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28th United States Congress
27th ←
→ 29th
United States Capitol (1846)
March 4, 1843 – March 4, 1845
Members54 senators
223 representatives
3 non-voting delegates
Senate majorityWhig
Senate PresidentVacant[a]
House majorityDemocratic
House SpeakerJohn W. Jones (D)
Sessions
1st: December 4, 1843 – June 17, 1844
2nd: December 2, 1844 – March 3, 1845

The 28th 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, 1843, to March 4, 1845, during the third and fourth years of John Tyler's presidency. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1840 United States census. The Senate had a Whig majority, and the House had a Democratic majority.

Major events

See also: 1843 in the United States, 1844 in the United States, and 1845 in the United States

Major legislation

Main article: List of United States federal legislation, 1789–1901 § 28th United States Congress

Treaties

States admitted

Party summary

Senate

During this congress, two Senate seats were added for the new state of Florida.

Party
(shading shows control) 		Total Vacant
Democratic
(D) 		Law
and Order
(LO)		Whig
(W)
End of previous congress 20 0 29 49 3
Begin 22 0 27 49 3
End 23 1 51
Final voting share 45.1% 2.0% 52.9%
Beginning of next congress 26 0 24 50 4

House of Representatives

Following the 1840 United States Census, Congress reapportioned the House to include 223 seats.[2] During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Florida.[3]

Party
(shading shows control) 		Total Vacant
Democratic
(D) 		Independent
Democratic
(ID)		Law
and Order
(LO)		Whig
(W)		Independent
Whig
(IW)		Other
End of previous congress 100 1 0 139 0 0 240 1
Begin 147 1 2 72 1 0 223 0
End 141 781
Final voting share 63.2% 0.4% 0.9% 35.0% 0.4% 0.0%
Beginning of next congress 138 0 0 78 0 6 222 2

Leadership

Senate

House of Representatives

Members

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 ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1844; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1846; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1848.

Skip to House of Representatives, below

House of Representatives

Representatives are listed by their district numbers.

Changes in membership

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

Senate

See also: List of special elections to the United States Senate
Senate changes
State
(class) 		Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[b]
Tennessee
(1) 		Vacant Senator Alfred O. P. Nicholson (D) resigned in 26th Congress.
Successor elected October 17, 1843. 		Ephraim H. Foster (W) Elected October 17, 1843
Tennessee
(2) 		Vacant Failure to elect.
Successor elected October 17, 1843. 		Spencer Jarnagin (W) Elected October 17, 1843
Maine
(1) 		Vacant Senator Reuel Williams (D) resigned in previous congress.
Successor elected December 4, 1843. 		John Fairfield (D) Elected December 4, 1843
Louisiana
(3) 		Alexander Porter (W) Elected but, due to ill health, never took his seat.
Incumbent died January 13, 1844.
Successor elected February 12, 1844. 		Henry Johnson (W) Elected February 12, 1844
Illinois
(2) 		Samuel McRoberts (D) Died March 27, 1843.
Successor appointed December 4, 1843, to continue the term until an election.
Appointee was later elected, on an unknown date. 		James Semple (D) Seated December 4, 1843
Missouri
(3) 		Lewis F. Linn (D) Died October 3, 1843.
Successor appointed October 14, 1843, to continue the term until an election.
Appointee was later elected, on an unknown date in 1843. 		David R. Atchison (D) Seated October 14, 1843
Rhode Island
(1) 		William Sprague (W) Resigned January 17, 1844.
Successor elected January 25, 1844. 		John B. Francis (LO) Seated January 25, 1844
Alabama
(2) 		William R. King (D) Resigned April 15, 1844, after being appointed U.S. Minister to France.
Successor appointed April 22, 1844, to finish the term. 		Dixon H. Lewis (D) Seated April 22, 1844
New York
(1) 		Nathaniel P. Tallmadge (W) Resigned June 17, 1844, after being appointed Governor of Wisconsin Territory.
Successor was appointed November 30, 1945.
Appointee was later elected January 18, 1845. 		Daniel S. Dickinson (D) Seated December 9, 1844
Arkansas
(2) 		William S. Fulton (D) Died August 15, 1844.
Successor elected November 8, 1844. 		Chester Ashley (D) Seated November 8, 1844
New York
(3) 		Silas Wright (D) Resigned November 26, 1844, after being elected Governor of New York.
Successor appointed November 30, 1945. 		Henry A. Foster (D) Seated December 9, 1844
New York
(3) 		Henry A. Foster (D) Appointee was not nominated for election.
Successor elected January 18, 1845. 		John A. Dix (D) Seated January 27, 1845
South Carolina
(2) 		Daniel E. Huger (D) Resigned March 3, 1845 Vacant Not filled this term
Florida
(1) 		New state: Florida admitted to the Union March 3, 1845.
First Senator wasn't elected until the next Congress. 		Vacant Not filled this term
Florida
(2) 		New state: Florida admitted to the Union March 3, 1845.
First Senator wasn't elected until the next Congress. 		Vacant Not filled this term

