The Twenty-ninth 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, 1845 to March 4, 1847, during the first two years of the administration of James Polk's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Sixth Census of the United States in 1840. Both chambers had a Democratic majority.
March 4, 1845: James K. Polk became President of the United States
October 10, 1845: The Naval School (later renamed the United States Naval Academy) opened in Annapolis, Maryland
December 2, 1845: President Polk announced to Congress that the Monroe Doctrine should be strictly enforced and that the United States should aggressively expand into the West.
April 25, 1846: Open conflict over border disputes of Texas's boundaries began the Mexican-American War
May 13, 1846: Mexican-American War declared, ch. 16, 9 Stat. 9
July 9, 1846: District of Columbia retrocession, ch. 35, 9 Stat. 35
July 30, 1846: Walker tariff, ch. 74, 9 Stat. 42
June 15, 1846: Oregon Treaty established the 49th parallel as the border between the United States and Canada, from the Rocky Mountains to the Strait of Juan de Fuca
January 13, 1847: Treaty of Cahuenga ended the fighting in the Mexican-American War in California (not a formal treaty between nations but an informal agreement between rival military forces)
December 29, 1845: Texas admitted as the 28th state
December 28, 1846: Iowa admitted as the 29th state
During this congress, two Senate seats were added for each of the new states of Texas and Iowa.
During this congress, two House seats were added for each of the new states of Texas and Iowa.
President: George M. Dallas (D)
President pro tempore: Willie P. Mangum (W), until March 4, 1845
Ambrose Hundley Sevier (D), only on December 27, 1845
David R. Atchison (D), from August 8, 1846
Speaker: John W. Davis (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 began with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1850; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1846; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1848.
Skip to House of Representatives, below
The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
replacements: 8
Democrats (D): no net change
Whigs (W): no net change
deaths: 3
resignations: 6
interim appointments: 1
seats of newly admitted states: 4
Total seats with changes: 14
replacements: 12
Democrats (D): 1 seat net gain
Whigs (W): 1 seat net loss
deaths: 5
resignations: 6
contested election: 1
seats of newly admitted states: 4
Total seats with changes: 17
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Agriculture
Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
Charges of Corruption Contained in the Daily Times (Select)
Claims
Commerce
Distributing Public Revenue Among the States (Select)
District of Columbia
Finance
Foreign Relations
French Spoilations (Select)
Indian Affairs
International Copyright Law (Select)
Judiciary
Manufactures
Memorial on W.T.G. Morton (Select)
Memphis Convention (Select)
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
Smithsonian Institution (Select)
Whole
Accounts
Agriculture
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)
Henry Slicer (Methodist), elected December 16, 1846
Secretary: Asbury Dickens
Sergeant at Arms:
Edward Dyer, died September 8, 1845
Robert Beale, elected December 9, 1845
Chaplain:
William H. Milburn (Methodist)
William T.S. Sprole (Presbyterian), elected December 7, 1846
Clerk: Benjamin B. French
Doorkeeper: Cornelius C. Whitney
Postmaster: John M. Johnson
Sergeant at Arms: Newton Lane
