36th United States Congress

United States Capitol

The Thirty-sixth 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 3, 1861, during the last two years of the administration of U.S. President James Buchanan.

The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Seventh Census of the United States in 1850. The Senate had a Democratic majority, and the House had a Republican plurality.

Dates of sessions

March 4, 1859 - March 3, 1861

• Special session of the Senate: March 4, 1859 - March 10, 1859
• First session: December 5, 1859 - June 26, 1860
• Special session of the Senate: June 26, 1860 - June 28, 1860
• Second session: December 3, 1860 - March 3, 1861
• Previous congress: 35th Congress
  
• Next congress: 37th Congress

Party summary

Kansas was newly admitted to the Union and first represented as a state in this Congress. South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, and Texas declared their secession from the Union during this Congress and withdrew their representatives.

In this session, the Republican party had its first plurality in the House, but was four members short of a majority; until Southern Democrats began withdrawing near the end of the term. The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress, and includes members from vacancies and newly admitted states, when they were first seated. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.

Senate Democratic (D) : 38 (majority) Republican (R) : 26 American (A): 2 vacant: 2 TOTAL members: 66

House of Representatives Democratic (D) : 83 Republican (R) : 116 American: 5 Anti-Lecompton Democratic (LD) : 8 Independent Democratic (ID) : 7 Independent Opposition (O) : 19 TOTAL members: 238

Leadership

Senate

• Vice President of the United States (President of the Senate):
  • John C. Breckinridge, Democratic of Kentucky
• President pro tempore of the Senate:
  • Benjamin Fitzpatrick, Democratic of Alabama, elected March 9, 1859
  • Jesse D. Bright, Democratic of Indiana, elected June 12, 1860
  • Benjamin Fitzpatrick, Democratic of Alabama, elected June 26, 1860
  • Solomon Foot, Republican of Vermont, elected February 16, 1861

House of Representatives

• Speaker of the House
  • William Pennington, Republican of New Jersey, elected February 1, 1860

Major events

Events of 1859, 1860 and 1861

Major legislation

List of United States federal legislation in the 36th Congress

• January 29, 1861 -- Kansas admitted as a state
• February 28, 1861 -- Colorado Territory organized
• March 2, 1861 -- Morrill Tariff
• March 2, 1861 -- Nevada Territory organized
• March 2, 1861-- Dakota Territory organized

Membership highlights by chamber

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.

Senate

See also: 36th United States Congress/Senators

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.

House of Representatives

See also: 36th United States Congress/Representatives

The names of members of the House of Representatives elected statewide on the general ticket or otherwise at-large, are preceded by an "A/L," and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, are preceded by their district numbers.

Many of the congressional district numbers are linked to articles describing the district itself. Since the boundaries of the districts have changed often and substantially, the linked article may only describe the district as it exists today, and not as it was at the time of this Congress.

Delegates

Kansas Territory A/L: Marcus J. Parrott (R) Nebraska Territory A/L: Samuel G. Daily (R) A/L: Experience Estabrook

New Mexico Territory A/L: Miguel A. Otero (D) Utah Territory A/L: William H. Hooper (D)

Washington Territory A/L: Isaac I. Stevens (D)

Membership detail by Chamber/Party

The list below is arranged by chamber, then by political party. Members are shown in alphabetical order.

Senate

Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six year terms with each Congress.

Democratic

A-F James A. Bayard, Jr., Delaware Judah P. Benjamin, Louisiana William Bigler, Pennsylvania Thomas Bragg, North Carolina Jesse D. Bright, Indiana David C. Broderick, California Albert G. Brown, Mississippi James Chesnut, Jr., South Carolina Clement C. Clay, Jr., Alabama Thomas L. Clingman, North Carolina Jefferson Davis, Mississippi Stephen A. Douglas, Illinois Graham N. Fitch, Indiana Benjamin Fitzpatrick, Alabama

