The 20th 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 Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1827, to March 4, 1829, during the third and fourth years of John Quincy Adams's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1820 United States census. Both chambers had a Jacksonian majority.
Major events
Major legislation
Party summary
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.
Senate
House of Representatives
Leadership
Senate
House of Representatives
Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class and representatives are listed by district.
Skip to House of Representatives, below
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 with this Congress, facing re-election in 1832; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1828; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1830.
2. William R. King (J)
3. John McKinley (J)
1. Samuel A. Foot (NR)
3. Calvin Willey (NR)
1. Louis McLane (J)
2. Henry M. Ridgely (J)
2. Thomas W. Cobb (J), until November 7, 1828
: Oliver H. Prince (J), from November 7, 1828
3. John Macpherson Berrien (J)
2. Jesse B. Thomas (NR)
3. Elias K. Kane (J)
1. James Noble (NR)
3. William Hendricks (NR)
2. Richard M. Johnson (J)
3. John Rowan (J)
2. Dominique J. Bouligny (NR)
3. Josiah S. Johnston (NR)
1. Albion K. Parris (J), until August 26, 1828
: John Holmes (NR), from January 15, 1829
2. John Chandler (J)
1. Samuel Smith (J)
3. Ezekiel F. Chambers (NR)
1. Daniel Webster (NR), from June 8, 1827
2. Nathaniel Silsbee (NR)
1. Powhatan Ellis (J)
2. Thomas H. Williams (J)
1. Thomas H. Benton (J)
3. David Barton (NR)
2. Samuel Bell (NR)
3. Levi Woodbury (J)
1. Ephraim Bateman (NR), until January 12, 1829
: Mahlon Dickerson (J), from January 30, 1829
2. Mahlon Dickerson (J), until January 30, 1829, vacant thereafter
1. Martin Van Buren (J), until December 20, 1828
: Charles E. Dudley (J), from January 15, 1829
3. Nathan Sanford (NR)
2. John Branch (J)
3. Nathaniel Macon (J), until November 14, 1828
: James Iredell Jr. (J), from December 15, 1828
1. Benjamin Ruggles (NR)
3. William Henry Harrison (NR), until May 20, 1828
: Jacob Burnet (NR), from December 10, 1828
1. Isaac D. Barnard (J)
3. William Marks (NR)
1. Asher Robbins (NR)
2. Nehemiah R. Knight (NR)
2. Robert Y. Hayne (J)
3. William Smith (J)
1. John H. Eaton (J)
2. Hugh Lawson White (J)
1. Horatio Seymour (NR)
3. Dudley Chase (NR)
1. John Tyler (J)
2. Littleton W. Tazewell (J)
House of Representatives
The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
. Gabriel Moore (J)
. John McKee (J)
. George W. Owen (J)
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
. John Baldwin (NR)
. Noyes Barber (NR)
. Ralph I. Ingersoll (NR)
. Orange Merwin (NR)
. Elisha Phelps (NR)
. David Plant (NR)
. Kensey Johns Jr. (NR), from October 2, 1827
Two representatives replacing those who had resigned were elected statewide on a general ticket.
. Edward F. Tattnall (J), until sometime in 1827
: George R. Gilmer (J), from October 1, 1827
. John Forsyth (J), until November 7, 1827
: Richard Henry Wilde (J), from November 17, 1827
. Wiley Thompson (J)
. Wilson Lumpkin (J)
. Charles E. Haynes (J)
. Tomlinson Fort (J)
. John Floyd (J)
. Joseph Duncan (J)
. Thomas H. Blake (NR)
. Jonathan Jennings (NR)
. Oliver H. Smith (J)
. Henry Daniel (J)
. Thomas Metcalfe (NR), until June 1, 1828
: John Chambers (NR), from December 1, 1828
. James Clark (NR)
. Robert P. Letcher (NR)
. Robert L. McHatton (J)
. Joseph Lecompte (J)
. Thomas P. Moore (J)
. Richard A. Buckner (NR)
. Charles A. Wickliffe (J)
. Joel Yancey (J)
. William S. Young (NR), until September 20, 1827
: John Calhoon (NR), November 5, 1827 â November 7, 1827
: Thomas Chilton (J), from December 22, 1827
. Chittenden Lyon (J)
. Edward Livingston (J)
. Henry H. Gurley (NR)
. William L. Brent (NR)
. William Burleigh (NR), until July 2, 1827
: Rufus McIntire (J), from September 10, 1827
. John Anderson (J)
. Joseph F. Wingate (NR)
. Peleg Sprague (NR)
. James W. Ripley (J)
. Jeremiah O'Brien (NR)
. Samuel Butman (NR)
The 5th district was a plural district with two representatives.
