36th United States Congress

The 36th 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, 1859, to March 4, 1861, during the third and fourth years of James Buchanan's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1850 United States census. The Senate had a Democratic majority, and the House had a Republican plurality.

Major events

June 8, 1859: Comstock Lode discovered in the western Utah Territory (present-day Nevada)
August 27, 1859: First oil well was drilled in the United States, near Titusville, Pennsylvania
October 16–18, 1859: John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
December 2, 1859 John Brown executed.
December 5, 1859 – February 1, 1860: The election for the House speakership takes 44 ballots
April 3, 1860: Pony Express began its first run
April 23 – May 3, 1860: Democratic National Convention held in Charleston, South Carolina. Unable to agree on a nominee, the delegates voted to reconvene in June.
May 9, 1860: Constitutional Union Party National Convention held in Baltimore, Maryland, nominating John Bell for president.
May 18, 1860: Republican National Convention held in Chicago, Illinois, nominating Abraham Lincoln for president.
June 18–23, 1860: Democratic Party reconvened in Baltimore, Maryland, nominating Stephen A. Douglas for president.
January 3, 1861: Delaware Secession Convention voted not to secede from the Union
January 9, 1861: Mississippi Secession Convention enacted an Ordinance of Secession
February 23, 1861: The people of Texas ratified its Ordinance of Secession
Democratic Caucus Chairman: George S. Houston

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.

:Skip to House of Representatives, below

Senate

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 in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1862; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1864; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1860.

Alabama

: 2. Clement C. Clay Jr. (D), until January 21, 1861

: 3. Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D), until January 21, 1861

Arkansas

: 2. William K. Sebastian (D)

: 3. Robert W. Johnson (D)

California

: 1. David C. Broderick (D), until September 16, 1859

:: Henry P. Haun (D), November 3, 1859 – March 4, 1860

:: Milton Latham (D), from March 5, 1860

: 3. William M. Gwin (D)

Connecticut

: 1. James Dixon (R)

: 3. Lafayette S. Foster (R)

Delaware

: 1. James A. Bayard Jr. (D)

: 2. Willard Saulsbury Sr. (D)

Florida

: 1. Stephen Mallory (D), until January 21, 1861

: 3. David Levy Yulee (D), until January 21, 1861

Georgia

: 2. Robert Toombs (D), until February 4, 1861

: 3. Alfred Iverson Sr. (D), until January 28, 1861

Illinois

: 2. Stephen A. Douglas (D)

: 3. Lyman Trumbull (R)

Indiana

: 1. Jesse D. Bright (D)

: 3. Graham N. Fitch (D)

Iowa

: 2. James W. Grimes (R)

: 3. James Harlan (R)

Kansas

: 2. Vacant from January 29, 1861 (newly admitted state)

: 3. Vacant from January 29, 1861 (newly admitted state)

Kentucky

: 2. Lazarus W. Powell (D)

: 3. John J. Crittenden (A)

Louisiana

: 2. Judah P. Benjamin (D), until February 4, 1861

: 3. John Slidell (D), until February 4, 1861

Maine

: 1. Hannibal Hamlin (R), until January 17, 1861

:: Lot M. Morrill (R), from January 17, 1861

: 2. William Pitt Fessenden (R)

Maryland

: 1. Anthony Kennedy (A)

: 3. James A. Pearce (D)

Massachusetts

: 1. Charles Sumner (R)

: 2. Henry Wilson (R)

Michigan

: 1. Zachariah Chandler (R)

: 2. Kinsley S. Bingham (R)

Minnesota

: 1. Henry M. Rice (D)

: 2. Morton S. Wilkinson (R)

Mississippi

: 1. Jefferson Davis (D), until January 21, 1861

: 2. Albert G. Brown (D), until January 12, 1861

Missouri

: 1. Trusten Polk (D)

: 3. James S. Green (D)

New Hampshire

: 2. John P. Hale (R)