G-O James S. Green, Missouri William M. Gwin, California James H. Hammond, South Carolina Henry P. Haun, California John Hemphill, Texas Robert M. T. Hunter, Virginia Alfred Iverson, Sr., Georgia Andrew Johnson, Tennessee Robert W. Johnson, Arkansas Joseph Lane, Oregon Milton S. Latham, California David Levy Yulee, Florida Stephen R. Mallory, Florida James M. Mason, Virginia Alfred O. P. Nicholson, Tennessee

P-Z James A. Pearce, Maryland Trusten Polk, Missouri Lazarus W. Powell, Kentucky George E. Pugh, Ohio Henry M. Rice, Minnesota Willard Saulsbury, Sr., Delaware William K. Sebastian, Arkansas John Slidell, Louisiana John R. Thomson, New Jersey Robert A. Toombs, Georgia Matthias Ward, Texas Louis T. Wigfall, Texas David Levy Yulee, Florida

Republican

A-F Henry B. Anthony, Rhode Island Edward D. Baker, Oregon Kinsley S. Bingham, Michigan Simon Cameron, Pennsylvania Zachariah Chandler, Michigan Daniel Clark, New Hampshire Jacob Collamer, Vermont James Dixon, Connecticut James R. Doolittle, Wisconsin Charles Durkee, Wisconsin William Pitt Fessenden, Maine Solomon Foot, Vermont La Fayette S. Foster, Connecticut

G-O James W. Grimes, Iowa John P. Hale, New Hampshire Hannibal Hamlin, Maine James Harlan, Iowa Preston King, New York Lot M. Morrill, Maine

P-Z William H. Seward, New York James F. Simmons, Rhode Island Charles Sumner, Massachusetts John C. Ten Eyck, New Jersey Lyman Trumbull, Illinois Benjamin F. Wade, Ohio Morton S. Wilkinson, Minnesota Henry Wilson, Massachusetts

American

John J. Crittenden, Kentucky Anthony Kennedy, Maryland

House of Representatives

Members of the House of Representatives were elected by popular vote, variously to single member districts or at-large.

Democratic

A-B-C William Allen, Ohio John D. Ashmore, South Carolina William T. Avery, Tennessee William Barksdale, Mississippi John R. Barret, Missouri Thomas S. Bocock, Virginia Milledge L. Bonham, South Carolina William W. Boyce, South Carolina Lawrence O'Bryan Branch, North Carolina John Y. Brown, Kentucky John C. Burch, California Henry C. Burnett, Kentucky John B. Clark, Missouri Sherrard Clemens, Virginia David Clopton, Alabama Williamson R. W. Cobb, Alabama John Cochrane), New York George B. Cooper, Michigan Samuel S. Cox, Ohio James Craig, Missouri F. Burton Craige, North Carolina Martin J. Crawford, Georgia Jabez L. M. Curry, Alabama D-E-F Thomas G. Davidson, Louisiana Reuben Davis, Mississippi William H. Dimmick, Pennsylvania Henry A. Edmundson, Virginia William H. English, Indiana Thomas B. Florence, Pennsylvania Philip B. Fouke, Illinois

G-H-I Muscoe R. H. Garnett, Virginia Lucius J. Gartrell, Georgia William O. Goode, Virginia Thomas L. Harris, Illinois George S. Hawkins, Florida Thomas C. Hindman, Arkansas William S. Holman, Indiana George S. Houston, Alabama William Howard, Ohio George W. Hughes, Maryland J-K-L James Jackson, Georgia Albert G. Jenkins, Virginia John J. Jones), Georgia Laurence M. Keitt, South Carolina Jacob M. Kunkel, Maryland M-N-O Lucius Q. C. Lamar, Mississippi John M. Landrum, Louisiana Charles H. Larrabee, Wisconsin John A. Logan, Illinois Peter E. Love, Georgia William B. Maclay, New York Charles D. Martin, Ohio John A. McClernand, Illinois Jacob K. McKenty, Pennsylvania John McQueen, South Carolina John J. McRae, Mississippi William P. Miles, South Carolina John S. Millson, Virginia William Montgomery, Pennsylvania Sydenham Moore, Alabama Isaac N. Morris, Illinois William E. Niblack, Indiana John W. Noell, Missouri

