24th United States Congress

Major events

• December 28, 1835: The Second Seminole War began. Seminole fighter Osceola and his warriors attack government agent Thompson outside Fort King in central Florida.
• 1835: Toledo War fought between Ohio and Michigan Territory over the city of Toledo and the Toledo Strip.
• February 3, 1836: United States Whig Party held its first convention in Albany, New York.
• February 23, 1836: Siege of the Alamo began in San Antonio, Texas.
• July 11, 1836: President Andrew Jackson issued the Specie Circular, beginning the failure of the land speculation economy that would lead to the Panic of 1837.
• July 13, 1836: United States patent #1 was granted after filing 9,957 unnumbered patents.
• November 3 – December 7, 1836: 1836 presidential election: Martin Van Buren defeated William Henry Harrison, but Virginia's electors refused to vote for Van Buren's running mate, Richard Mentor Johnson, thereby denying victory to any vice presidential candidate.
• December 4, 1836: Whig Party held its first national convention, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
• December 15, 1836: 1836 U.S. Patent Office fire
• February 8, 1837: Richard Mentor Johnson defeated Francis Granger to win the contingent election for Vice President of the United States.

  Major legislation

• July 4, 1836: Patent Act of 1836,

  Treaties

• December 29, 1835: Treaty of New Echota signed, ceding all the lands of the Cherokee east of the Mississippi to the United States

  States admitted and territories formed

• June 15, 1836: Arkansas admitted as the 25th state
• July 3, 1836: Wisconsin Territory established; approved April 20, 1836
• January 26, 1837: Michigan admitted as the 26th state ; contingently approved June 15, 1836

  Party summary

Senate

House of Representatives

Leadership

Senate

• President: Martin Van Buren
• President pro tempore: William R. King

  House of Representatives

• Speaker: James K. Polk

  Members

Senate

[List of [United States Senators from Alabama|Alabama]]

• 2. William R. D. King
• 3. Gabriel Moore

  Arkansas">List of United States Senators from Arkansas">Arkansas

• 2. William S. Fulton, from September 18, 1836
• 3. Ambrose H. Sevier, from September 18, 1836

  Connecticut">List of United States Senators from Connecticut">Connecticut

• 1. Nathan Smith, until December 6, 1835
• * John M. Niles, from December 21, 1835
• 3. Gideon Tomlinson

  Delaware">List of United States Senators from Delaware">Delaware

• 1. Arnold Naudain, until June 16, 1836
• * Richard H. Bayard, from June 17, 1836
• 2. John M. Clayton, until December 29, 1836
• * Thomas Clayton, from January 9, 1837

  Georgia">List of United States Senators from Georgia">Georgia

• 2. John P. King
• 3. Alfred Cuthbert

  Illinois">List of United States Senators from Illinois">Illinois

• 2. John M. Robinson
• 3. Elias K. Kane, until December 12, 1835
• * William L. D. Ewing, from December 30, 1835

  Indiana">List of United States Senators from Indiana">Indiana

• 1. John Tipton
• 3. William Hendricks

  Kentucky">List of United States Senators from Kentucky">Kentucky

• 2. John J. Crittenden
• 3. Henry Clay

  Louisiana">List of United States Senators from Louisiana">Louisiana

• 2. Robert C. Nicholas, from January 13, 1836
• 3. Alexander Porter, until January 5, 1837
• * Alexander Mouton, from January 12, 1837

  Maine">List of United States Senators from Maine">Maine

• 1. Ether Shepley, until March 3, 1836
• * Judah Dana, from December 7, 1836
• 2. John Ruggles

  Maryland">List of United States Senators from Maryland">Maryland

• 1. Joseph Kent
• 3. Robert H. Goldsborough, until October 5, 1836
• * John S. Spence, from December 31, 1836

  Massachusetts">List of United States Senators from Massachusetts">Massachusetts

• 1. Daniel Webster
• 2. John Davis

  Michigan">List of United States Senators from Michigan">Michigan

• 1. Lucius Lyon, from January 26, 1837
• 2. John Norvell, from January 26, 1837

  Mississippi">List of United States Senators from Mississippi">Mississippi

• 1. John Black
• 2. Robert J. Walker

  Missouri">List of United States Senators from Missouri">Missouri

• 1. Thomas H. Benton
• 3. Lewis F. Linn

  New Hampshire">List of United States Senators from New Hampshire">New Hampshire

• 2. Henry Hubbard
• 3. Isaac Hill, until May 30, 1836
• * John Page, from June 8, 1836

  New Jersey">List of United States Senators from New Jersey">New Jersey

• 1. Samuel L. Southard
• 2. Garret D. Wall

  New York">List of United States Senators from New York">New York

• 1. Nathaniel P. Tallmadge
• 3. Silas Wright, Jr.