: 3. Daniel Clark (R)

New Jersey

: 1. John R. Thomson (D)

: 2. John C. Ten Eyck (R)

New York

: 1. Preston King (R)

: 3. William H. Seward (R)

North Carolina

: 2. Thomas Bragg (D)

: 3. Thomas L. Clingman (D)

Ohio

: 1. Benjamin Wade (R)

: 3. George E. Pugh (D)

Oregon

: 2. Edward D. Baker (R), from October 2, 1860

: 3. Joseph Lane (D)

Pennsylvania

: 1. Simon Cameron (R)

: 3. William Bigler (D)

Rhode Island

: 1. James F. Simmons (R)

: 2. Henry B. Anthony (R)

South Carolina

: 2. James Chesnut Jr. (D), until November 10, 1860

: 3. James H. Hammond (D), until November 11, 1860

Tennessee

: 1. Andrew Johnson (D)

: 2. Alfred O. P. Nicholson (D), until March 3, 1861

Texas

: 1. Matthias Ward (D), until December 5, 1859

:: Louis Wigfall (D), from December 5, 1859

: 2. John Hemphill (D)

Vermont

: 1. Solomon Foot (R)

: 3. Jacob Collamer (R)

Virginia

: 1. James M. Mason (D)

: 2. Robert M. T. Hunter (D)

Wisconsin

: 1. James R. Doolittle (R)

: 3. Charles Durkee (R)

thumb|375px|Senators' party membership by state at the opening of the 36th Congress in March 1859. The green stripes represent [[Know Nothing|Know-Nothings.

]]

thumb|175px|President pro tempore [[Benjamin Fitzpatrick, until February 26, 1860 June 26, 1860 – December 2, 1860]]

thumb|175px|President pro tempore [[Jesse D. Bright, June 12, 1860 – June 13, 1860]]

thumb|175px|President pro tempore [[Solomon Foot, from February 16, 1861]]

House of Representatives

The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

Alabama

: . James A. Stallworth (D), until January 21, 1861

: . James L. Pugh (D), until January 21, 1861

: . David Clopton (D), until January 21, 1861

: . Sydenham Moore (D), until January 21, 1861

: . George S. Houston (D), until January 21, 1861

: . Williamson R. W. Cobb (D), until January 30, 1861

: . Jabez L. M. Curry (D), until January 21, 1861

Arkansas

: . Thomas C. Hindman (D)

: . Albert Rust (D)

California

: . John C. Burch (D)

: . Charles L. Scott (D)

Connecticut

: . Dwight Loomis (R)

: . John Woodruff (R)

: . Alfred A. Burnham (R)

: . Orris S. Ferry (R)

Delaware

: . William G. Whiteley (D)

Florida

: . George S. Hawkins (D), until January 21, 1861

Georgia

: . Peter E. Love (D), until January 23, 1861

: . Martin J. Crawford (D), until January 23, 1861

: . Thomas Hardeman Jr. (O), until January 23, 1861

: . Lucius J. Gartrell (D), until January 23, 1861

: . John W. H. Underwood (D), until January 23, 1861

: . James Jackson (D), until January 23, 1861

: . Joshua Hill (O), until January 23, 1861

: . John J. Jones (D), until January 23, 1861

Illinois

: . Elihu B. Washburne (R)

: . John F. Farnsworth (R)

: . Owen Lovejoy (R)

: . William Kellogg (R)

: . Isaac N. Morris (D)

: . John A. McClernand (D), from November 8, 1859

: . James C. Robinson (D)

: . Philip B. Fouke (D)

: . John A. Logan (D)

Indiana

: . William E. Niblack (D)

: . William H. English (D)

: . William McKee Dunn (R)

: . William S. Holman (D)

: . David Kilgore (R)

: . Albert G. Porter (R)

: . John G. Davis (ALD)

: . James Wilson (R)

: . Schuyler Colfax (R)

