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The 17th 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. While its term was officially March 4, 1821, to March 4, 1823, during the fifth and sixth years of James Monroe's presidency, its first session began on December 3, 1821, ending on May 8, 1822, and its second session began on December 2, 1822, to March 3, 1823. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1810 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic-Republican majority.
| 17th United States Congress | |
|---|---|
16th ← → 18th | |
 United States Capitol (1827) | |
March 4, 1821 – March 4, 1823 | |
| Members | 48 senators 187 representatives 3 non-voting delegates |
| Senate majority | Democratic-Republican |
| Senate President | Daniel D. Tompkins (DR) |
| House majority | Democratic-Republican |
| House Speaker | Philip P. Barbour (DR) |
| Sessions | |
| 1st: December 3, 1821 – May 8, 1822 2nd: December 2, 1822 – March 3, 1823 | |
The members William Smith, John Gaillard, Joseph Gist, John Wilson, George McDuffie, Starling Tucker, James Overstreet, Thomas R. Mitchell, William Lowndes, Joel Roberts Poinsett, and James Blair were described as being "outspokenly pro-British" in their outlook. All of whom signed a "letter of brotherhood and solidarity" addressed to British Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool and the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh in 1822. The same letter harshly condemned the actions of France and specifically those of King Louis XVIII.[1]
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- March 5, 1821: Second inauguration of James Monroe as President of the United States.[2]
- July 10, 1821: In accordance with the terms of the 1819 Adams–Onís Treaty, sovereignty over Spanish Florida is officially transferred to the United States from Spain.
- December 3–4, 1821: The election for the House speakership takes 12 ballots.
- August 10, 1821: Missouri was admitted as the 24th U.S. state
- March 30, 1822: Florida Territory was formed from the lands ceded by Spain known by the name East and West Florida
The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this congress. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.
Senate
During this congress, two Senate seats were added for the new state of Missouri.
| Party (shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic- Republican (DR) |
Federalist (F) | |||
| End of previous congress | 38 | 8 | 46 | 0 |
| Begin | 39 | 4 | 43 | 3 |
| End | 43 | 47 | 1 | |
| Final voting share | 91.5% | 8.5% | ||
| Beginning of next congress | 42 | 3 | 45 | 3 |
House of Representatives
For the beginning of this congress, six seats from Massachusetts were reapportioned to the new state of Maine (one seat had already moved during the previous congress), 3 Stat. 555. During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Missouri, 3 Stat. 547.
| Party (shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic- Republican (DR) |
Federalist (F) | |||
| End of previous congress | 159 | 24 | 183 | 3 |
| Begin | 150 | 31 | 181 | 5 |
| End | 154 | 185 | 2 | |
| Final voting share | 83.2% | 16.8% | ||
| Beginning of next congress | 188 | 24 | 212 | 1 |
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Daniel D. Tompkins
Senate
- President: Daniel D. Tompkins (DR)
- President pro tempore: John Gaillard (DR), elected December 3, 1821
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Philip P. Barbour (DR), elected December 4, 1821, on the 12th ballot
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.
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 with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1826; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1822; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1824.
Alabama
Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Mississippi
|
Missouri
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vermont
Virginia
|
 2 Democratic-Republicans
1 Democratic-Republican and 1 Federalist
2 Federalists |
|
House of Representatives
The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
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The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
Senate
- Replacements: 5
- Democratic-Republicans: no net change
- Federalists: no net change
- Deaths: 2
- Resignations: 6
- Seats of newly admitted states: 2
- Vacancies: 3
- Total seats with changes: 12
| State (class) |
Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee (1) |
