1860 and 1861 United States House of Representatives elections
Elections to the United States House of Representatives for the 37th Congress were held at various dates in different states from August 1860 to October 1861.
These elections spanned the Presidential election of 1860, won by Abraham Lincoln. Building on their successes in 1858, Republican candidates won increasing percentages in the House. After secessionist vacancies, their caucus of 108 amounted to 59% of the House, and with another 16% in the Unionist caucus, they had over a two-thirds super-majority to govern.
Following Lincoln's election and before his inauguration, seven secessionist states declared rebellion and Jefferson Davis mobilized 100,000 troops in defense of the Confederacy. Lincoln responded with a call-up of 75,000 troops to reoccupy federal property in port cities. That motivated another four border states to declare secession, forming the Confederacy that fought the American Civil War.
Seceding states cancelled elections to Federal office, and all but a few of their Representatives departed. Twenty-three representatives to U.S. 37th Congress came from five slave-holding states represented in the Confederacy: Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, and Louisiana. The rebellion left seventeen vacancies in those states. Meanwhile for the duration of the conflict those same five states sent full delegations to the Confederate Congress even though over half their Congressional districts were federally occupied or disrupted by the end of 1862.
Overwhelmingly, seceding states had Democratic representation, so despite losing seats to Democrats in the North, this state-by-state mass departure left Republicans with a clear House majority. Remaining Representatives of all parties were united in support for the Union. Representatives opposing Democrats but not wishing to affiliate with Republicans, and wishing to emphasize support for the Union and opposition to secession, coalesced as the Unionist Party. Many of these Unionists were from Southern states. The nativist American Party disappeared, with its remaining support usually absorbed by Unionists.
Election summaries
was apportioned one additional seat for the 37th Congress, increasing the total seats to 239.Secession of Southern states vacated many seats. Few Representatives from these states remained. Missing Representatives were overwhelmingly Democrats, boosting Republican control. Several states held elections for the 37th Congress, but seceded before Congress convened, so the elected Representatives never served. Other seceding states held no elections.
Special elections
There were special elections in 1860 and 1861 during the 36th United States Congress and 37th United States Congress.36th Congress
37th Congress
Impact of the secessionist movement
In the wake of the declared secession of South Carolina from the Union on December 20, 1860, many Southern House members, mostly Democrats, refused to take their seats, rejecting the election of Lincoln as illegitimate. Before 1872, different states held elections at various times; the first elections for the 37th Congress were held on August 6, 1860 in Arkansas and Missouri, while the last election took place in California on September 4, 1861, a year later. Three Southern states – Arkansas, Florida, and South Carolina – chose Representatives before the presidential election, electing seven Democrats and two independents. These were the only House elections from the seceding states to the 37th Congress. After South Carolina resolved disunion and the Confederate States of America was formed, other Southern states declared as well and elected Representatives to the new Congress of the Confederate States instead of the United States Congress.Since the states not holding elections had many strong Democratic districts – in the previous 36th Congress their Representatives included a total of 46 Democrats, 14 Oppositionists, five independents, and one member of the American Party – when Congress was called into session on July 4, 1861 the size of the Democratic House caucus had been drastically reduced, resulting in a huge Republican majority.
Of the 183 seats, 102 were held by Republicans, 45 by Democrats, 23 by Unionists, and five others by one party each. There were several vacancies, and California had not held its election when Congress assembled.
End of a Congressional era
In 1860, Lincoln's campaign brought the Republicans the Presidency. Likewise, the congressional elections also marked the transition from one major era of political parties to another. In just six years, over the course of the 35th, 36th and 37th Congresses, a complete reversal of party fortunes swamped the Democrats.looks on approvingly.
Other early returns in PA, OH and IN showed good prospects for Republicans in the upcoming federal elections
Elections for Congress were held from August 1860 to June 1861. They were held before, during and after the pre-determined Presidential campaign. And they were held before, during and after the secessionist campaigns in various states as they were reported throughout the country. Political conditions varied hugely from time to time during the course of congressional selection, but they had been shifting to a considerable extent in the years running up to the crisis.
In the 1856 elections, the Democrats had taken the Presidency for the sixth time in the last 40 years, with James Buchanan's victory over John C. Fremont and Millard Fillmore. They held almost a two-thirds majority in both the US House and Senate. Democrats held onto the Senate during the midterm elections, but the four opposition parties then amounted to two-thirds of the House. The congressional elections in 1860 transformed Democratic fortunes: Republican and Unionist candidates won a two-thirds majority in both House and Senate.
After the secessionist withdrawal, resignation and expulsion, the Democrats would have less than 25% of the House for the 37th Congress, and that minority divided further between pro-unionists, and anti-war factions.
Results by region
The politics of these elections were distinctive in every region of the country. The more conventional listing of Members in their state delegations, alphabetically by state, can be found at the 37th Congress article.| Party | Total seats | Change | Percentage |
| Republican | 108 | –8 | 59.0% |
| Democratic | 44 | –39 | 24.0% |
| Independent Democratic | 1 | – | 0.5% |
| Constitutional Unionist | 30 | +30 | 16.3% |
| Totals | 183 | –56 | 100.0% |
Each Region below lists the states composing it using Freehling's descriptions from 1860. The Representative's biographies are linked at their names. Each Congressional District has a link, named by its state abbreviation and its assigned number or noted At-large election. In a time before the Census Department published aggregate population data by Congressional District, the reader may have ready access to census data identifying the make up of those each district by referring to their respective articles.
