25th United States Congress

1837-1839 U.S. Congress

25th United States Congress
24th ←
→ 26th
United States Capitol (1827)

March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1839
Members52 senators
242 representatives
3 non-voting delegates
Senate majorityDemocratic
Senate PresidentRichard M. Johnson (D)
House majorityDemocratic
House SpeakerJames K. Polk (D)
Sessions
Special: March 4, 1837 – March 10, 1837
1st: September 4, 1837 – October 16, 1837
2nd: December 4, 1837 – July 9, 1838
3rd: December 3, 1838 – March 3, 1839

The 25th 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, 1837, to March 4, 1839, during the first two years of Martin Van Buren's presidency.

The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1830 United States census. Both houses of congress had a Democratic majority.

Major events

The modern balaam and his ass, an 1837 caricature placing the blame for the Panic of 1837 and the perilous state of the banking system on outgoing President Andrew Jackson, shown riding a donkey, while President Martin Van Buren comments approvingly.

Major legislation

  • [data missing]

Territories organized

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

Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic
(D)
Whig
(W)
Other
End of previous congress 31[a] 19[b] 2[c] 52 0
Begin 35 17 0 52 0
End 16 511
Final voting share 68.6% 31.4% 0.0%
Beginning of next congress 28 19 0 47 5

House of Representatives

Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Anti-
Masonic
(AM)
Democratic
(D)
Nullifier
(N)
Whig
(W)
Other
End of previous congress 14 139[d] 7 81[e] 0 241 1
Begin 7 128 4 101 0 240 2
End 123 106
Final voting share 2.9% 51.3% 1.7% 44.2% 0.0%
Non-voting members 0 2001 3 0
Beginning of next congress 6 124 0 109 2 241 1

Leadership

President of the Senate
Richard M. Johnson

Senate

House of Representatives

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives 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 ended with this Congress, ending in 1839; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, ending in 1841; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, ending in 1843.

Alabama

2. William R. King (D)
3. John McKinley (D), until April 22, 1837
Clement C. Clay (D), from June 19, 1837

Arkansas

2. William S. Fulton (D)
3. Ambrose H. Sevier (D)

Connecticut

1. John M. Niles (D)
3. Perry Smith (D)

Delaware

1. Richard H. Bayard (W)
2. Thomas Clayton (W)

Georgia

2. John P. King (D), until November 1, 1837
Wilson Lumpkin (D), from November 22, 1837
3. Alfred Cuthbert (D)

Illinois

2. John M. Robinson (D)
3. Richard M. Young (D)

Indiana

1. John Tipton (D)
3. Oliver H. Smith (W)

Kentucky

2. John J. Crittenden (W)
3. Henry Clay (W)

Louisiana

2. Robert C. Nicholas (D)
3. Alexander Mouton (D)

Maine

1. Reuel Williams (D)
2. John Ruggles (D)

Maryland

1. Joseph Kent (W), until November 24, 1837
William D. Merrick (W), from January 4, 1838
3. John S. Spence (W)

Massachusetts

1. Daniel Webster (W)
2. John Davis (W)

Michigan

1. Lucius Lyon (D)
2. John Norvell (D)

Mississippi

1. John Black (W), until January 22, 1838
James F. Trotter (D), from January 22, 1838, until July 10, 1838
Thomas Hickman Williams (D), from November 12, 1838
2. Robert J. Walker (D)

Missouri

1. Thomas H. Benton (D)
3. Lewis F. Linn (D)

New Hampshire

2. Henry Hubbard (D)
3. Franklin Pierce (D)

New Jersey

1. Samuel L. Southard (W)
2. Garret D. Wall (D)

New York

1. Nathaniel P. Tallmadge (D)
3. Silas Wright Jr. (D)

North Carolina

2. Bedford Brown (D)
3. Robert Strange (D)

Ohio

1. Thomas Morris (D)
3. William Allen (D)

Pennsylvania

1. Samuel McKean (D)
3. James Buchanan (D)

Rhode Island

1. Asher Robbins (W)
2. Nehemiah R. Knight (W)

South Carolina

2. John C. Calhoun (D)
3. William C. Preston (W)

Tennessee

1. Felix Grundy (D), until July 4, 1838
Ephraim H. Foster (W), from September 17, 1838 – March 3, 1839
2. Hugh Lawson White (W)

