April 26, 1814 - August 10, 1815 1816 → 119 64 Start date 1814 | 114 seats 68 seats 5 4 | |
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Winner Henry Clay | ||
Elections to the United States House of Representatives for the 14th Congress were held at various dates in each state between April 1814 (in New York) and August 10, 1815 (in North Carolina) during James Madison's second term. The Congress' first session began on December 4, 1815.
Contents
- Election summaries
- Complete returns
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Non voting delegates
- References
This election took place in the middle of the War of 1812. Although the war was extremely unpopular in certain portions of the country, particularly New England, the dominant Democratic-Republican Party made small gains. The failed American invasion of Upper Canada (Ontario) in 1812-13 and the Burning of Washington by the British in 1814 were embarrassing setbacks, but the war was viewed by many as reasonably successful. National morale was high because the small American military overall had been able to fight British forces to a draw in coastal and frontier conflict.
The election of 1814 was the last in which the declining Federalist Party was able to secure more than a third of the seats in the House of Representatives - and it was only barely able to do so.
Election summaries
One new seat was added with the admission of Indiana during the 2nd session of the 14th Congress
Complete returns
Indiana held elections in 1816 for this Congress.
Georgia
Alfred Cuthbert resigned November 9, 1816. The vacancy left was filled in a special election by Zadock Cook (DR)
Kentucky
Henry Clay was elected to the 2nd district, which he had represented in the 12th and 13th Congresses until he resigned to accept a position as diplomatic envoy to Great Britain. He was still out of the country at the time of the general election. Kentucky's governor, unsure of the implications of a situation in which Clay held the office of United States Representative and diplomatic envoy simultaneously, declared his seat vacant. A subsequent special election was held in 1815, which Clay won without opposition. Kentucky's 2nd district was thus officially considered to be vacant from the March 4, 1815 (the start of the 14th Congress), until October 30 of the same year. The 14th Congress did not meet until December 4, however, so there was no effective vacancy.
In the 1st district, James Clark (DR) resigned in 1816. A special election was held that elected Thomas Fletcher (DR) to fill the vacancy left by Clark's resignation.
Maryland
Alexander C. Hanson (F) of the 3rd district resigned in 1816 upon being elected to the Senate and was replaced in a special election by George Peter (F)
Nicholas R. Moore (DR) of the 5th district resigned in 1815, prior to the start of the 15th Congress. Also in the 5th district, William Pinkney (DR) resigned on April 18, 1816 after being named Minister to Russia. Two separate special elections were held to replace them which elected Samuel Smith (DR) and Peter Little (DR).
Massachusetts
Elijah Brigham (F) of the 11th district died on February 22, 1816. A special election was held to fill the resulting vacancy, electing Benjamin Adams (F) to fill the vacancy.
New Jersey
New Jersey returned to an at-large basis for electing its representatives, abolishing the short-lived districts of the previous election.
New York
There were four vacancies (three resignations and one death) in the New York congressional delegation during the 14th Congress that resulted in special elections.
In the 12th district, Benjamin Pond (DR) died on October 6, 1814, before the start of the 14th Congress. A special election was held which elected Asa Adgate (DR) to fill the resulting vacancy.
In the 6th district, Jonathan Fisk (DR) resigned in March, 1815, before the 1st session but after the term began, to accept a position as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He was replaced in a special election by James W. Wilkin (DR).
In the 20th district, Enos T. Throop (DR) resigned on June 4, 1816, after losing his re-election bid, and was replaced in a special election by Daniel Avery (DR).
Finally, in the 21st district, Peter B. Porter (DR) resigned January 23, 1816 after being appointed a Commissioner under the Treaty of Ghent and was replaced in a special election by Archibald S. Clarke (DR).
North Carolina
William R. King (DR) of the 5th district resigned November 4, 1816, upon being assigned to a diplomatic post in Russia and was replaced in a special election by Charles Hooks (DR).
Nathaniel Macon (DR) of the 6th district resigned December 15, 1815, upon being elected to the Senate and was replaced in a special election by Weldon N. Edwards.
Richard Stanford (DR) of the 8th district died April 16, 1815, and was replaced in a special election by Samuel Dickens (DR).
Ohio
In April 1816, John McLean (DR) of the 1st district resigned and was replaced in a special election by William Henry Harrison (DR).
Pennsylvania
Three vacancies appeared in Pennsylvania's representation before the start of the 15th Congress. On March 12, 1815, David Bard of the 9th district died and was replaced in a special election by Thomas Burnside (DR). On May 16 of the same year, Jonathan Williams (F) of the 1st district also died and was replaced in a special election by John Sergeant (DR). Finally, on July 3, Amos Ellmaker of the 3rd district resigned after being appointed and commissioned president judge of the Twelfth Judicial District of Pennsylvania and was replaced in a special election by James M. Wallace (DR).
A fourth special election was held in the 9th district on October 8, 1816, after Thomas Burnside resigned to accept a judicial position.
South Carolina
In the 9th district, William Mayrant resigned on October 21, 1816, and was replaced in a special election by Stephen D. Miller (DR).
Tennessee
In the 2nd district, John Sevier (DR) died in office. A special election was held that led to the election of William G. Blount (DR) to fill that vacancy.
Virginia
Matthew Clay (DR) of the 15th district died on May 27, 1815 and was replaced in a special election by John Kerr (DR).
Thomas Gholson, Jr. (DR) of the 18th district died July 4, 1816 and was replaced in a special election by Thomas M. Nelson (DR).
John Clopton (DR) of the 23rd district died September 11, 1816 and was replaced in a special election by future President John Tyler (DR).
Non-voting delegates
Four territories sent delegates to the 14th Congress. There was no election held in Illinois Territory
This was the last election for Indiana Territory, as it was admitted to the Union as a state in 1816. In Missouri Territory, Hempstead resigned and Easton also filled his seat for the remainder of the 13th Congress