P-Q-R George H. Pendleton, Ohio Samuel O. Peyton, Kentucky John S. Phelps, Missouri Roger A. Pryor, Virginia James L. Pugh, Alabama John H. Reagan, Texas James C. Robinson, Illinois Thomas H. Ruffin, North Carolina Albert Rust, Arkansas S-T-U-V Charles L. Scott, California Daniel E. Sickles, New York William E. Simms), Kentucky Otho R. Singleton, Mississippi William Smith, Virginia James A. Stallworth, Alabama John W. Stevenson, Kentucky James A. Stewart, Maryland Lansing Stout, Oregon Miles Taylor, Louisiana James H. Thomas, Tennessee John W. H. Underwood, Georgia Clement L. Vallandigham, Ohio W-X-Y-Z William G. Whiteley, Delaware Warren Winslow, North Carolina John V. Wright, Tennessee

Republican

A-B-C Charles F. Adams, Sr., Massachusetts Cyrus Aldrich, Minnesota John B. Alley, Massachusetts James M. Ashley, Ohio Elijah Babbitt, Pennsylvania Charles L. Beale, New York John A. Bingham, Ohio Francis P. Blair, Jr., Missouri Samuel S. Blair, Pennsylvania Harrison G. O. Blake, Ohio William D. Brayton, Rhode Island George Briggs, New York James Buffinton, Massachusetts Anson Burlingame, Massachusetts Alfred A. Burnham, Connecticut Silas M. Burroughs, New York Martin Butterfield, New York James H. Campbell, Pennsylvania John Carey, Ohio Luther C. Carter, New York Charles Case, Indiana Stephen Coburn, Maine Clark B. Cochrane, New York Schuyler Colfax, Indiana Roscoe Conkling, New York Martin F. Conway, Kansas … Thomas Corwin, Ohio John Covode, Pennsylvania Samuel R. Curtis, Iowa D-E-F Henry L. Dawes, Massachusetts Charles Delano, Massachusetts R. Holland Duell, New York William McKee Dunn, Indiana Sidney Edgerton, Ohio Thomas M. Edwards, New Hampshire Thomas D. Eliot, Massachusetts Alfred Ely, New York John F. Farnsworth, Illinois Reuben E. Fenton, New York Orris S. Ferry, Connecticut Stephen C. Foster, Maine Augustus Frank, New York Ezra B. French, Maine

G-H-I Daniel W. Gooch, Massachusetts James H. Graham, New York Galusha A. Grow, Pennsylvania John A. Gurley, Ohio James T. Hale, Pennsylvania Chapin Hall, Pennsylvania William Helmick, Ohio Charles B. Hoard, New York William A. Howard, Michigan James Humphrey, New York John Hutchins, Ohio William Irvine, New York J-K-L Benjamin F. Junkin, Pennsylvania Francis W. Kellogg, Michigan William Kellogg, Illinois William S. Kenyon, New York David Kilgore, Indiana John W. Killinger, Pennsylvania De Witt C. Leach, Michigan M. Lindley Lee, New York Henry C. Longnecker, Pennsylvania Dwight Loomis, Connecticut Owen Lovejoy, Illinois M-N-O Gilman Marston, New Hampshire James B. McKean, New York Robert McKnight, Pennsylvania Edward McPherson, Pennsylvania William Millward, Pennsylvania James K. Moorhead, Pennsylvania Justin S. Morrill), Vermont Edward Joy Morris, Pennsylvania Freeman H. Morse, Maine John T. Nixon, New Jersey Abram B. Olin, New York