Vermont

1. Benjamin Swift (W)
3. Samuel Prentiss (W)

Virginia

1. William C. Rives (D)
2. Richard E. Parker (D), until March 4, 1837
William H. Roane (D), from March 14, 1837
Senators' party membership by state at the opening of the 25th Congress in March 1837.
  2 Democrats
  1 Democrat and 1 Whig
  2 Whigs
President pro tempore
William R. King

House of Representatives

The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

Alabama

1. Reuben Chapman (D)
2. Joshua L. Martin (D)
3. Joab Lawler (W), until May 8, 1838
George W. Crabb (W), from September 4, 1838
4. Dixon H. Lewis (D)
5. Francis S. Lyon (W)

Arkansas

At-large. Archibald Yell (D)

Connecticut

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

1. Isaac Toucey (D)
2. Samuel Ingham (D)
3. Elisha Haley (D)
4. Thomas T. Whittlesey (D)
5. Lancelot Phelps (D)
6. Orrin Holt (D)

Delaware

At-large. John J. Milligan (W)

Georgia

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

At-large. Jesse F. Cleveland (D)
At-large. William C. Dawson (W)
At-large. Thomas Glascock (D)
At-large. Seaton Grantland (D)
At-large. Charles E. Haynes (D)
At-large. Hopkins Holsey (D)
At-large. Jabez Y. Jackson (D)
At-large. George W. Owens (D)
At-large. George W. B. Towns (D)

Illinois

1. Adam W. Snyder (D)
2. Zadok Casey (D)
3. William L. May (D)

Indiana

1. Ratliff Boon (D)
2. John Ewing (W)
3. William Graham (W)
4. George H. Dunn (W)
5. James Rariden (W)
6. William Herod (W)
7. Albert S. White (W)

Kentucky

1. John L. Murray (D)
2. Edward Rumsey (W)
3. Joseph R. Underwood (W)
4. Sherrod Williams (W)
5. James Harlan (W)
6. John Calhoon (W)
7. John Pope (W)
8. William J. Graves (W)
9. John White (W)
10. Richard Hawes (W)
11. Richard H. Menefee (W)
12. John Chambers (W)
13. William W. Southgate (W)

Louisiana

1. Henry Johnson (W)
2. Eleazar W. Ripley (D), until March 2, 1839
3. Rice Garland (W)

Maine

1. John Fairfield (D), until December 24, 1838
2. Francis O. J. Smith (D)
3. Jonathan Cilley (D), until February 24, 1838
Edward Robinson (W), from April 28, 1838
4. George Evans (W)
5. Timothy J. Carter (D), until March 14, 1838
Virgil D. Parris (D), from May 29, 1838
6. Hugh J. Anderson (D)
7. Joseph C. Noyes (W)
8. Thomas Davee (D)

Maryland

The 4th district was a plural district with two representatives.

1. John Dennis (W)
2. James A. Pearce (W)
3. John T. H. Worthington (D)
4. Benjamin C. Howard (D)
4. Isaac McKim (D), until April 1, 1838
John P. Kennedy (W), from April 25, 1838
5. William Cost Johnson (W)
6. Francis Thomas (D)
7. Daniel Jenifer (W)

Massachusetts

1. Richard Fletcher (W)
2. Stephen C. Phillips (W), until September 28, 1838
Leverett Saltonstall I (W), from December 25, 1838
3. Caleb Cushing (W)
4. William Parmenter (D)
5. Levi Lincoln Jr. (W)
6. George Grennell Jr. (W)
7. George N. Briggs (W)
8. William B. Calhoun (W)
9. William S. Hastings (W)
10. Nathaniel B. Borden (D)
11. John Reed Jr. (W)
12. John Quincy Adams (W)

Michigan

At-large. Isaac E. Crary (D)

Mississippi

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

At-large. John F. H. Claiborne (D), from July 18, 1837, until February 5, 1838
Seargent S. Prentiss (W), from May 30, 1838
At-large. Samuel J. Gholson (D), from July 18, 1837, until February 5, 1838
Thomas J. Word (W), from May 30, 1838