Vacant | Legislature failed to re-elect John Eaton (DR). Late election held. | John Eaton (DR) | Elected September 27, 1821 |
| Pennsylvania (1) |
Vacant | Seat remained vacant at end of previous Congress | William Findlay (DR) | Elected December 10, 1821 |
| Delaware (1) |
Vacant | Seat remained vacant at end of previous Congress | Caesar A. Rodney (DR) | Elected January 24, 1822 |
| Georgia (2) |
Freeman Walker (DR) | Resigned August 6, 1821 | Nicholas Ware (DR) | Elected November 10, 1821 |
| Missouri (1) |
New seats | Missouri was admitted to the Union. | Thomas Hart Benton (DR) | Elected August 10, 1821 |
| Missouri (3) |
David Barton (DR) | Elected August 10, 1821 | ||
| Ohio (3) |
William A. Trimble (DR) | Died December 13, 1821 | Ethan Allen Brown (DR) | Elected January 3, 1822 |
| Maryland (1) |
William Pinkney (DR) | Died February 25, 1822 | Samuel Smith (DR) | Elected December 17, 1822 |
| Massachusetts (2) |
Harrison Gray Otis (F) | Resigned May 30, 1822, to run for Mayor of Boston | James Lloyd (F) | Elected June 5, 1822 |
| Alabama (3) |
John W. Walker (DR) | Resigned December 12, 1822, due to failing health | William Kelly (DR) | Elected December 12, 1822 |
| Virginia (2) |
James Pleasants (DR) | Resigned December 15, 1822, after being elected Governor of Virginia | John Taylor (DR) | Elected December 18, 1822 |
| Delaware (1) |
Caesar A. Rodney (DR) | Resigned January 29, 1823, to accept a diplomatic appointment | Vacant | Not filled in this Congress |
House of Representatives
- Replacements: 13
- Democratic-Republicans: 1 seat net gain
- Federalists: 1 seat net loss
- Deaths: 5
- Resignations: 15
- Contested election: 2
- Seats of newly admitted states: 1
- Total seats with changes: 23
| District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee 6th |
Vacant | Rep. Henry Hunter Bryan was re-elected but did not take his seat | Vacant | |
| Ohio 4th |
Vacant | Rep.-elect John C. Wright resigned his seat in the next Congress on March 3, 1821 | David Chambers (DR) | Seated December 3, 1821 |
| Pennsylvania 5th |
Vacant | Rep.-elect James Duncan resigned before Congress met | John Findlay (DR) | Seated December 12, 1821 |
| Pennsylvania 10th |
Vacant | Rep.-elect William Cox Ellis resigned before Congress met | Thomas Murray Jr. (DR) | Seated December 12, 1821 |
| New York 1st |
Vacant | Credentials for Peter Sharpe were issued by the Secretary of State of New York, but Sharpe never claimed or took the seat, Sharpe's election was contested by Colden, see United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 1821 | Cadwallader D. Colden (F) | Seated December 12, 1821 |
| Kentucky 7th |
George Robertson (DR) | resigned before Congress met | John S. Smith (DR) | Seated December 3, 1821 |
| Missouri Territory at-large |
Vacant | Missouri was admitted to the Union on August 10, 1821 | John Scott (DR) | Seated December 3, 1821 |
| Missouri at-large | ||||
| New York 6th |
Vacant | Selah Tuthill (DR) was elected after the Congress term had already begun, and died on September 7, 1821, before Congress met. It is uncertain whether credentials were ever issued for Tuthill. | Charles Borland Jr. (DR) | Seated December 3, 1821 |
| Kentucky 8th |
Wingfield Bullock (DR) | Died October 13, 1821, before Congress met | James D. Breckinridge (DR) | Seated January 2, 1822 |
| New York 9th |
Solomon Van Rensselaer (F) | Resigned January 14, 1822, upon appointment as Postmaster of Albany | Stephen Van Rensselaer (F) | Seated March 12, 1822 |
| Delaware at-large |
Caesar A. Rodney (DR) | Resigned on January 24, 1822, after being elected to the US Senate | Daniel Rodney (F) | Seated December 2, 1822 |
| Maryland 6th |
Jeremiah Cosden (DR) | Cosden's election was contested by Reed | Philip Reed (DR) | Seated March 19, 1822 |
| Pennsylvania 1st |
William Milnor (F) | Resigned on May 8, 1822, to run for Mayor of Philadelphia | Thomas Forrest (F) | Seated December 2, 1822 |
| Pennsylvania 14th |
Henry Baldwin (DR) | Resigned on May 8, 1822 | Walter Forward (DR) | Seated December 2, 1822 |
| South Carolina 9th |
James Blair (DR) | Resigned on May 8, 1822 | John Carter (DR) | Seated December 11, 1822 |
| South Carolina 2nd |
William Lowndes (DR) | Resigned on May 8, 1822 | James Hamilton Jr. (DR) | Seated January 6, 1823 |
| Pennsylvania 6th |
Samuel Moore (DR) | Resigned on May 20, 1822 | Samuel D. Ingham (DR) | Seated December 2, 1822 |
| South Carolina 4th |
James Overstreet (DR) | Died May 24, 1822 | Andrew R. Govan (DR) | Seated December 4, 1822 |
| Maine 2nd |