The articles use different formats. The constituent counties of Congressional Districts are sometimes listed in a contents heading "List of representatives" within tables. These tables have a column naming the District's counties for each election, such as "District Area" for Massachusetts, or "Area" for Illinois and Maryland. Virginia uses "Historical composition of the district" to describe composition at each reapportionment. Pennsylvania notes the home county of the elected representative, sometimes holding the largest population for respective districts. Minnesota makes a geographical allusion for its 1st District applicable to the 37th Congress. Michigan uses "History" since 1852 for its 4th district. In some states, previous district composition is not described.
New England
The twenty-nine seats in the House among these six states are divided 24 Republican, two Union one Constitutional Union, and two Democratic. The region is important nationally in manufacturing and intellectually as the center of literature, Transcendentalism and the abolition movement.North Central
The 38 Representatives from this region would seat 25 Republicans and thirteen Democrats. This region had the closest commercial and social ties to the South due to its sea-going commerce and trans-shipping cotton to local textile plants and for export.Border North
The 73 seats in this region were split 50 Republican, 23 Democratic. Illinois is the only state here with more Democrats than Republicans.These are free-soil states, north of the Mason–Dixon line. These states had either abolished slavery, or Congress had forbidden it in their Territory, and they had forbidden it at the beginning of their statehood.
Border South and Middle South
Of the 47 Representatives in these six states, 24 are Union Party, 1 Constitutional Union, 6 Democratic, and 15 would be vacant in Virginia and Tennessee.These were "slave holding" states, all south of the Mason–Dixon line. The border south states had less than 2% to more than 19% of their 1860 population held as slaves, with an average of 13%; middle south states ranged from 25-33% slaves, with an average of 29%.
Eight seats in Virginia and seven seats in Tennessee represented large numbers of citizens resisting the Lincoln administration of the United States government during the Civil War. They were declared vacant in 37th Congress documents.
Trans-Mississippi West
West of the Mississippi, there were 16 Representatives from states, and 9 Delegates from territories. The states elected nine Republicans and one Democrat. The Territories elected four Republicans, one Democrat and two Independents.When California entered the Union, it broke the free soil - slave state tie in the Senate. Minnesota, and Oregon followed as free soil states. Once Congress was depleted of the secessionist Democrats, the lame duck 36th Congress admitted Kansas as a free state in January 1861, in time for it to send a Representative to the 37th Congress in March. The Republican Congress elected in 1860 began funding the transcontinental railroad, July 1862. Nevada was admitted before the end of the Civil War in the next, 38th, Congress.
Vacant state delegations
Forty-three seats represented large numbers of citizens in nine states resisting the Lincoln administration of the United States government during the Civil War. The following state delegations were entirely vacated.Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia are accounted for in the "Border South and Middle South" section.
Alabama
Alabama did not elect members to the House.Arkansas
Arkansas elected its members on August 6, 1860.California
From statehood to 1864, California's representatives were elected at-large, with the top two vote-getters winning election from 1849 to 1858. In the 1860 Census, California gained a seat in the House.California elected its members on September 4, 1861, after the first session of the new Congress began.
The top three vote-getters were elected, but only the top two were seated at the beginning of session. When Congress later authorized California a third seat, Frederick Low was seated June 3, 1862.
Connecticut
Connecticut elected its members on April 1, 1861, after the new term began but before Congress convened.Delaware
Delaware elected its member on the November 6, 1860 Election Day.Florida
Florida elected its member on October 1, 1860.Georgia
Georgia did not elect members to the House.Illinois
Illinois elected its members on the November 6, 1860 Election Day.Indiana
Indiana elected its members on October 9, 1860.Alabama did not elect members to the House.
Iowa
Iowa elected its members on October 9, 1860.Kansas
Kansas elected its member December 1, 1859.Kentucky
Kansas elected its members June 20, 1861, after the new term began but before Congress convened.Louisiana
Louisiana seceded January 26, 1861 and did not elect members of the 37th Congress.Maine
Maine elected its members September 10, 1860.Maryland
Maryland elected its members June 13, 1861, after the new term began but before Congress convened.Massachusetts
Massachusetts its members on the November 6, 1860 Election Day.Michigan
Michigan its members on the November 6, 1860 Election Day.Minnesota
Minnesota elected its members on the November 6, 1860 Election Day.Mississippi
Mississippi seceded January 9, 1861 and did not elect members of the 37th Congress.Missouri
Missouri elected its members September 10, 1860.New Hampshire
New Hampshire elected its members March 12, 1861, after the new term began but before Congress convened.New Jersey
New Jersey its members on the November 6, 1860 Election Day.New York
New York its members on the November 6, 1860 Election Day.North Carolina
North Carolina seceded May 20, 1861 and did not elect members of the 37th Congress.Ohio
Oregon
Poorly coordinated state legislation created confusion. As a result, two elections were held in 1860: on June 4. Thayer was seated March 4, 1861, but Shiel contested the election. On July 30, 1861, the House Elections Committee seated the Shiel for the rest of the term ending March 3, 1863. Both disputants were Democrats.Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania elected its members October 9, 1860.Rhode Island
Rhode Island elected its members April 3, 1861, after the new term began but before Congress convened..South Carolina
South Carolina its members October 8–9, 1860.Tennessee
Tennessee elected its members August 1, 1861, but only in East Tennessee, after the first session of the new Congress began.Texas
Texas seceded February 1, 1861 and did not elect members of the 37th Congress.Vermont
Vermont its members September 4, 1860.Virginia
Virginia its members October 24, 1861.Wisconsin
Wisconsin its members on Election Day, November 6, 1860.Non-voting members
All are trans-Mississippi west non-voting delegates in the 37th Congress. Nevada was admitted as a state in the next Congress.- . Hiram P. Bennet
- . John B. S. Todd
- . Samuel G. Daily
- . John Cradlebaugh
- . John S. Watts
- . John M. Bernhisel
- . William H. Wallace