Missouri

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

At-large. Albert G. Harrison (D)
At-large. John Miller (D)

New Hampshire

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

At-large. Charles G. Atherton (D)
At-large. Samuel Cushman (D)
At-large. James Farrington (D)
At-large. Joseph Weeks (D)
At-large. Jared W. Williams (D)

New Jersey

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

At-large. John B. Aycrigg (W)
At-large. William Halstead (W)
At-large. John P. B. Maxwell (W)
At-large. Joseph F. Randolph (W)
At-large. Charles C. Stratton (W)
At-large. Thomas Jones Yorke (W)

New York

There were four plural districts, the 8th, 17th, 22nd & 23rd had two representatives each, the 3rd had four representatives.

1. Thomas B. Jackson (D)
2. Abraham Vanderveer (D)
3. Churchill C. Cambreleng (D)
3. Edward Curtis (W)
3. Ogden Hoffman (W)
3. Ely Moore (D)
4. Gouverneur Kemble (D)
5. Obadiah Titus (D)
6. Nathaniel Jones (D)
7. John C. Brodhead (D)
8. Robert McClellan (D)
8. Zadock Pratt (D)
9. Henry Vail (D)
10. Albert Gallup (D)
11. John I. De Graff (D)
12. David A. Russell (W)
13. John Palmer (D)
14. James B. Spencer (D)
15. John Edwards (D)
16. Arphaxed Loomis (D)
17. Henry A. Foster (D)
17. Abraham P. Grant (D)
18. Isaac H. Bronson (D)
19. John H. Prentiss (D)
20. Amasa J. Parker (D)
21. John C. Clark (D)
22. Andrew D. W. Bruyn (D), until July 27, 1838
Cyrus Beers (D), from December 3, 1838
22. Hiram Gray (D)
23. Bennet Bicknell (D)
23. William Taylor (D)
24. William H. Noble (D)
25. Samuel Birdsall (D)
26. Mark H. Sibley (W)
27. John T. Andrews (D)
28. Timothy Childs (W)
29. William Patterson (W), until August 14, 1838
Harvey Putnam (W), from November 7, 1838
30. Luther C. Peck (W)
31. Richard P. Marvin (W)
32. Millard Fillmore (W)
33. Charles F. Mitchell (W)

North Carolina

1. Samuel T. Sawyer (W)
2. Jesse A. Bynum (D)
3. Edward Stanly (W)
4. Charles B. Shepard (W)
5. James I. McKay (D)
6. Micajah T. Hawkins (D)
7. Edmund Deberry (W)
8. William Montgomery (D)
9. Augustine H. Shepperd (W)
10. Abraham Rencher (W)
11. Henry W. Connor (D)
12. James Graham (W)
13. Lewis Williams (W)

Ohio

1. Alexander Duncan (D)
2. Taylor Webster (D)
3. Patrick G. Goode (W)
4. Thomas Corwin (W)
5. Thomas L. Hamer (D)
6. Calvary Morris (W)
7. William K. Bond (W)
8. Joseph Ridgway (W)
9. John Chaney (D)
10. Samson Mason (W)
11. James Alexander Jr. (W)
12. Alexander Harper (W)
13. Daniel P. Leadbetter (D)
14. William H. Hunter (D)
15. John W. Allen (W)
16. Elisha Whittlesey (W), until July 9, 1838
Joshua R. Giddings (W), from December 3, 1838
17. Andrew W. Loomis (W), until October 20, 1837
Charles D. Coffin (W), from December 20, 1837
18. Matthias Shepler (D)
19. Daniel Kilgore (D), until July 4, 1838
Henry Swearingen (D), from December 3, 1838

Pennsylvania

There were two plural districts, the 2nd had two representatives, the 4th had three representatives.