Ezekiel Whitman (F) | Resigned on June 1, 1822, after becoming a judge of a Court of Common Pleas in Maine | Mark Harris (DR) | Seated December 2, 1822 |
| Indiana at-large |
William Hendricks (DR) | Resigned on July 25, 1822, after his election as Governor of Indiana | Jonathan Jennings (DR) | Seated December 2, 1822 |
| Virginia 2nd |
Thomas Van Swearingen (F) | Died on August 19, 1822 | James Stephenson (F) | Seated December 2, 1822 |
| Florida Territory at-large |
Vacant | Florida Territory was organized on March 30, 1822 | Joseph M. Hernández | Seated January 3, 1823 |
| Pennsylvania 7th |
Ludwig Worman (F) | Died October 17, 1822 | Daniel Udree (DR) | Seated December 23, 1822 |
| Maryland 5th |
Samuel Smith (DR) | Resigned on December 17, 1822, after his election to the US Senate | Isaac McKim (DR) | Seated January 8, 1823 |
| Virginia 22nd |
Hugh Nelson (DR) | Resigned on January 14, 1823, upon appointment as Minister to Spain | Vacant |
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Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Senate
- Amendments to the Constitution (Select)
- Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate (Chairman: James Lanman then Nathaniel Macon)
- Claims (Chairman: Benjamin Ruggles)
- Commerce and Manufactures (Chairman: Mahlon Dickerson)
- Debt Imprisonment Abolition (Select)
- District of Columbia (Chairman: James Barbour)
- Engrossed Bills (Chairman: James Lanman)
- Finance (Chairman: John Holmes then Walter Lowrie)
- Foreign Relations (Chairman: Rufus King then James Barbour)
- Indian Affairs (Chairman: Henry Johnson)
- Judiciary (Chairman: William Smith)
- Military Affairs (Chairman: John Williams)
- Militia (Chairman: James Noble)
- National Road from Cumberland to Wheeling (Select)
- Naval Affairs (Chairman: James Pleasants)
- Pensions (Chairman: James Noble)
- Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Montfort Stokes)
- Public Lands (Chairman: Jesse B. Thomas)
- Roads and Canals (Select)
- Tariff Regulation (Select)
- Whole
House of Representatives
- Accountability of Public Moneys (Select)
- Accounts (Chairman: Samuel C. Allen)
- Agriculture (Chairman: Josiah Butler)
- Arkansas Territorial Limits (Select)
- Claims (Chairman: Lewis Williams)
- Commerce (Chairman: Thomas Newton Jr.)
- District of Columbia (Chairman: Joseph Kent)
- Elections (Chairman: John Sloane)
- Expenditures in the Navy Department (Chairman: Samuel Edwards)
- Expenditures in the Post Office Department (Chairman: George Denison)
- Expenditures in the State Department (Chairman: Silas Wood)
- Expenditures in the Treasury Department (Chairman: Albert H. Tracy)
- Expenditures in the War Department (Chairman: Starling Tucker)
- Expenditures on Public Buildings (Chairman: Hugh Nelson)
- Foreign Affairs (Chairman: Jonathan Russell)
- Indian Affairs (Chairman: Thomas Metcalfe)
- Judiciary (Chairman: John Sergeant then Hugh Nelson)
- Manufactures (Chairman: John Tod)
- Military Affairs (Chairman: William Eustis)
- Naval Affairs (Chairman: Timothy Fuller)
- Pensions and Revolutionary War Claims (Chairman: John Rhea)
- Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Francis Johnson)
- Private Land Claims (Chairman: Samuel Campbell)
- Public Expenditures (Chairman: Thomas Montgomery)
- Public Lands (Chairman: Christopher Rankin)
- Revisal and Unfinished Business (Chairman: Thomas R. Ross)
- Rules (Select)
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Ways and Means (Chairman: Samuel Smith)
- Whole
Joint committees
Legislative branch agency directors
Senate
- Chaplain: William Ryland (Methodist), until December 9, 1822
- Charles P. McIlvaine (Episcopalian), elected December 9, 1822
- Secretary: Charles Cutts
- Sergeant at Arms: Mountjoy Bayly
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: John Nicholson Campbell (Presbyterian), until December 10, 1821
- Jared Sparks (Unitarian), elected December 10, 1821
- John Brackenridge (Presbyterian), elected December 5, 1822
- Clerk: Thomas Dougherty (died)
- Matthew St. Clair Clarke, elected December 3, 1822
- Doorkeeper: Benjamin Birch, elected December 4, 1821
- Reading Clerks: [data missing]
- Sergeant at Arms: Thomas Dunn
- 1820 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress)
- 1822 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
- Selah Tuthill (DR) was elected in New York's 6th district late in April 1821 and died September 7, 1821 before Congress convened. It is unclear if/when he received his credentials.
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