: . Charles Case (R)

: . John U. Pettit (R)

Iowa

: . Samuel Curtis (R)

: . William Vandever (R)

Kansas

: . Martin F. Conway (R), from January 29, 1861 (newly admitted state)

Kentucky

: . Henry C. Burnett (D)

: . Samuel O. Peyton (D)

: . Francis Bristow (O)

: . William C. Anderson (O)

: . John Y. Brown (D), from December 3, 1860

: . Green Adams (O)

: . Robert Mallory (O)

: . William E. Simms (D)

: . Laban T. Moore (O)

: . John W. Stevenson (D)

Louisiana

: . John E. Bouligny (A)

: . Miles Taylor (D), until February 5, 1861

: . Thomas G. Davidson (D)

: . John M. Landrum (D)

Maine

: . Daniel E. Somes (R)

: . John J. Perry (R)

: . Ezra B. French (R)

: . Freeman H. Morse (R)

: . Israel Washburn Jr. (R), until January 1, 1861

:: Stephen Coburn (R), from January 2, 1861

: . Stephen C. Foster (R)

Maryland

: . James A. Stewart (D)

: . Edwin H. Webster (A)

: . J. Morrison Harris (A)

: . Henry Winter Davis (A)

: . Jacob M. Kunkel (D)

: . George W. Hughes (D)

Massachusetts

: . Thomas D. Eliot (R)

: . James Buffington (R)

: . Charles F. Adams Sr. (R)

: . Alexander H. Rice (R)

: . Anson Burlingame (R)

: . John B. Alley (R)

: . Daniel W. Gooch (R)

: . Charles R. Train (R)

: . Eli Thayer (R)

: . Charles Delano (R)

: . Henry L. Dawes (R)

Michigan

: . George B. Cooper (D), until May 15, 1860

:: William A. Howard (R), from May 15, 1860

: . Henry Waldron (R)

: . Francis W. Kellogg (R)

: . Dewitt C. Leach (R)

Minnesota

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. (2 Republicans)

: . Cyrus Aldrich (R)

: . William Windom (R)

Mississippi

: . Lucius Q. C. Lamar (D), until December 20, 1860

: . Reuben Davis (D), until January 12, 1861

: . William Barksdale (D), until January 12, 1861

: . Otho R. Singleton (D), until January 12, 1861

: . John J. McRae (D), until January 12, 1861

Missouri

: . John R. Barret (D), until June 8, 1860

:: Francis P. Blair Jr. (R), June 8, 1860 – June 25, 1860

:: John R. Barret (D), from December 3, 1860

: . Thomas L. Anderson (ID)

: . John B. Clark (D)

: . James Craig (D)

: . Samuel H. Woodson (A)

: . John S. Phelps (D)

: . John W. Noell (D)

New Hampshire

: . Gilman Marston (R)

: . Mason Tappan (R)

: . Thomas M. Edwards (R)

New Jersey

: . John T. Nixon (R)

: . John L. N. Stratton (R)

: . Garnett Adrain (ALD)

: . Jetur R. Riggs (ALD)

: . William Pennington (R)

New York

: . Luther C. Carter (R)

: . James Humphrey (R)

: . Daniel Sickles (D)

: . Thomas J. Barr (ID)

: . William B. Maclay (D)

: . John Cochrane (D)

: . George Briggs (R)

: . Horace F. Clark (ALD)

: . John B. Haskin (ALD)

: . Charles H. Van Wyck (R)

: . William S. Kenyon (R)

: . Charles L. Beale (R)

: . Abram B. Olin (R)

: . John H. Reynolds (ALD)

: . James B. McKean (R)

: . George W. Palmer (R)

: . Francis E. Spinner (R)

: . Clark B. Cochrane (R)

: . James H. Graham (R)

: . Roscoe Conkling (R)

: . R. Holland Duell (R)

: . M. Lindley Lee (R)

: . Charles B. Hoard (R)