1. Lemuel Paynter (D)
2. John Sergeant (W)
2. George W. Toland (W)
3. Francis J. Harper (D), until March 18, 1837
Charles Naylor (W), from June 29, 1837
4. Edward Darlington (AM)
4. Edward Davies (AM)
4. David Potts Jr. (AM)
5. Jacob Fry Jr. (D)
6. Mathias Morris (W)
7. David D. Wagener (D)
8. Edward B. Hubley (D)
9. Henry A. P. Muhlenberg (D), until February 9, 1838
George M. Keim (D), from March 17, 1838
10. Luther Reily (D)
11. Henry Logan (D)
12. Daniel Sheffer (D)
13. Charles McClure (D)
14. William W. Potter (D)
15. David Petrikin (D)
16. Robert H. Hammond (D)
17. Samuel W. Morris (D)
18. Charles Ogle (AM)
19. John J. Klingensmith Jr. (D)
20. Andrew Buchanan (D)
21. Thomas M. T. McKennan (AM)
22. Richard Biddle (AM)
23. William Beatty (D)
24. Thomas Henry (AM)
25. Arnold Plumer (D)

Rhode Island

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

At-large. Robert B. Cranston (W)
At-large. Joseph L. Tillinghast (W)

South Carolina

1. Hugh S. Legaré (D)
2. Robert Rhett (D)
3. John Campbell (N)
4. Franklin H. Elmore (States Rights D)
5. Francis W. Pickens (N)
6. Waddy Thompson Jr. (W)
7. William K. Clowney (N)
8. John P. Richardson (D)
9. John K. Griffin (N)

Tennessee

1. William B. Carter (W)
2. Abraham McClellan (D)
3. Joseph L. Williams (W)
4. James I. Standifer (W), until August 20, 1837
William Stone (W), from September 14, 1837
5. Hopkins L. Turney (D)
6. William B. Campbell (W)
7. John Bell (W)
8. Abram P. Maury (W)
9. James K. Polk (D)
10. Ebenezer J. Shields (W)
11. Richard Cheatham (W)
12. John W. Crockett (W)
13. Christopher H. Williams (W)

Vermont

1. Hiland Hall (W)
2. William Slade (W)
3. Horace Everett (W)
4. Heman Allen (W)
5. Isaac Fletcher (D)

Virginia

1. Francis Mallory (W)
2. Francis E. Rives (D)
3. John W. Jones (D)
4. George C. Dromgoole (D)
5. James W. Bouldin (D)
6. Walter Coles (D)
7. Archibald Stuart (D)
8. Henry A. Wise (W)
9. Robert M. T. Hunter (W)
10. John Taliaferro (W)
11. John Robertson (W)
12. James Garland (D)
13. John M. Patton (D), until April 7, 1838
Linn Banks (D), from April 28, 1838
14. Charles F. Mercer (W)
15. James M. Mason (D)
16. Isaac S. Pennybacker (D)
17. Robert Craig (D)
18. George W. Hopkins (D)
19. Andrew Beirne (D)
20. Joseph Johnson (D)
21. William S. Morgan (D)

Non-voting members

At-large. Charles Downing
At-large. William W. Chapman (D), from September 10, 1838
At-large. George Wallace Jones (D), until January 14, 1839
James D. Doty (D), from January 14, 1839
House seats by party holding plurality in state
  80+% to 100% Democratic
  Up to 60% Whig
  60+% to 80% Democratic
  60+% to 80% Whig
  Up to 60% Democratic
  80+% to 100% Whig
Speaker of the House
James Polk

Changes in membership

The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.

Senate

  • Replacements: 6
    • Democrats: no net change
    • Whigs: no net change
  • Deaths: 1
  • Resignations: 6
  • Total seats with changes: 7
Senate changes
State
(class)
Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[f]
Virginia
(2)
Richard E. Parker (D) Resigned March 4, 1837, after accepting a seat on the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals William H. Roane (D) Elected March 14, 1837
Alabama
(3)
John McKinley (D) Resigned April 22, 1837, after being appointed Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Clement C. Clay (D) Elected June 19, 1837
Georgia
(2)
John P. King (D) Resigned November 1, 1837 Wilson Lumpkin (D) Elected November 22, 1837
Maryland
(1)
Joseph Kent (W) Died November 24, 1837 William D. Merrick (W) Elected January 4, 1838
Mississippi
(1)
John Black (W) Resigned January 22, 1838 James F. Trotter (D) Appointed January 22, 1838
Tennessee
(1)
Felix Grundy (D) Resigned July 4, 1838, after being appointed United States Attorney General Ephraim H. Foster (W) Elected September 17, 1838
Mississippi
(1)
James F. Trotter (D) Resigned July 10, 1838 Thomas H. Williams (D) Appointed November 12, 1838, and subsequently elected
Tennessee
(1)
Ephraim H. Foster (W) Resigned March 3, 1839 before start of new Congress under orders of state legislature. Vacant