. Clement Dorsey (NR)
. John C. Weems (J)
. George C. Washington (NR)
. Michael C. Sprigg (J)
. John Barney (NR)
. Peter Little (NR)
. Levin Gale (J)
. John L. Kerr (NR)
. Ephraim K. Wilson (NR)
. Daniel Webster (NR), until May 30, 1827
: Benjamin Gorham (NR), from July 23, 1827
. Benjamin W. Crowninshield (NR)
. John Varnum (NR)
. Edward Everett (NR)
. John Davis (NR)
. John Locke (NR)
. Samuel C. Allen (NR)
. Isaac C. Bates (NR)
. Henry W. Dwight (NR)
. John Bailey (NR)
. Joseph Richardson (NR)
. James L. Hodges (NR)
. John Reed Jr. (NR)
. William Haile (J), until September 12, 1828
: Thomas Hinds (J), from October 21, 1828
. Edward Bates (NR)
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
. David Barker Jr. (NR)
. Ichabod Bartlett (NR)
. Titus Brown (NR)
. Jonathan Harvey (J)
. Joseph Healy (NR)
. Thomas Whipple Jr. (NR)
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
. Lewis Condict (NR)
. George Holcombe (J), until January 14, 1828
: James F. Randolph (NR), from December 1, 1828
. Isaac Pierson (NR)
. Samuel Swan (NR)
. Hedge Thompson (NR), until July 23, 1828
: Thomas Sinnickson (NR), from December 1, 1828
. Ebenezer Tucker (NR)
There were three plural districts: the 20th & 26th had two representatives each, and the 3rd had three representatives.
. Silas Wood (NR)
. John J. Wood (J)
. Churchill C. Cambreleng (J)
. Jeromus Johnson (J)
. Gulian C. Verplanck (J)
. Aaron Ward (NR)
. Thomas J. Oakley (J), until May 9, 1828
: Thomas Taber II (J), from November 5, 1828
. John Hallock Jr. (J)
. George O. Belden (J)
. James Strong (NR)
. John D. Dickinson (NR)
. Stephen Van Rensselaer (NR)
. Selah R. Hobbie (J)
. John I. De Graff (J)
. Samuel Chase (NR)
. Henry R. Storrs (NR)
. Michael Hoffman (J)
. Henry Markell (NR)
. John W. Taylor (NR)
. Henry C. Martindale (NR)
. Richard Keese (J)
. Rudolph Bunner (J)
. Silas Wright Jr. (J), until February 16, 1829, vacant thereafter
. John C. Clark (J)
. John G. Stower (J)
. Jonas Earll Jr. (J)
. Nathaniel Garrow (J)
. David Woodcock (NR)
. Dudley Marvin (NR)
. John Maynard (NR)
. Daniel D. Barnard (NR)
. John Magee (J)
. David E. Evans (J), until May 2, 1827
: Phineas L. Tracy (NR), from November 5, 1827
. Daniel G. Garnsey (J)
. Lemuel Sawyer (J)
. Willis Alston (J)
. Thomas H. Hall (J)
. John H. Bryan (NR)
. Gabriel Holmes (J)
. Daniel Turner (J)
. John Culpepper (NR)
. Daniel L. Barringer (J)
. Augustine H. Shepperd (J)
. John Long (NR)
. Henry W. Connor (J)
. Samuel P. Carson (J)
. Lewis Williams (NR)
. James Findlay (J)
. John Woods (NR)
. William McLean (NR)
. Joseph Vance (NR)
. William Russell (J)
. William Creighton Jr. (NR), until sometime in 1828
: Francis S. Muhlenberg (NR), from December 19, 1828
. Samuel F. Vinton (NR)
. William Wilson (NR), until June 6, 1827
: William Stanbery (J), from October 9, 1827
. Philemon Beecher (NR)
. John Davenport (NR)
. John C. Wright (NR)
. John Sloane (NR)
. Elisha Whittlesey (NR)
. Mordecai Bartley (NR)
There were six plural districts: the 7th, 8th, 11th & 16th had two representatives each, and the 4th & 9th had three representatives each.
