13th United States Congress

The 13th 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, 1813, to March 4, 1815, during the fifth and sixth years of James Madison's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1810 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic-Republican majority. The first two sessions were held at the Capitol building while the third, convened after the Burning of Washington, took place in the First Patent Building.

13th United States Congress
12th ←
→ 14th
The Capitol after the August 1814 burning of Washington, D.C., by the British in the War of 1812 (painting 1814 by George Munger)

March 4, 1813 – March 4, 1815
Members36 senators
182 representatives
4 non-voting delegates
Senate majorityDemocratic-Republican
Senate PresidentElbridge Gerry (DR)[a]
(until November 23, 1814)
Vacant
(from November 23, 1814)
House majorityDemocratic-Republican
House SpeakerHenry Clay (DR)
Langdon Cheves (DR)
Sessions
1st: May 24, 1813 – August 2, 1813
2nd: December 6, 1813 – April 18, 1814
3rd: September 19, 1814 – March 3, 1815
Senate President

Major events

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After the Burning of Washington in August 1814, Congress convened its third session in the U.S. Patent Office building, located in Blodget's Hotel.

Major legislation

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Treaties ratified

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Party summary

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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

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Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic-
Republican

(DR)
Federalist
(F)
End of previous congress 30 6 36 0
Begin 27 6 33 3
End 25 10 351
Final voting share 71.4% 28.6%
Beginning of next congress 21 12 33 3

House of Representatives

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Following the 1810 census, the size of the House was increased to 182 seats from 142.

Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic-
Republican

(DR)
Federalist
(F)
End of previous congress 105 36 141 1
Begin 108 68 176 6
End 115 67 1820
Final voting share 63.2% 36.8%
Beginning of next congress 131 46 177 5

Leadership

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Senate

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House of Representatives

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Members

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

Senate

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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 1814; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1816; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1818.

House of Representatives

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Changes in membership

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

Senate

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  • Replacements: 9
  • Deaths: 2
  • Resignations: 10
  • Interim appointments: 3
  • Vacancies: 3
  • Total seats with changes: 15
Senate changes
State
(class)
Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[b]
New Hampshire
(3)
Vacant Legislature had failed to elect a Senator.
Successor was appointed April 2, 1813 to continue the term.
Charles Cutts (DR) Appointed April 2, 1813
Maryland
(3)
Vacant Legislature had failed to elect a Senator.
Successor was elected late May 21, 1813 to finish the term.
Robert H. Goldsborough (F) Seated May 21, 1813
Delaware
(2)
Vacant James A. Bayard (F) resigned at the end of the previous Congress.
Successor elected May 28, 1813 to finish the term.
William H. Wells (F) Seated May 28, 1813
Georgia
(2)
William H. Crawford (DR) Resigned March 23, 1813.
Successor appointed April 8, 1813, to continue the term.
William Bulloch (DR) Seated April 8, 1813
Connecticut
(3)
Chauncey Goodrich (F) Resigned May 1813 to become Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut.
Successor elected May 13, 1813, to finish the term.
David Daggett (F) Seated May 13, 1813
Massachusetts
(1)
James Lloyd (F) Resigned May 1, 1813.
Successor elected May 5, 1813.
Christopher Gore (F) Seated May 5, 1813
New Hampshire
(3)
Charles Cutts (DR) Interim appointee was not elected.
Successor elected June 10, 1813.
Jeremiah Mason (F) Seated June 10, 1813
Georgia
(2)
William Bulloch (DR) Interim appointee was not elected to finish the term.
Successor elected November 6, 1813 to finish the term.
William W. Bibb (DR) Seated November 6, 1813
Tennessee
(2)
George W. Campbell (DR) Resigned February 11, 1814 after being appointed US Secretary of the Treasury.
Successor appointed March 17, 1814, to continue the term.
Jesse Wharton (DR) Seated March 17, 1814
Pennsylvania
(1)
Michael Leib (DR) Resigned February 14, 1814 after becoming Postmaster of Philadelphia.
Successor elected February 24, 1814, to finish term.
Jonathan Roberts (DR) Seated February 24, 1814
New Hampshire
(2)
Nicholas Gilman (DR) Died May 2, 1814.
Successor elected June 24, 1814, to finish the term.
Thomas W. Thompson (F) Seated June 24, 1814
Kentucky
(2)
George M. Bibb (DR) Resigned August 23, 1814.
Successor appointed August 30, 1814, to continue the term.
George Walker (DR) Seated August 30, 1814
Ohio
(1)
Thomas Worthington (DR) Resigned December 1, 1814 after being elected Governor.
Successor elected December 10, 1814, to finish the term ending.
Joseph Kerr (DR) Seated December 10, 1814
Kentucky
(2)
George Walker (DR) Interim appointee was not elected to finish term.
Successor elected December 16, 1814 to finish term.
William T. Barry (DR) Seated December 16, 1814
North Carolina
(3)
David Stone (DR) Resigned December 24, 1814.
Successor elected December 24, 1814, to finish the term, but failed to qualify.
Francis Locke Jr. Never seated for failing to qualify
Kentucky
(3)
Jesse Bledsoe (DR) Resigned December 24, 1814.
Successor elected February 2, 1815, to finish the term.
Isham Talbot (DR) Seated February 2, 1815
Virginia
(1)
Richard Brent (DR) Died December 30, 1814.
Winner elected January 2, 1815, to finish term, having already won election to the next term.
James Barbour (DR) Seated January 2, 1815
Virginia
(2)
William B. Giles (DR) Resigned March 3, 1815.
Successor was not elected until the next Congress.
Vacant for remainder of this Congress.