: . Charles B. Sedgwick (R)

: . Martin Butterfield (R)

: . Emory B. Pottle (R)

: . Alfred Wells (R)

: . William Irvine (R)

: . Alfred Ely (R)

: . Augustus Frank (R)

: . Silas M. Burroughs (R), until June 3, 1860

:: Edwin R. Reynolds (R), from December 5, 1860

: . Elbridge G. Spaulding (R)

: . Reuben Fenton (R)

North Carolina

: . William N. H. Smith (O)

: . Thomas Ruffin (D)

: . Warren Winslow (D)

: . Lawrence O'Bryan Branch (D)

: . John Gilmer (O)

: . James M. Leach (O)

: . F. Burton Craige (D)

: . Zebulon Vance (O)

Ohio

: . George H. Pendleton (D)

: . John A. Gurley (R)

: . Clement Vallandigham (D)

: . William Allen (D)

: . James M. Ashley (R)

: . William Howard (D)

: . Thomas Corwin (R)

: . Benjamin Stanton (R)

: . John Carey (R)

: . Carey A. Trimble (R)

: . Charles D. Martin (D)

: . Samuel S. Cox (D)

: . John Sherman (R)

: . Cyrus Spink (R), until May 31, 1859

:: Harrison G. O. Blake (R), from October 11, 1859

: . William Helmick (R)

: . Cydnor B. Tompkins (R)

: . Thomas C. Theaker (R)

: . Sidney Edgerton (R)

: . Edward Wade (R)

: . John Hutchins (R)

: . John Bingham (R)

Oregon

: . Lansing Stout (D)

Pennsylvania

: . Thomas B. Florence (D)

: . Edward Joy Morris (R)

: . John P. Verree (R)

: . William Millward (R)

: . John Wood (R)

: . John Hickman (ALD)

: . Henry C. Longnecker (R)

: . John Schwartz (ALD), until June 20, 1860

:: Jacob K. McKenty (D), from December 3, 1860

: . Thaddeus Stevens (R)

: . John W. Killinger (R)

: . James H. Campbell (R)

: . George W. Scranton (R)

: . William H. Dimmick (D)

: . Galusha A. Grow (R)

: . James T. Hale (R)

: . Benjamin F. Junkin (R)

: . Edward McPherson (R)

: . Samuel S. Blair (R)

: . John Covode (R)

: . William Montgomery (D)

: . James K. Moorhead (R)

: . Robert McKnight (R)

: . William Stewart (R)

: . Chapin Hall (R)

: . Elijah Babbitt (R)

Rhode Island

: . Christopher Robinson (R)

: . William D. Brayton (R)

South Carolina

: . John McQueen (D), until December 21, 1860

: . William P. Miles (D), until December 21, 1860

: . Laurence M. Keitt (D), until December 1860

: . Milledge L. Bonham (D), until December 21, 1860

: . John D. Ashmore (D), until December 21, 1860

: . William W. Boyce (D), until December 21, 1860

Tennessee

: . Thomas A. R. Nelson (O)

: . Horace Maynard (O)

: . Reese B. Brabson (O)

: . William B. Stokes (O)

: . Robert H. Hatton (O)

: . James H. Thomas (D)

: . John V. Wright (D)

: . James M. Quarles (O)

: . Emerson Etheridge (O)

: . William T. Avery (D)

Texas

: . John H. Reagan (D)

: . Andrew J. Hamilton (ID)

Vermont

: . Eliakim P. Walton (R)

: . Justin S. Morrill (R)

: . Homer E. Royce (R)

Virginia

: . Muscoe R. H. Garnett (D)

: . John S. Millson (D)

: . Daniel C. De Jarnette (ID)

: . William Goode (D), until July 3, 1859

:: Roger A. Pryor (D), from December 7, 1859

: . Thomas S. Bocock (D)

: . Shelton Leake (ID)

: . William Smith (D)