P-Q-R George W. Palmer, New York William Pennington, New Jersey John J. Perry, Maine John U. Pettit, Indiana Albert G. Porter, Indiana John F. Potter, Wisconsin Emory B. Pottle, New York Edwin R. Reynolds, New York Alexander H. Rice, Massachusetts Christopher Robinson, Rhode Island Homer E. Royce, Vermont S-T-U-V George W. Scranton, Pennsylvania Charles B. Sedgwick, New York John Sherman, Ohio Daniel E. Somes, Maine Elbridge G. Spaulding, New York Cyrus Spink, Ohio Francis E. Spinner, New York Benjamin Stanton, Ohio Thaddeus Stevens, Pennsylvania William Stewart, Pennsylvania John L. N. Stratton, New Jersey Mason W. Tappan, New Hampshire Eli Thayer, Massachusetts Thomas C. Theaker, Ohio Cydnor B. Tompkins, Ohio Charles R. Train, Massachusetts Carey A. Trimble, Ohio Charles H. Van Wyck, New York William Vandever, Iowa John P. Verree, Pennsylvania W-X-Y-Z Edward Wade, Ohio Henry Waldron, Michigan Eliakim P. Walton, Vermont Cadwallader C. Washburn, Wisconsin Israel Washburn, Jr., Maine Elihu B. Washburne, Illinois Alfred Wells, New York James Wilson, Indiana William Windom, Minnesota John Wood), Pennsylvania John Woodruff, Connecticut

Anti-Lecompton Democratic

A-O Garnett B. Adrain, New Jersey Horace F. Clark, New York John G. Davis, Indiana John B. Haskin, New York John Hickman, Pennsylvania

P-Z John H. Reynolds, New York Jetur R. Riggs, New Jersey John Schwartz, Pennsylvania

Independent

A-F Green Adams, Kentucky William C. Anderson, Kentucky Alexander R. Boteler, Virginia Reese B. Brabson, Tennessee Francis M. Bristow, Kentucky Emerson Etheridge, Tennessee

G-O John A. Gilmer, North Carolina Thomas Hardeman, Jr., Georgia Robert H. Hatton, Tennessee Joshua Hill, Georgia James M. Leach, North Carolina Robert Mallory, Kentucky Horace Maynard, Tennessee Laban T. Moore, Kentucky Thomas A. R. Nelson, Tennessee

P-Z James M. Quarles, Tennessee William N. H. Smith, North Carolina William B. Stokes, Tennessee Zebulon B. Vance, North Carolina

Independent Democratic

A-F Thomas L. Anderson, Missouri Thomas J. Barr, New York Daniel C. De Jarnette, Virginia

G-Z Andrew J. Hamilton, Texas John T. Harris, Virginia Shelton F. Leake, Virginia Elbert S. Martin, Virginia

American

John E. Bouligny, Louisiana Henry Winter Davis, Maryland J. Morrison Harris), Maryland Edwin H. Webster, Maryland Samuel H. Woodson, Missouri

Membership Changes

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

Senate replacements: 3 Democrats (D) : no net change Republicans (R) : no net change deaths: 1 resignations: 1 interim appointments: 1 withdrawals: 13 Total seats with changes: 17

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

Officers

Senate Secretary of the Senate: Asbury Dickens of North Carolina elected December 12, 1836 Sergeant at Arms of the Senate: Dunning R. McNair of Pennsylvania, elected March 17, 1853] Chaplain of the Senate The Rev. Stephen P. Hill, Baptist, elected December 8, 1856 The Rev. Phineas D. Gurley, Presbyterian, elected December 15, 1859 Other Architect of the Capitol: Thomas U. Walter, appointed June 11, 1851

House of Representatives Clerk of the House: James C. Allen of Illinois elected December 7, 1857, presided over election of Speaker. John W. Forney of Pennsylvania elected February 3, 1860 Sergeant at Arms of the House: Henry W. Hoffman of Maryland, elected February 3, 1860 Doorkeeper of the House: George Marston of New Hampshire, elected February 3, 1860 Postmaster of the House: Josiah M. Lucas, elected February 3, 1860 Messenger to the Speaker: Thaddeus Morrice Chaplain of the House The Rev. William H. Milburn, Methodist, elected December 5, 1853