Sampson
- . Walter Folger, Jr.
- . Marcus Morton
- . Benjamin Adams
- . Solomon Strong
- . Nathaniel Ruggles
- . John Holmes
- . Ezekiel Whitman
- . Benjamin Orr
- . John Wilson
- . Thomas Rice
- . Joshua Gage
- . Albion K. Parris, until February 3, 1818
- * Enoch Lincoln, from November 4, 1818
Mississippi">List of United States Representatives from Mississippi">Mississippi
- . George Poindexter, from December 10, 1817
New Hampshire">List of United States Representatives from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
- . Josiah Butler
- . Clifton Clagett
- . Salma Hale
- . Arthur Livermore
- . John F. Parrott
- . Nathaniel Upham
New Jersey">List of United States Representatives from New Jersey">New Jersey
- . Ephraim Bateman
- . Benjamin Bennet
- . Joseph Bloomfield
- . Charles Kinsey
- . John Linn
- . Henry Southard
New York">List of United States Representatives from New York">New York
- . Tredwell Scudder
- . George Townsend
- . William Irving
- . Peter H. Wendover
- . Caleb Tompkins
- . James Tallmadge, Jr., from December 1, 1817
- . Philip J. Schuyler
- . James W. Wilkin
- . Josiah Hasbrouck
- . Dorrance Kirtland
- . Rensselaer Westerlo
- . John P. Cushman
- . John W. Taylor
- . John Palmer
- . John Savage
- . Thomas Lawyer
- . John Herkimer
- . John R. Drake
- . Isaac Williams, Jr.
- . Henry R. Storrs
- . Thomas H. Hubbard
- . David A. Ogden
- . James Porter
- . Oliver C. Comstock
- . Daniel Cruger
- . Benjamin Ellicott
- . John C. Spencer
North Carolina">List of United States Representatives from North Carolina">North Carolina
- . Lemuel Sawyer
- . Joseph H. Bryan
- . Thomas H. Hall
- . Jesse Slocumb
- . James Owen
- . Weldon N. Edwards
- .James Stewart, from January 5, 1818
- . James S. Smith
- . Thomas Settle
- . George Mumford, until December 31, 1818
- * Charles Fisher, from February 11, 1819
- . Daniel M. Forney, until 1818
- * William Davidson, from December 2, 1818
- . Felix Walker
- . Lewis Williams
Ohio">List of United States Representatives from Ohio">Ohio
- . William Henry Harrison
- . John W. Campbell
- . Levi Barber
- . Samuel Herrick
- . Philemon Beecher
- . Peter Hitchcock
Pennsylvania">List of United States Representatives from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
- . William Anderson
- . Joseph Hopkinson
- . John Sergeant
- . Adam Seybert
- . Isaac Darlington
- . Levi Pawling
- . James M. Wallace
- . John Whiteside
- . Jacob Spangler, until April 20, 1818
- * Jacob Hostetter, from November 16, 1818
- . Andrew Boden
- . William Maclay
- . Samuel D. Ingham, until July 6, 1818
- * Samuel Moore, from October 13, 1818
- . John Ross, until February 24, 1818
- * Thomas J. Rogers, from March 3, 1818
- . Joseph Hiester
- . Alexander Ogle
- . William P. Maclay
- . John Murray, from October 14, 1817
- . William Wilson
- . David Marchand
- . Thomas Patterson
- . Christian Tarr
- . Henry Baldwin
- . Robert Moore
Rhode Island">List of United States Representatives from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
- . John L. Boss, Jr.
- . James B. Mason
South Carolina">List of United States Representatives from South Carolina">South Carolina
- . Henry Middleton
- . William Lowndes
- . James Ervin
- . Joseph Bellinger
- . Starling Tucker
- . John C. Calhoun, until November 3, 1817
- * Eldred Simkins, from January 24, 1818
- . Elias Earle
- . Wilson Nesbitt
- . Stephen D. Miller
Tennessee">List of United States Representatives from Tennessee">Tennessee
- . John Rhea
- . William G. Blount
- . Francis Jones
- . Samuel Hogg
- . Thomas Claiborne
- . George W. L. Marr
Vermont">List of United States Representatives from Vermont">Vermont
- . Heman Allen, until April 20, 1818; vacant thereafter
- . Samuel C. Crafts
- . William Hunter
- . Orsamus C. Merrill
- . Charles Rich
- . Mark Richards
Virginia">List of United States Representatives from Virginia">Virginia
- . James Pindall
- . Edward Colston
- . Henry St. George Tucker
- . William McCoy
- . John Floyd
- . Alexander Smyth
- . Ballard Smith
- . Charles F. Mercer
- . William Lee Ball
- . George Strother
- . Philip P. Barbour
- . Robert S. Garnett
- . Burwell Bassett
- . William A. Burwell
- . William J. Lewis
- . Archibald Austin
- . James Pleasants
- . Thomas M. Nelson
- . Peterson Goodwyn, until February 21, 1818
- * John Pegram, from April 21, 1818
- . James Johnson
- . Thomas Newton, Jr.
- . Hugh Nelson
- . John Tyler
Non-voting members
- . John Crowell, from January 29, 1818
- . Nathaniel Pope, until November 30, 1818, vacant thereafter
- . Vacant until statehood December 10, 1817
- . John Scott, from August 4, 1817
Changes in membership
Senate
House of Representatives
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.Senate
- Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
- Claims
- Commerce and Manufactures
- District of Columbia
- Engrossed Bills
- Finance
- Foreign Relations
- Indian Title to Certain Lands
- Judiciary
- Military Affairs
- Militia
- Mississippi's Admission to the Union
- Naval Affairs
- Pensions
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Public Lands
- Seminole War
- Slave Trade
- Whole
House of Representatives
- Accounts
- Alabama's Admission to the Union
- Arkansas Territory
- Bank of the United States
- Claims
- Commerce and Manufactures
- 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
- Pensions and Revolutionary War Claims
- Private Land Claims
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Public Expenditures
- Public Lands
- Revisal and Unfinished Business
- Rules
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Ways and Means
- Whole
Joint committees
- Enrolled Bills
- The Library
Employees
Legislative branch agency">List of federal agencies in the United States#Legislative branch">Legislative branch agency directors
- Architect of the Capitol: Benjamin H. Latrobe, resigned November 20, 1817
- * Charles Bulfinch, appointed January 8, 1818
- Librarian of Congress: George Watterston
Senate
- Chaplain: Sereno Edwards Dwight, Congregationalist, until December 9, 1817
- * William D. Hawley, Episcopalian, elected December 9, 1817
- * John Clark, Presbyterian, elected November 19, 1818
- Secretary: Charles Cutts
- Sergeant at Arms: Mountjoy Bayly
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: Burgiss Allison
- Clerk: Thomas Dougherty
- Doorkeeper: Thomas Claxton
- Reading Clerks:
- Sergeant at Arms: Thomas Dunn