April 30, 1816 - August 14, 1817 1818 → 145 40 Start date 1816 | 119 seats 64 seats 26 24 | |
 | ||
Winner Henry Clay | ||
Elections to the United States House of Representatives for the 15th Congress were held in the various states between April 1816 (in New York) and August 14, 1817 (in North Carolina). The Congress first met on December 1, 1817.
Contents
- Election summaries
- Indiana
- Complete returns
- Connecticut
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Non voting delegates
- References
The Democratic-Republican Party made significant gains during this election cycle, which helped to usher in what is known as the Era of Good Feelings under President James Monroe, who was elected that year. The Federalist Party was in a state of collapse, in part because of the secessionist doctrine espoused by some party members from New England at the Hartford Convention of 1814–15. This created an almost treasonous image of the Federalist party outside its base in urban New England. The War of 1812 concluded in 1815 with a feeling of national pride, since the small American military had fought the much more powerful British forces to a stalemate. The end of the war and the foolhardy posturing of New England Federalists led voters to rally around the dominant Democratic-Republicans and usher in a period of nonpartisan, consensus governance, despite the remnants of party divisions.
The proportion of seats held by the Federalist party in the House of Representatives fell to less than a quarter. Even at that, the election of 1816 gave them the highest proportion of seats that they were ever able to secure before the national party ceased to function as of 1824. In the same period, the Democratic-Republicans enjoyed majorities never again approached by any American political party until the era of Reconstruction in the late 1860s.
Election summaries
The States of Mississippi and Illinois were admitted during the 15th Congress, adding one seat each. Mississippi was represented for most of both sessions, while Illinois was only represented during the 2nd session.
Indiana
Indiana was admitted as a state of the Union on December 11, 1816, during the Second Session of the 14th United States Congress.
Hendricks took his seat on December 11, 1816.
Complete returns
Illinois elected its first representative in 1818
Connecticut
Sylvanus Backus (F) died on February 15, 1817, and Charles Dennison declined to serve. A special election was held to fill the resulting vacancies, which elected Ebenezer Huntington (F) and Nathaniel Terry (F).
Uriel Holmes (F) resigned in 1818, and was replaced in a special election by Sylvester Gilbert (DR).
Georgia
John Forsyth (DR) resigned on November 23, 1818, after being elected to the Senate. A special election was held on January 4, 1819, to fill the vacancies left in both the remainder of the 15th Congress and in the 16th Congress to which he had been re-elected before his resignation.
Louisiana
On April 20, 1818, Thomas B. Robertson (DR) resigned and was replaced in a special election by Thomas Butler (DR).
Massachusetts
Massachusetts' electoral law required a majority for election. In five districts this was not met on the first election, requiring additional trials to be held.
James Lloyd (F) of the 1st district did not serve, apparently resigning before the start of the 15th Congress, and was replaced in a special election by Jonathan Mason
Albion K. Parris (DR) of the 20th district resigned February 3, 1818, having been named judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maine. The resulting vacancy was filled in a special election by Enoch Lincoln (DR).
Mississippi
Mississippi was admitted as a state of the Union on December 10, 1817. from the western half of the former Mississippi Territory (the eastern half became Alabama Territory) It elected its first representative to Congress in 1817.
George Poindexter had previously served as a Delegate for Mississippi Territory in the 9th-12th Congresses.
New Jersey
In 1816, the Democratic-Republican candidates ran unopposed.
New York
On February 18, 1817, Representative-elect Lee in the 4th district died. A special election was held to fill that vacancy. It resulted in the election of James Tallmadge, Jr. (DR).
North Carolina
Alexander McMillan (F) of the 7th district died before Congress assembled, and was replaced in a special election by James Stewart (DR)
George Mumford (DR) of the 10th district died December 31, 1818, and was replaced in a special election by Charles Fisher (DR).
Daniel M. Forney (DR) of the 11th district resigned in 1818, and was replaced in a special election by William Davidson (F).
Ohio
Herrick's election in the 4th district was unsuccessfully contested.
Pennsylvania
Jacob Spangler (DR) of the 4th district resigned April 20, 1818, and was replaced in a special election by Jacob Hostetter (DR)
John Ross (DR) of the 6th district resigned on February 24, 1818. Samuel D. Ingham (DR) also of the 6th district resigned on July 6, 1818. Special elections were held after each resignation, electing, respectively, Thomas J. Rogers (DR) and Samuel Moore (DR)
David Scott (DR) of the 10th district resigned before Congress started and was replaced in a special election by John Murray (DR)
South Carolina
In the 6th district, John C. Calhoun resigned on November 3, 1817, after being appointed Secretary of War and was replaced in a special election by Eldred Simkins (DR).
Vermont
Heman Allen (DR) resigned April 20, 1818, at the end of the 1st session. His seat remained vacant for the duration of the 15th Congress.
Virginia
In the 19th district, Peterson Goodwyn (DR) died on February 21, 1818, and was replaced in a special election by John Pegram (DR).
Non-voting delegates
There were four territories with the right to send delegates during at least part of the 15th Congress. Mississippi Territory only existed during the first few months of the 15th Congress, but did not elect a delegate, since it was admitted to the Union as a state a few days into the 1st Session of the 15th Congress. Illinois Territory also only existed during the 1st Session, as it was admitted to the Union as the State of Illinois on December 3, 1818. Alabama Territory was formed from the eastern half of Mississippi Territory, and its first (and only) delegate was seated on March 9, 1818.
There were two elections held for the delegate from Missouri Territory. The first was contested by Rufus Easton on the grounds of electoral fraud. This election was declared void, and a second election was held on August 4, 1817. It was won without controversy by John Scott, who took his seat on December 8, 1817.