. Joel B. Sutherland (J)
. John Sergeant (NR)
. Daniel H. Miller (J)
. Samuel Anderson (NR)
. James Buchanan (J)
. Charles Miner (NR)
. John B. Sterigere (J)
. Innis Green (J)
. William Addams (J)
. Joseph Fry Jr. (J)
. Samuel D. Ingham (J)
. George Wolf (J)
. George Kremer (J)
. Samuel McKean (J)
. Espy Van Horne (J)
. Adam King (J)
. William Ramsey (J)
. James Wilson (NR)
. John Mitchell (J)
. Chauncey Forward (J)
. Andrew Stewart (NR)
. Joseph Lawrence (NR)
. Robert Orr Jr. (J)
. James S. Stevenson (J)
. Richard Coulter (J)
. Stephen Barlow (J)
Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
. Tristam Burges (NR)
. Dutee J. Pearce (NR)
. William Drayton (J)
. James Hamilton Jr. (J)
. Thomas R. Mitchell (J)
. William D. Martin (J)
. George McDuffie (J)
. Warren R. Davis (J)
. William T. Nuckolls (J)
. John Carter (J)
. Starling Tucker (J)
. John Blair (J)
. Pryor Lea (J)
. James C. Mitchell (J)
. Jacob C. Isacks (J)
. Robert Desha (J)
. James K. Polk (J)
. John Bell (J)
. John H. Marable (J)
. Davy Crockett (J)
. Jonathan Hunt (NR)
. Rollin C. Mallary (NR)
. George E. Wales (NR)
. Benjamin Swift (NR)
. Daniel A. A. Buck (NR)
. Thomas Newton Jr. (NR)
. James Trezvant (J)
. William S. Archer (J)
. Mark Alexander (J)
. John Randolph (J)
. Thomas Davenport (J)
. Nathaniel H. Claiborne (J)
. Burwell Bassett (J)
. Andrew Stevenson (J)
. William C. Rives (J)
. Philip P. Barbour (J)
. John Roane (J)
. John Taliaferro (NR)
. Charles F. Mercer (NR)
. John S. Barbour (J)
. William Armstrong (NR)
. Robert Allen (J)
. Isaac Leffler (NR)
. William McCoy (J)
. John Floyd (J)
. Lewis Maxwell (NR)
. Alexander Smyth (J)
Non-voting members
. Henry W. Conway, until November 9, 1827
: Ambrose H. Sevier, from February 13, 1828
. Joseph M. White
. Austin E. Wing (NR)
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
Senate
|- | Massachusetts<br/>(1) | Vacant | style="font-size:80%" | Seat remained vacant because legislature had failed to elect.<br/>Winner was elected June 8, 1827. | | Daniel Webster (NR) | Installed December 17, 1827 |- | Ohio<br/>(3) | | William Henry Harrison (NR) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned May 20, 1828, to become U.S. Minister Plenipotentiary to Gran Colombia.<br/>A special election was held December 10, 1828. | | Jacob Burnet (NR) | Installed December 10, 1828 |- | Maine<br/>(1) | | Albion K. Parris (J) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned August 26, 1828, after being appointed to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.<br/>A special election was held January 15, 1829. | | John Holmes (NR) | Installed January 15, 1829 |- | Georgia<br/>(2) | | Thomas W. Cobb (J) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned before November 7, 1828.<br/>A special election was held November 7, 1828. | | Oliver H. Prince (J) | Installed November 7, 1828 |- | North Carolina<br/>(3) | | Nathaniel Macon (J) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned November 14, 1828.