  North Carolina">List of United States Senators from North Carolina">North Carolina

• 2. Bedford Brown
• 3. Willie P. Mangum, until November 26, 1836
• * Robert Strange, from December 5, 1836

  Ohio">List of United States Senators from Ohio">Ohio

• 1. Thomas Morris
• 3. Thomas Ewing

  Pennsylvania">List of United States Senators from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania

• 1. Samuel McKean
• 3. James Buchanan

  Rhode Island">List of United States Senators from Rhode Island">Rhode Island

• 1. Asher Robbins
• 2. Nehemiah R. Knight

  South Carolina">List of United States Senators from South Carolina">South Carolina

• 2. John C. Calhoun
• 3. William C. Preston

  Tennessee">List of United States Senators from Tennessee">Tennessee

• 1. Felix Grundy
• 2. Hugh Lawson White

  Vermont">List of United States Senators from Vermont">Vermont

• 1. Benjamin Swift
• 3. Samuel Prentiss

  Virginia">List of United States Senators from Virginia">Virginia

• 1. John Tyler, until February 29, 1836
• * William C. Rives, from March 4, 1836
• 2. Benjamin W. Leigh, until July 4, 1836
• * Richard E. Parker, from December 12, 1836

  House of Representatives

[List of [United States Representatives from Alabama|Alabama]]

• . Reuben Chapman
• . Joshua L. Martin
• . Joab Lawler
• . Dixon H. Lewis
• . Francis S. Lyon

  Arkansas">List of United States Representatives from Arkansas">Arkansas

• . Archibald Yell, from August 1, 1836

  Connecticut">List of United States Representatives from Connecticut">Connecticut

• . Elisha Haley
• . Samuel Ingham
• . Andrew T. Judson, until July 4, 1836
• * Orrin Holt, from December 5, 1836
• . Lancelot Phelps
• . Isaac Toucey
• . Zalmon Wildman, until December 10, 1835
• * Thomas T. Whittlesey, from April 29, 1836

  Delaware">List of United States Representatives from Delaware">Delaware

• . John J. Milligan

  Georgia">List of United States Representatives from Georgia">Georgia

• . John E. Coffee, until September 25, 1836
• * William C. Dawson, from November 7, 1836
• . Seaton Grantland
• . Charles E. Haynes
• . Jabez Y. Jackson, from October 5, 1835
• . George W. Owens
• . John W. A. Sanford, until July 25, 1835
• * Thomas Glascock, from October 5, 1835
• . William Schley, until July 1, 1835
• * Jesse F. Cleveland, from October 5, 1835
• . James C. Terrell, until July 8, 1835
• * Hopkins Holsey, from October 5, 1835
• . George W. B. Towns, until September 1, 1836
• * Julius C. Alford, from January 2, 1837

  Illinois">List of United States Representatives from Illinois">Illinois

• . John Reynolds
• . Zadok Casey
• . William L. May

  Indiana">List of United States Representatives from Indiana">Indiana

• . Ratliff Boon
• . John W. Davis
• . John Carr
• . Amos Lane
• . Johnathan McCarty
• . George L. Kinnard, until November 26, 1836
• * William Herod, from January 25, 1837
• . Edward A. Hannegan

  Kentucky">List of United States Representatives from Kentucky">Kentucky

• . Linn Boyd
• . Albert G. Hawes
• . Joseph R. Underwood
• . Sherrod Williams
• . James Harlan
• . John Calhoon
• . Benjamin Hardin
• . William J. Graves
• . John White
• . Chilton Allan
• . Richard French
• . John Chambers
• . Richard M. Johnson

  Louisiana">List of United States Representatives from Louisiana">Louisiana

• . Henry Johnson
• . Eleazar W. Ripley
• . Rice Garland

  Maine">List of United States Representatives from Maine">Maine

• . John Fairfield
• . Francis O. J. Smith
• . Jeremiah Bailey
• . George Evans
• . Moses Mason, Jr.
• . Leonard Jarvis
• . Joseph Hall
• . Gorham Parks

  Maryland">List of United States Representatives from Maryland">Maryland

• . John N. Steele
• . James A. Pearce
• . James Turner
• . Benjamin C. Howard
• . Isaac McKim
• . George C. Washington
• . Francis Thomas
• . Daniel Jenifer

  Massachusetts">List of United States Representatives from Massachusetts">Massachusetts

• . Abbott Lawrence
• . Stephen C. Phillips
• . Caleb Cushing
• . Samuel Hoar
• . Levi Lincoln, Jr.
• . George J. Grennell, Jr.
• . George N. Briggs
• . William B. Calhoun
• . William Jackson
• . Nathaniel B. Borden
• . John Reed, Jr.
• . John Quincy Adams