House of Representatives

  • Replacements: 16
    • Democrats: 5-seat net loss
    • Whigs: 5-seat net gain
  • Deaths: 9
  • Resignations: 6
  • Contested election:1
  • Total seats with changes: 20
House changes
District Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[f]
Mississippi at-large Vacant Rep-elect Claiborne presented credentials July 18, 1837 John F. H. Claiborne (D) Seated July 18, 1837
Mississippi at-large Vacant Rep-elect Gholson presented credentials July 18, 1837 Samuel J. Gholson (D) Seated July 18, 1837
Pennsylvania 3rd Francis J. Harper (D) Died March 18, 1837 Charles Naylor (W) Seated June 29, 1837
Tennessee 4th James I. Standifer (W) Died August 20, 1837 William Stone (W) Seated September 14, 1837
Ohio 17th Elisha Whittlesey (W) Resigned October 20, 1837 Charles D. Coffin (W) Seated December 20, 1837
Mississippi at-large John F. H. Claiborne (D) Seat declared vacant February 5, 1838 Seargent S. Prentiss (W) Seated May 30, 1838
Mississippi at-large Samuel J. Gholson (D) Seat declared vacant February 5, 1838 Thomas J. Word (W) Seated May 30, 1838
Pennsylvania 9th Henry A. P. Muhlenberg (D) Resigned February 9, 1838, after being appointed Minister to Austrian Empire George M. Keim (D) Seated March 17, 1838
Maine 3rd Jonathan Cilley (D) Killed in a duel February 24, 1838, by Rep. William J. Graves Edward Robinson (W) Seated April 28, 1838
Maine 5th Timothy J. Carter (D) Died March 14, 1838 Virgil D. Parris (D) Seated May 29, 1838
Maryland 4th Isaac McKim (D) Died April 1, 1838 John P. Kennedy (W) Seated April 25, 1838
Virginia 13th John M. Patton (D) Resigned April 7, 1838 Linn Banks (D) Seated April 28, 1838
Alabama 3rd Joab Lawler (W) Died May 8, 1838 George W. Crabb (W) Seated October 5, 1835
Ohio 19th Daniel Kilgore (D) Resigned July 4, 1838 Henry Swearingen (D) Seated December 3, 1838
Ohio 16th Elisha Whittlesey (W) Resigned July 9, 1838 Joshua R. Giddings (W) Seated December 3, 1838
New York 22nd Andrew D. Bruyn (D) Died July 27, 1838 Cyrus Beers (D) Seated December 3, 1838
New York 29th William Patterson (W) Died August 14, 1838 Harvey Putnam (W) Seated November 7, 1838
Iowa Territory at-large New seat Iowa Territory seated its first delegate September 10, 1838 George Wallace Jones (D) Seated September 10, 1838
Massachusetts 2nd Stephen C. Phillips (W) Seat declared vacant September 28, 1838 Leverett Saltonstall (W) Seated December 15, 1838
Maine 1st John Fairfield (D) Resigned December 24, 1838, after being elected Governor of Maine Vacant Not filled this congress
Wisconsin Territory at-large George Wallace Jones (D) Lost contested election January 14, 1839 James D. Doty (D) Seated January 14, 1839
Louisiana 2nd Eleazar W. Ripley (D) Died March 2, 1839 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

  1. ^ Jacksonians
  2. ^ Anti-Jacksonians
  3. ^ Nullifier
  4. ^ Jacksonians
  5. ^ Anti-Jacksonians
  6. ^ a b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

  1. ^ "Committee History". House Committee on Natural Resources. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  • Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
  • Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.

External links

  • Statutes at Large, 1789-1875
  • Senate Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
  • House Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
  • Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
  • U.S. House of Representatives: House History
  • U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists
  • Congressional Directory for the 25th Congress, 3rd Session.
  • Congressional Directory for the 25th Congress, 3rd Session (Revision).
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United States congresses (and year convened)