: . Alexander Boteler (O)

: . John T. Harris (ID)

: . Sherrard Clemens (D)

: . Albert G. Jenkins (D)

: . Henry A. Edmundson (D)

: . Elbert S. Martin (ID)

Wisconsin

: . John F. Potter (R)

: . Cadwallader C. Washburn (R)

: . Charles H. Larrabee (D)

Non-voting members

: . Marcus J. Parrott (R), until January 29, 1861

: . Experience Estabrook, until May 18, 1860

::Samuel G. Daily (R), from May 18, 1860

: . Miguel A. Otero (D)

: . William H. Hooper (D)

: . Isaac Stevens (D)

[[File:36 us house membership.png|thumb|300px|

{| align=center

! colspan=2 | House seats by party holding plurality in state

|}]]

thumb|right|175px|Speaker of the House [[William Pennington]]

thumb|Group photo of the U.S. House of Representatives, in 1860, during this Congress.

Changes in membership

The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.

Senate

Replacements: 4
Democrats (D): no net change
Republicans (R): no net change
Deaths: 1
Resignations: 1
Interim appointments: 1
Withdrawals: 13
Total seats with changes: 16

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Sorted Chronologically by date of vacancy

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| Oregon (2)

| Vacant

| Successor elected late due to legislature's failure to elect.

| | Edward D. Baker (R)

| October 2, 1860

| California (1)

| | David C. Broderick (D)

| Died September 16, 1859, after taking part in a duel he participated in, which he was unlucky. Interim successor was appointed to continue the term.

| | Henry P. Haun (D)

| November 3, 1859

| Texas (1)

| | Matthias Ward (D)

| Interim appointee lost nomination to finish the term Successor elected December 5, 1859.

| | Louis Wigfall (D)

| December 5, 1859

| California (1)

| | Henry P. Haun (D)

| Interim appointee lost election to finish the term Successor elected March 5, 1860.

| | Milton Latham (D)

| March 5, 1860

| South Carolina (2)

| | James Chesnut Jr. (D)

| Withdrew November 10, 1860.

| Vacant

| Not filled this Congress

| South Carolina (3)

| | James H. Hammond (D)

| Withdrew November 11, 1860.

| Vacant

| Not filled this Congress

| Mississippi (2)

| | Albert G. Brown (D)

| Withdrew January 12, 1861.

| Vacant

| Not filled this Congress

| Maine (1)

| | Hannibal Hamlin (R)

| Resigned January 17, 1861, to become Vice President of the United States. Successor elected January 17, 1861.

| | Lot M. Morrill (R)

| January 17, 1861

| Alabama (3)

| | Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D)

| Withdrew January 21, 1861.

| Vacant

| Not filled this Congress

| Alabama (2)

| | Clement C. Clay (D)

| Withdrew January 21, 1861.

| Vacant

| Not filled this Congress

| Florida (1)

| | Stephen Mallory (D)

| Withdrew January 21, 1861.

| Vacant

| Not filled this Congress

| Florida (3)

| | David L. Yulee (D)

| Withdrew January 21, 1861.

| Vacant

| Not filled this Congress

| Mississippi (1)

| | Jefferson Davis (D)

| Withdrew January 21, 1861.

| Vacant

| Not filled this Congress

| Georgia (3)

| | Alfred Iverson Sr. (D)

| Withdrew January 28, 1861.

| Vacant

| Not filled this Congress

| Kansas (2)

| New seat

| New state admitted to the Union January 29, 1861 Senator was not elected until the next Congress.

| Vacant

| Not filled this Congress

| Kansas (3)

| New seat

| New state admitted to the Union January 29, 1861 Senator was not elected until the next Congress.

| Vacant

| Not filled this Congress

| Georgia (2)

| | Robert Toombs (D)

| Withdrew February 4, 1861.

| Vacant

| Not filled this Congress

| Louisiana (2)

| | Judah P. Benjamin (D)

| Withdrew February 4, 1861.