  Michigan">List of United States Representatives from Michigan">Michigan

• . Isaac E. Crary, from January 26, 1837

  Mississippi">List of United States Representatives from Mississippi">Mississippi

• . John F. H. Claiborne
• . David Dickson, until July 31, 1836
• * Samuel J. Gholson, from December 1, 1836

  Missouri">List of United States Representatives from Missouri">Missouri

• . William H. Ashley
• . Albert G. Harrison

  New Hampshire">List of United States Representatives from New Hampshire">New Hampshire

• . Benning M. Bean
• . Robert Burns
• . Samuel Cushman
• . Franklin Pierce
• . Joseph Weeks

  New Jersey">List of United States Representatives from New Jersey">New Jersey

• . Philemon Dickerson, until November 3, 1836
• * William Chetwood, from December 5, 1836
• . Samuel Fowler
• . Thomas Lee
• . James Parker
• . Ferdinand S. Schenck
• . William N. Shinn

  New York">List of United States Representatives from New York">New York

• . Abel Huntington
• . Samuel Barton
• . Churchill C. Cambreleng
• . Campbell P. White, until October 2, 1835
• * Gideon Lee, from November 4, 1835
• . John McKeon
• . Ely Moore
• . Aaron Ward
• . Abraham Bockee
• . John W. Brown
• . Nicholas Sickles
• . Valentine Efner
• . Aaron Vanderpoel
• . Hiram P. Hunt
• . Gerrit Y. Lansing
• . John Cramer
• . David A. Russell
• . Dudley Farlin
• . Ransom H. Gillet
• . Matthias J. Bovee
• . Abijah Mann, Jr.
• . Samuel Beardsley, until March 29, 1836
• * Rutger B. Miller, from November 9, 1836
• . Joel Turrill
• . Daniel Wardwell
• . Sherman Page
• . William Seymour
• . William Mason
• . Stephen B. Leonard
• . Joseph Reynolds
• . William K. Fuller
• . William Taylor
• . Ulysses F. Doubleday
• . Graham H. Chapin
• . Francis Granger
• . Joshua Lee
• . Timothy Childs
• . George W. Lay
• . Philo C. Fuller, until September 2, 1836
• * John Young, from November 9, 1836
• . Abner Hazeltine
• . Thomas C. Love
• . Gideon Hard

  North Carolina">List of United States Representatives from North Carolina">North Carolina

• . William B. Shepard
• . Jesse A. Bynum
• . Ebenezer Pettigrew
• . Jesse Speight
• . James I. McKay
• . Micajah T. Hawkins
• . Edmund Deberry
• . William Montgomery
• . Augustine H. Shepperd
• . Abraham Rencher
• . Henry W. Connor
• . James Graham, until March 29, 1836, and from December 5, 1836
• . Lewis Williams

  Ohio">List of United States Representatives from Ohio">Ohio

• . Bellamy Storer
• . Taylor Webster
• . Joseph H. Crane
• . Thomas Corwin
• . Thomas L. Hamer
• . Samuel F. Vinton
• . William K. Bond
• . Jeremiah McLene
• . John Chaney
• . Samson Mason
• . William Kennon, Sr.
• . Elias Howell
• . David Spangler
• . William Patterson
• . Jonathan Sloane
• . Elisha Whittlesey
• . John Thomson
• . Benjamin Jones
• . Daniel Kilgore

  Pennsylvania">List of United States Representatives from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania

• . Joel B. Sutherland
• . James Harper
• . Joseph R. Ingersoll
• . Michael W. Ash
• . Edward Darlington
• . William Hiester
• . David Potts, Jr.
• . Jacob Fry, Jr.
• . Mathias Morris
• . David D. Wagener
• . Edward B. Hubley
• . Henry A. P. Muhlenberg
• . William Clark
• . Henry Logan
• . George Chambers
• . Jesse Miller, until October 30, 1836
• * James Black, from December 5, 1836
• . Joseph Henderson
• . Andrew Beaumont
• . Joseph B. Anthony
• . John Laporte
• . Job Mann
• . John J. Klingensmith, Jr.
• . Andrew Buchanan
• . Thomas M. T. McKennan
• . Harmar Denny
• . Samuel S. Harrison
• . John Banks, until March 31, 1836
• * John J. Pearson, from December 5, 1836
• . John Galbraith

  Rhode Island">List of United States Representatives from Rhode Island">Rhode Island

• . Dutee J. Pearce
• . William Sprague

  South Carolina">List of United States Representatives from South Carolina">South Carolina