House of Representatives

Main article: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives
House changes
District Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[b]
Massachusetts 10th Barker Burnell (W) Died June 15, 1843 Joseph Grinnell (W) Seated December 7, 1843
Georgia At-large Mark A. Cooper (D) Resigned June 26, 1843, to become candidate for Governor of Georgia Alexander H. Stephens (W) Seated October 2, 1843
Georgia At-large John B. Lamar (D) Resigned July 29, 1843 Absalom H. Chappell (W) Seated October 2, 1843
Georgia At-large John Millen (D) Died October 15, 1843 Duncan L. Clinch (W) Seated February 15, 1844
Virginia 7th Henry A. Wise (D) Resigned February 12, 1844, after being appointed Minister to Brazil Thomas H. Bayly (D) Seated May 6, 1844
Pennsylvania 21st William Wilkens (D) Resigned February 14, 1844, after being appointed United States Secretary of War Cornelius Darragh (W) Seated March 26, 1844
Virginia 5th Thomas W. Gilmer (D) Resigned February 16, 1844, after being appointed United States Secretary of the Navy William L. Goggin (W) Seated April 25, 1844
Pennsylvania 13th Henry Frick (W) Died March 1, 1844 James Pollock (W) Seated April 5, 1844
Ohio 10th Heman A. Moore (D) Died April 3, 1844 Alfred P. Stone (D) Seated October 8, 1844
Alabama 3rd Dixon H. Lewis (D) Resigned April 22, 1844, after being appointed US Senator William L. Yancey (D) Seated December 2, 1844
Louisiana 4th Pierre Bossier (D) Died April 24, 1844 Isaac E. Morse (D) Seated December 2, 1844
New York 20th Samuel Beardsley (D) Resigned February 29, 1844, after being appointed associate judge of New York Supreme Court Levi D. Carpenter (D) Seated November 5, 1844
Ohio 21st Henry R. Brinkerhoff (D) Died April 30, 1844 Edward S. Hamlin (W) Seated October 8, 1844
Pennsylvania 12th Almon H. Read (D) Died June 3, 1844 George Fuller (D) Seated December 2, 1844
Florida Territory at-large David L. Yulee (D) Seat was eliminated when Florida achieved statehood March 3, 1845
Florida at-large Florida was admitted to the Union on March 3, 1845 Vacant Not filled this term

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

Committee Chairman
Foreign Relations William S. Archer (W-VA)
Finance George Evans (W-ME)
Commerce Jabez W. Huntington (W-CT)
Manufactures James F. Simmons (W-RI)
Agriculture William Upham (W-VT)
Military Affairs John J. Crittenden (W-KY)
Militia Alexander Barrow (W-LA)
Naval Affairs Richard H. Bayard (W-DE)
Public Lands William Woodbridge (W-MI)
Private Land Claims John Henderson (W-MS)
Indian Affairs Albert S. White (W-IN)
Claims Ephraim H. Foster (W-TN)
Revolutionary Claims Spencer Jarnagin (W-TN)
Judiciary John M. Berrien (W-GA)
Post Office and Post Roads William D. Merrick (W-MD)
Roads and Canals Augustus S. Porter (W-MI)
Pensions Isaac C. Bates (W-MA)
District of Columbia Jacob W. Miller (W-NJ)
Patents and the Patent Office Samuel S. Phelps (W-VT)
Retrenchment James T. Morehead (W-KY)
Public Buildings William L. Dayton (W-NJ)
Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate Benjamin Tappan (W-OH)
Printing James F. Simmons (W-RI)
Engrossed Bills Benjamin Tappan (W-OH)

House of Representatives

Committee Chairman
Elections Lucius Elmer (D-NJ)
Ways and Means James I. McKay (D-NC)
Claims Joseph Vance (W-OH)
Commerce Isaac E. Holmes (D-SC)
Public Lands John W. Davis (D-IN)
Post Office and Post Roads George W. Hopkins (D-VA)
District of Columbia John Campbell (D-SC)
Judiciary William Wilkins (D-PA), until February 14, 1844
Romulus M. Saunders (D-NC), from February 14, 1844
Revolutionary Claims Richard D. Davis (D-NY)
Public Expenditures James G. Clinton (D-NY)
Private Land Claims Edward Cross (D-AR)
Manufacturers Jacob Collamer (W-VT)
Agriculture Edmund Deberry (D-NC)
Indian Affairs Cave Johnson (D-TN)
Military Affairs Hugh A. Haralson (D-GA)
Militia Ezra Dean (D-OH)
Naval Affairs Henry A. Wise (D-VA), until February 12, 1844
William Parmenter (D-MA), from February 12, 1844
Foreign Affairs Charles J. Ingersoll (D-PA)
Territories Aaron V. Brown (D-TN)
Revolutionary Pensions George O. Rathbun (D-NY), until 1844
David L. Seymour (D-NY), from 1844
Invalid Pensions Jacob Brinkerhoff (D-OH)
Roads and Canals Robert D. Owen (D-IN)
Patents Alexander Harper (D-OH)
Public Buildings and Grounds Zadock Pratt (D-NY)
Revisals and Unfinished Business Elisha R. Potter (LO-RI)
Expenditures in the Navy Department Amasa Dana (D-NY)
Expenditures in the Post Office Department Alexander Harper (W-OH)
Expenditures on the Public Buildings Daniel P. King (W-MA)
Rules (select) Henry A. Wise (D-VA) until February 12, 1844
John Quincy Adams (W-MA) from February 12, 1844

Joint committees

Employees

Senate

House of Representatives

See also

Notes

  1. ^ President Pro Tempore Willie P. Mangum acted his duties as the President of the Senate.
  2. ^ a b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

  1. ^ "Treaty Of Wangxia (Treaty Of Wang-Hsia 望廈條約), May 18, 1844". USC US-China Institute. USC Annenberg.
  2. ^ 5 Stat. 491
  3. ^ 5 Stat. 743

External links

United States congresses (and year convened)
Category