| Vacant

| Not filled this Congress

| Louisiana (3)

| | John Slidell (D)

| Withdrew February 4, 1861.

| Vacant

| Not filled this Congress

| Tennessee (2)

| | Alfred O. P. Nicholson (D)

| Withdrew March 3, 1861.

| Vacant

| Not filled this Congress

House of Representatives

Replacements: 7
Democrats (D): no net change
Republicans (R): 1 seat net loss
Anti-Lecompton Democrats (LD): 1 seat net gain
Deaths: 4
Resignations: 3
Contested election: 1
Withdrawals: 28
Total seats with changes: 41

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Sorted Chronologically by date of vacancy

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| Vacant

| style="font-size:80%" | Vacancy in term

| | John A. McClernand (D)

| Seated November 8, 1859

| Vacant

| style="font-size:80%" | Brown could not take seat because he had not yet attained age required by the US Constitution

| | John Y. Brown (D)

| Seated December 3, 1860

| | Cyrus Spink (R)

| style="font-size:80%" | Died May 31, 1859

| | Harrison G. O. Blake (R)

| Seated October 11, 1859

| | William Goode (D)

| style="font-size:80%" | Died July 3, 1859

| | Roger A. Pryor (D)

| Seated December 7, 1859

| | George B. Cooper (D)

| style="font-size:80%" | Lost contested election May 15, 1860

| | Francis P. Blair Jr. (R)

| Seated May 15, 1860

| Experience Estabrook

| style="font-size:80%" | Lost contested election May 18, 1860

| | Samuel G. Daily (R)

| Seated May 18, 1860

| | Silas M. Burroughs (R)

| style="font-size:80%" | Died June 3, 1860

| | Edwin R. Reynolds (R)

| Seated December 5, 1860

| | John R. Barret (D)

| style="font-size:80%" | Lost contested election June 8, 1860

| | William A. Howard (R)

| Seated June 8, 1860

| | John Schwartz (ALD)

| style="font-size:80%" | Died June 20, 1860

| | Jacob K. McKenty (D)

| Seated December 3, 1860

| | William A. Howard (R)

| style="font-size:80%" | Resigned June 25, 1860

| | John R. Barret (D)

| Seated December 3, 1860

| | Lucius Q. C. Lamar II (D)

| style="font-size:80%" | Retired December ???, 1860

| Vacant

| Not filled this term

| | Laurence M. Keitt (D)

| style="font-size:80%" | Retired December ???, 1860

| Vacant

| Not filled this term

| | John McQueen (D)

| style="font-size:80%" | Retired December 21, 1860

| Vacant

| Not filled this term

| | William P. Miles (D)

| style="font-size:80%" | Retired December 21, 1860

| Vacant

| Not filled this term

| | Milledge L. Bonham (D)

| style="font-size:80%" | Retired December 21, 1860

| Vacant

| Not filled this term

| | John D. Ashmore (D)

| style="font-size:80%" | Retired December 21, 1860

| Vacant

| Not filled this term

| | William W. Boyce (D)

| style="font-size:80%" | Retired December 21, 1860

| Vacant

| Not filled this term

| | Israel Washburn Jr. (R)

| style="font-size:80%" | Resigned January 1, 1861, after being elected Governor of Maine

| | Stephen Coburn (R)

| Seated January 2, 1861

| | Reuben Davis (D)

| style="font-size:80%" | Withdrew January 12, 1861

| Vacant

| Not filled this term

| | William Barksdale (D)

| style="font-size:80%" | Withdrew January 12, 1861

| Vacant

| Not filled this term

| | Otho R. Singleton (D)

| style="font-size:80%" | Withdrew January 12, 1861

| Vacant

| Not filled this term

| | John J. McRae (D)

| style="font-size:80%" | Withdrew January 12, 1861

| Vacant

| Not filled this term

| | James A. Stallworth (D)