<br/>A special election was held December 15, 1828. | | James Iredell Jr. (J) | Installed December 15, 1828 |- | New York<br/>(1) | | Martin Van Buren (J) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned December 20, 1828, to become Governor of New York.<br/>A special election was held January 15, 1829. | | Charles E. Dudley (J) | Installed January 15, 1829 |- | New Jersey<br/>(1) | | Ephraim Bateman (NR) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned January 12, 1829, due to failing health.<br/>A special election was held January 30, 1829. | | Mahlon Dickerson (J) | Installed January 30, 1829 |- | New Jersey<br/>(2) | | Mahlon Dickerson (J) | style="font-size:80%" | Resigned January 30, 1829, after being elected to New Jersey's Class 1 U.S. Senate seat. | Vacant | Not filled in this Congress
House of Representatives
|- | | | Edward F. Tattnall (J) | Resigned some time in 1827 before the assembling of Congress | | George R. Gilmer (J) | Seated October 1, 1827
|- | | Vacant | Louis McLane (J) resigned despite winning reelection in 1826 after being elected to the US Senate. | | Kensey Johns Jr. (NR) | Seated October 2, 1827
|- | | | David E. Evans (J) | Resigned May 2, 1827 | | Phineas L. Tracy (NR) | Seated November 5, 1827
|- | | | Daniel Webster (NR) | Resigned May 30, 1827, to run for the US Senate | | Benjamin Gorham (NR) | Seated July 23, 1827
|- | | | William Wilson (NR) | Died June 6, 1827 | | William Stanbery (J) | Seated October 9, 1827
|- | | | William Burleigh (NR) | Died July 2, 1827 | | Rufus McIntire (J) | Seated September 10, 1827
|- | | | William S. Young (NR) | Died September 20, 1827 | | John Calhoon (NR) | Seated November 5, 1827
|- | | | John Calhoon (NR) | Resigned November 7, 1827, to avoid an election dispute | | Thomas Chilton (J) | Seated December 22, 1827
|- | | | John Forsyth (J) | Resigned November 7, 1827, after being elected Governor of Georgia | | Richard H. Wilde (J) | Seated November 17, 1827
|- | | Henry W. Conway | Died November 9, 1827 | Ambrose H. Sevier | Seated February 13, 1828
|- | | | George Holcombe (J) | Died January 14, 1828 | | James F. Randolph (NR) | Seated December 1, 1828
|- | | | Thomas J. Oakley (J) | Resigned May 9, 1828, after being appointed judge of the Superior Court of New York City | | Thomas Taber II (J) | Seated November 5, 1828
|- | | | Thomas Metcalfe (NR) | Resigned June 1, 1828, after being elected Governor of Kentucky | | John Chambers (NR) | Seated December 1, 1828
|- | | | Hedge Thompson (NR) | Died July 23, 1828 | | Thomas Sinnickson (NR) | Seated December 1, 1828
|- | | | William Haile (J) | Resigned September 12, 1828 | | Thomas Hinds (J) | Seated October 21, 1828
|- | | | William Creighton Jr. (NR) | Resigned before December 19, 1828, after being nominated as a judge to district court | | Francis S. Muhlenberg (NR) | Seated December 19, 1828
|- | | | Silas Wright (J) | Resigned February 16, 1829 | Vacant | Not filled this Congress
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Senate
House of Representatives
Joint committees
Employees
Senate
House of Representatives
See also
Notes
References
External links