The 17th 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. While its term was officially March 4, 1821, to March 4, 1823, during the fifth and sixth years of James Monroe's presidency, its first session began on December 3, 1821, ending on May 8, 1822, and its second session began on December 2, 1822, to March 3, 1823. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1810 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic-Republican majority.
The members William Smith, John Gaillard, Joseph Gist, John Wilson, George McDuffie, Starling Tucker, James Overstreet, Thomas R. Mitchell, William Lowndes, Joel Roberts Poinsett, and James Blair were described as being "outspokenly pro-British" in their outlook. All of whom signed a "letter of brotherhood and solidarity" addressed to British Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool and the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh in 1822. The same letter harshly condemned the actions of France and specifically those of King Louis XVIII.
The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this congress. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.
During this congress, two Senate seats were added for the new state of Missouri.
For the beginning of this congress, six seats from Massachusetts were reapportioned to the new state of Maine (one seat had already moved during the previous congress), . During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Missouri, .
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.
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 with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1826; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1822; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1824.
The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
The 5th district was a plural district with two representatives.
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
There were five plural districts: the 1st, 2nd, 12th, 15th & 20th each had two representatives.
There were six plural districts: the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th & 10th had two representatives each, and the 1st had four representatives.
Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
|- | Tennessee<br/>(1) | Vacant | style="font-size:80%" | Legislature failed to re-elect John Eaton (DR). Late election held. | | John Eaton (DR) | Elected September 27, 1821
|- | Pennsylvania<br/>(1) | Vacant | style="font-size:80%" | Seat remained vacant at end of previous Congress | | William Findlay (DR) | Elected December 10, 1821
|- | Delaware<br/>(1) | Vacant | style="font-size:80%" | Seat remained vacant at end of previous Congress | | Caesar A. Rodney (DR) | Elected January 24, 1822
|- | Georgia<br/>(2) | | Freeman Walker (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned August 6, 1821 | | Nicholas Ware (DR) | Elected November 10, 1821
|- | Missouri<br/>(1) | rowspan=2 | New seats | rowspan=2 style="font-size:80%" | Missouri was admitted to the Union. | | Thomas Hart Benton (DR) | Elected August 10, 1821
|- | Missouri<br/>(3) | | David Barton (DR) | Elected August 10, 1821
|- | Ohio<br/>(3) | | William A. Trimble (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Died December 13, 1821 | | Ethan Allen Brown (DR) | Elected January 3, 1822
|- | Maryland<br/>(1) | | William Pinkney (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Died February 25, 1822 | | Samuel Smith (DR) | Elected December 17, 1822
|- | Massachusetts<br/>(2) | | Harrison Gray Otis (F) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned May 30, 1822, to run for Mayor of Boston | | James Lloyd (F) | Elected June 5, 1822
|- | Alabama<br/>(3) | | John W. Walker (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned December 12, 1822, due to failing health | | William Kelly (DR) | Elected December 12, 1822
|- | Virginia<br/>(2) | | James Pleasants (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned December 15, 1822, after being elected Governor of Virginia | | John Taylor (DR) | Elected December 18, 1822
|- | Delaware<br/>(1) | | Caesar A. Rodney (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned January 29, 1823, to accept a diplomatic appointment | Vacant | Not filled in this Congress
|- | | Vacant | style="font-size:80%" | Rep. Henry Hunter Bryan was re-elected but did not take his seat | Vacant | |- | | Vacant | style="font-size:80%" | Rep.-elect John C. Wright resigned his seat in the next Congress on March 3, 1821 | | David Chambers (DR) | Seated December 3, 1821 |- | | Vacant | style="font-size:80%" | Rep.-elect James Duncan resigned before Congress met | | John Findlay (DR) | Seated December 12, 1821 |- | | Vacant | style="font-size:80%" | Rep.-elect William Cox Ellis resigned before Congress met | | Thomas Murray Jr. (DR) | Seated December 12, 1821 |- | | Vacant | style="font-size:80%" | Credentials for Peter Sharpe were issued by the Secretary of State of New York, but Sharpe never claimed or took the seat, Sharpe's election was contested by Colden, see United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 1821 | | Cadwallader D. Colden (F) | Seated December 12, 1821 |- | | | George Robertson (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | resigned before Congress met | | John S. Smith (DR) | Seated December 3, 1821 |- | nowrap | | rowspan=2 | Vacant | rowspan=2 style="font-size:80%" | Missouri was admitted to the Union on August 10, 1821 | rowspan=2 | John Scott (DR) | rowspan=2 | Seated December 3, 1821 |- | |- | | Vacant | style="font-size:80%" | Selah Tuthill (DR) was elected after the Congress term had already begun, and died on September 7, 1821, before Congress met. It is uncertain whether credentials were ever issued for Tuthill. | | Charles Borland Jr. (DR) | Seated December 3, 1821 |- | | | Wingfield Bullock (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Died October 13, 1821, before Congress met | | James D. Breckinridge (DR) | Seated January 2, 1822 |- | | | Solomon Van Rensselaer (F) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned January 14, 1822, upon appointment as Postmaster of Albany | | Stephen Van Rensselaer (F) | Seated March 12, 1822 |- | | | Caesar A. Rodney (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned on January 24, 1822, after being elected to the US Senate | | Daniel Rodney (F) | Seated December 2, 1822 |- | | | Jeremiah Cosden (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Cosden's election was contested by Reed | | Philip Reed (DR) | Seated March 19, 1822 |- | | | William Milnor (F) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned on May 8, 1822, to run for Mayor of Philadelphia | | Thomas Forrest (F) | Seated December 2, 1822 |- | | | Henry Baldwin (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned on May 8, 1822 | | Walter Forward (DR) | Seated December 2, 1822 |- | | | James Blair (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned on May 8, 1822 | | John Carter (DR) | Seated December 11, 1822 |- | | | William Lowndes (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned on May 8, 1822 | | James Hamilton Jr. (DR) | Seated January 6, 1823 |- | | | Samuel Moore (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned on May 20, 1822 | | Samuel D. Ingham (DR) | Seated December 2, 1822 |- | | | James Overstreet (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Died May 24, 1822 | | Andrew R. Govan (DR) | Seated December 4, 1822 |- | | | Ezekiel Whitman (F) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned on June 1, 1822, after becoming a judge of a Court of Common Pleas in Maine | | Mark Harris (DR) | Seated December 2, 1822 |- | | | William Hendricks (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned on July 25, 1822, after his election as Governor of Indiana | | Jonathan Jennings (DR) | Seated December 2, 1822 |- | | | Thomas Van Swearingen (F) | style="font-size:80%" | Died on August 19, 1822 | | James Stephenson (F) | Seated December 2, 1822 |- | | Vacant | style="font-size:80%" | Florida Territory was organized on March 30, 1822 | Joseph M. Hernández | Seated January 3, 1823 |- | | | Ludwig Worman (F) | style="font-size:80%" | Died October 17, 1822 | | Daniel Udree (DR) | Seated December 23, 1822 |- | | | Samuel Smith (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned on December 17, 1822, after his election to the US Senate | | Isaac McKim (DR) | Seated January 8, 1823 |- | | | Hugh Nelson (DR) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned on January 14, 1823, upon appointment as Minister to Spain | Vacant |
Lists of committees and their party leaders.