• . Henry L. Pinckney
• . William J. Grayson
• . Robert B. Campbell
• . James H. Hammond, until February 26, 1836
• * Franklin H. Elmore, from December 10, 1836
• . Francis W. Pickens
• . Waddy Thompson, Jr., from September 10, 1835
• . James Rogers
• . Richard I. Manning, until May 1, 1836
• * John P. Richardson, from December 19, 1836
• . John K. Griffin

  Tennessee">List of United States Representatives from Tennessee">Tennessee

• . William B. Carter
• . Samuel Bunch
• . Luke Lea
• . James I. Standifer
• . John B. Forester
• . Balie Peyton
• . John Bell
• . Abram P. Maury
• . James K. Polk
• . Ebenezer J. Shields
• . Cave Johnson
• . Adam Huntsman
• . William C. Dunlap

  Vermont">List of United States Representatives from Vermont">Vermont

• . Hiland Hall
• . William Slade
• . Horace Everett
• . Heman Allen
• . Henry F. Janes

  Virginia">List of United States Representatives from Virginia">Virginia

• . George Loyall
• . John Y. Mason, until January 11, 1837
• . John W. Jones
• . George C. Dromgoole
• . James W. Bouldin
• . Walter Coles
• . Nathaniel H. Claiborne
• . Henry A. Wise
• . John Roane
• . John Taliaferro
• . John Robertson
• . James Garland
• . John M. Patton
• . Charles F. Mercer
• . Edward Lucas
• . James M. H. Beale
• . Robert Craig
• . George W. Hopkins
• . William McComas
• . Joseph Johnson
• . William S. Morgan

  Non-voting members

• . Ambrose H. Sevier, until June 15, 1836
• . Joseph M. White
• . George Wallace Jones, until January 26, 1837
• . George Wallace Jones, from January 26, 1837

Changes in membership

Senate

• Replacements: 11
• * Anti-Jacksonians: 5-seat net loss
• * Jacksonians: 10-seat net gain
• Deaths: 3
• Resignations: 8
• Interim appointments: 0
• Seats of newly admitted states: 4
• Total seats with changes: 16

  House of Representatives

• Replacements: 18
• * Anti-Jacksonians: 5-seat net gain
• * Anti-Masonics: 1-seat net loss
• * Jacksonians: 2-seat net loss
• * Nullifiers: No net change
• Deaths: 5
• Resignations: 13
• Contested election: 0
• Seats of newly admitted states: 2
• Total seats with changes: 24

  Committees

Senate

• Agriculture
• Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
• Claims
• Commerce
• Constitution of the State of Arkansas
• Distributing Public Revenue Among the States
• District of Columbia
• Engrossed Bills
• Finance
• Foreign Relations
• Incendiary Publications
• Indian Affairs
• Judiciary
• Letter from Mr. Poindexter
• Manufactures
• Mileage of Members of Congress
• Military Affairs
• Militia
• Naval Affairs
• Ohio-Michigan Boundary
• Patent Office
• Pensions
• Post Office and Post Roads
• Private Land Claims
• Public Lands
• Purchasing Boyd Reilly's Gas Apparatus
• Revolutionary Claims
• Roads and Canals
• Sale of Public Lands
• Tariff Regulation
• Whole

  House of Representatives

• Accounts
• Agriculture
• Amendment to the Constitution
• Banks of the District of Columbia
• Claims
• Commerce
• 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
• Foreign Affairs
• Indian Affairs
• Invalid Pensions
• Judiciary
• Manufactures
• Military Affairs
• Militia
• Naval Affairs
• Post Office and Post Roads
• Public Expenditures
• Public Lands
• Revisal and Unfinished Business
• Revolutionary Claims
• Roads and Canals
• Rules
• Standards of Official Conduct
• Territories
• Ways and Means
• Whole

  Joint committees

• Enrolled Bills
• The Library

  Employees

• Librarian of Congress: John Silva Meehan

  Senate

• Chaplain: Frederick Winslow Hatch, until December 23, 1835
• * Edward Y. Higbee, elected December 23, 1835
• * John R. Goodman, elected December 28, 1836
• Secretary: Walter Lowrie until December 11, 1836
• * Asbury Dickins, elected December 12, 1836
• Sergeant at Arms: John Shackford

  House of Representatives

• Chaplain: Edward Dunlap Smith, until December 7, 1835
• * Thomas H. Stockton, elected December 7, 1835
• * Oliver C. Comstock, elected December 5, 1836
• Clerk: Walter S. Franklin
• Doorkeeper: Overton Carr
• Sergeant at Arms: Thomas B. Randolph, until December 15, 1835
• * Roderick Dorsey, elected December 15, 1835
• Reading Clerks:
• Postmaster: William J. McCormick