House of Representatives

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  • Replacements: 13
  • Deaths: 6
  • Resignations: 13
  • Contested election: 1
  • Vacancies: 4
  • Total seats with changes: 19
House changes
District Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[b]
Kentucky
8th
Vacant Rep.-elect John Simpson died before this Congress began Stephen Ormsby (DR) Seated May 28, 1813
Ohio
6th
Vacant Rep.-elect John Stark Edwards died before this Congress began Reasin Beall (DR) Seated June 8, 1813
Pennsylvania
15th
Vacant Rep.-elect Abner Lacock resigned before commencement of Congress after being elected US Senator Thomas Wilson (DR) Seated May 28, 1813
Pennsylvania
13th
Vacant Rep.-elect John Smilie died before this Congress began Isaac Griffin (DR) Seated May 24, 1813
New York
15th
Vacant Rep-elect William Dowse died on February 18, 1813 John M. Bowers (F) Seated June 21, 1813
Ohio
3rd
Vacant Duncan McArthur Resigned April 5, 1813, having not qualified William Creighton Jr. (DR) Seated June 15, 1813
Pennsylvania
5th
Robert Whitehill (DR) Died April 8, 1813 John Rea (DR) Seated May 28, 1813
New York
2nd
Egbert Benson (F) Resigned August 2, 1813 William Irving (DR) Seated January 22, 1814
Pennsylvania
3rd
John Gloninger (F) Resigned August 2, 1813 Edward Crouch (DR) Seated December 6, 1813
Pennsylvania
7th
John M. Hyneman (DR) Resigned August 2, 1813 Daniel Udree (DR) Seated December 6, 1813
Illinois Territory
at-large
Shadrach Bond Until August 2, 1813 Benjamin Stephenson Seated November 14, 1814
Georgia
at-large
William W. Bibb (DR) Resigned November 6, 1813, after being elected to US Senate Alfred Cuthbert (DR) Seated February 7, 1814
New York
15th
John M. Bowers (F) Contested election, Bowers ousted on December 20, 1813 Isaac Williams Jr. (DR) Seated January 24, 1814
Tennessee
5th
Felix Grundy (DR) Resigned in July 1814 Newton Cannon (DR) Seated October 15, 1814
Kentucky
2nd
Henry Clay (DR) Resigned January 19, 1814 Joseph H. Hawkins (DR) Seated March 29, 1814
Massachusetts
12th
Daniel Dewey (F) Resigned February 24, 1814, after being appointed Associate Judge of Massachusetts Supreme Court John W. Hulbert (F) Seated September 26, 1814
Pennsylvania
2nd
Jonathan Roberts (DR) Resigned February 24, 1814, after being elected US Senator Samuel Henderson (F) Seated November 29, 1814
Virginia
11th
John Dawson (DR) Died March 31, 1814 Philip P. Barbour (DR) Seated September 19, 1814
Massachusetts
4th
William M. Richardson (DR) Resigned April 18, 1814 Samuel Dana (DR) Seated September 22, 1814
New Jersey
3rd
Jacob Hufty (F) Died May 20, 1814 Thomas Bines (DR) Seated November 2, 1814
Ohio
6th
Reasin Beall (DR) Resigned June 7, 1814 David Clendenin (DR) Seated December 22, 1814
Pennsylvania
3rd
James Whitehill (DR) Resigned September 1, 1814 Amos Slaymaker (F) Seated December 12, 1814
Missouri Territory
at-large
Edward Hempstead Until September 17, 1814 Rufus Easton Seated November 16, 1814

Committees

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Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

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House of Representatives

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Joint committees

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Employees

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Senate

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House of Representatives

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ U.S. Vice President Elbridge Gerry's term as President of the Senate ended on November 23, 1814 when he died in office, President pro tempore John Gaillard acted his duties as the President of the Senate on the last four months of Congress.
  2. ^ a b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

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  1. ^ Guide to US Elections. Vol. II (Sixth ed.). Washington, D.C.: CQ Press. 2010. p. 1421. ISBN 978-1-60426-536-1.
  • Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
  • Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
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