The Twenty-eighth 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, 1843 to March 4, 1845, during the third and fourth years of John Tyler's presidency. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Sixth Census of the United States in 1840. The Senate had a Whig majority, and the House had a Democratic majority.
May 24, 1844: The first electrical telegram was sent by Samuel F. B. Morse from the U.S. Capitol to the B&O Railroad "outer depot" in Baltimore, Maryland, saying "What hath God wrought".
December 4, 1844: U.S. presidential election, 1844: James K. Polk defeated Henry Clay
January 23, 1845: Presidential Election Day Act, ch. 1, 5 Stat. 721
March 3, 1845: For the first time, Congress overrode a Presidential veto. A bill, relating to revenue cutters and steamers, was thereby enacted as the last Act of the 28th Congress: session II, ch. 78, 5 Stat. 795.
July 3, 1844: Treaty of Wanghia signed (first diplomatic agreement between China and the United States)
March 1, 1845: Resolution for the Annexation of Texas, 5 Stat. 797 (Admitted in the next Congress, December 29, 1845.)
March 3, 1845: Florida admitted, 5 Stat. 742. The statute also allowed for the provisional admission of Iowa, pending a referendum in that state. (Admitted in the next Congress, December 28, 1846.)
During this congress, two Senate seats were added for the new state of Florida.
Following the 1840 United States Census, Congress reapportioned the House to include 223 seats (5 Stat. 491). During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Florida (5 Stat. 743).
President: Vacant
President pro tempore: Willie P. Mangum (W)
Speaker: John W. Jones (D)
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, 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 ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1844; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1846; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1848.
Skip to House of Representatives, below
Representatives are listed by their district numbers.
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
replacements: 7
Democrats (D): no net change
Whigs (W): 1 seat net loss
Law and Order (LO): 1 seat net gain
deaths: 3
resignations: 5
interim appointments: 1
Total seats with changes: 10
replacements: 14
Democrats (D): 6 seat net loss
Whigs (W): 6 seat net gain
deaths: 7
resignations: 7
contested election: 0
Total seats with changes: 16
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Agriculture
Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
Claims
Commerce
Credentials of the Honorable John M. Niles (Select)
Distributing Public Revenue Among the States (Select)
District of Columbia
Finance
Foreign Relations
Indian Affairs
Judiciary
Manufactures
Military Affairs
Militia
Naval Affairs
Ordnance and War Ships (Select)
Patents and the Patent Office
Pensions
Post Office and Post Roads
Printing
Private Land Claims
Public Buildings and Grounds
Public Lands
Retrenchment
Revolutionary Claims
Roads and Canals
Tariff Regulation (Select)
Territories
Violation of the Injunction of Secrecy (Select)
Whole
Accounts
Agriculture
Army Pay (Select)
Banks of the District of Columbia (Select)
Claims
Commerce
District of Columbia
Elections
Engraving
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
Manufactures
Mileage
Military Affairs
Militia
Naval Affairs
Patents
Post Office and Post Roads
Public Buildings and Grounds
Public Expenditures
Public Lands
Revisal and Unfinished Business
Revolutionary Claims
Roads and Canals
Rules (Select)
Standards of Official Conduct
Territories
Ways and Means
Whole
Enrolled Bills
Smithsonian Bequest
Librarian of Congress: John Silva Meehan
Chaplain: Septimus Tustin (Presbyterian)
Secretary: Asbury Dickens
Sergeant at Arms: Edward Dyer
Chaplain: Isaac S. Tinsley (Baptist)
William M. Daily (Methodist), from December 4, 1844
Clerk: Caleb J. McNulty, until January 18, 1845
Benjamin B. French, from January 18, 1845
Doorkeeper: Jesse E. Dow
Postmaster: John M. Johnson
Sergeant at Arms: Newton Lane