The Sixteenth 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, 1819, to March 4, 1821, during the third and fourth years of James Monroe's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Third Census of the United States in 1810. Both chambers had a Democratic-Republican majority.
A "speech for Buncombe County, North Carolina" given by North Carolina representative Felix Walker in 1820 was credited with introducing into the language the term "bunkum".
March 6, 1819: McCulloch v. Maryland: Supreme Court ruled that the Bank of the United States is constitutional.
July 3, 1820: United States House of Representatives elections, 1820 began in Louisiana
August 7, 1820: 1820 United States Census conducted, eventually determining a population of 9,638,453, of which 1,538,022 were slaves.
December 3, 1820: U.S. presidential election, 1820: James Monroe was re-elected, virtually unopposed.
March 6, 1820: Missouri Compromise, Sess. 1, ch. 22, 3 Stat. 545
April 24, 1820: Land Act of 1820, Sess. 1, ch. 51, 3 Stat. 566
Tallmadge Amendment would bar slaves from the new state of Missouri. Passed the House of Representatives, but not the Senate. The Tallmadge Amendment led to the passage of the Missouri Compromise.
February 22, 1819: Adams-Onís Treaty (Transcontinental Treaty of 1819): Spain ceded Florida to the United States.
States admitted and territories created
July 4, 1819: Arkansas Territory was created, 3 Stat. 493. It was formerly part of the Missouri Territory.
December 14, 1819: Alabama was admitted as the 22nd state, 3 Stat. 492.
March 15, 1820: Maine was admitted as the 23rd state. It was formerly the District of Maine, part of Massachusetts, 3 Stat. 544.
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 each of the new states of Alabama and Maine.
During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Alabama and one seat was reapportioned from Massachusetts to the new state of Maine. For the beginning of the next congress, six more seats from Massachusetts would be reapportioned to Maine.
President: Daniel D. Tompkins (DR)
President pro tempore: James Barbour, (DR), until December 26, 1819
John Gaillard, (DR), elected January 25, 1820
Speaker: Henry Clay (DR), until October 28, 1820
John Taylor, (DR), elected November 15, 1820
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.
Skip to House of Representatives, below
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, requiring reelection in 1820; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1822; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1824.
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress.
There were 5 resignations, 2 deaths, 2 vacancies before the Congress, and 4 new seats. The Democratic-Republicans had a 7-seat net gain and the Federalists had a 1-seat net loss.
There were 13 resignations, 5 deaths, 2 contested elections, and 2 new seats. The Democratic-Republicans had a 1-seat net gain and the Federalists had no net change.
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Amendments to the Constitution (Select)
American Colonization Society (Select)
Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
Claims
Commerce and Manufactures
Constitution of the State of Alabama (Select)
District of Columbia
Finance
Foreign Relations
Indian Affairs
Judiciary
Land Commissioner Reports (Select)
Military Affairs
Militia
Missouri's Admission to the Union (Select)
Naval Affairs
Pensions
Post Office and Post Roads
Public Buildings (Select)
Public Lands
Purchase of Fire Engines (Select)
Reduction of Congressional Salaries (Select)
Roads and Canals (Select)
Whole
Accounts
Agriculture
Apportionment of Representatives (Select)
Army Appropriations Inquiry (Select)
Bank of the United States (Select)
Brownstown Treaty (Select)
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
Manufactures
Pensions and Revolutionary War Claims
Post Office and Post Roads
Public Expenditures
Public Lands
Revisal and Unfinished Business
Rules (Select)
Standards of Official Conduct
Ways and Means
Whole
Enrolled Bills
Investigate Safety of Roofs over Senate and House Wings of the Capitol
Architect of the Capitol: Charles Bulfinch, appointed January 8, 1818
Librarian of Congress: George Watterston
Chaplain: Reuben Post (Presbyterian), elected December 9, 1819
William Ryland (Methodist), elected November 17, 1820
Secretary: Charles Cutts
Sergeant at Arms: Mountjoy Bayly
Chaplain: Burgess Allison (Baptist), elected December 6, 1819
John N. Campbell (Presbyterian), elected November 18, 1820
Clerk: Thomas Dougherty, elected December 6, 1819
Doorkeeper of the House: Thomas Claxton, elected December 6, 1819
Sergeant at Arms: Thomas Dunn, elected December 6, 1819
