30th United States Congress

The 30th 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, 1847, to March 4, 1849, during the last two years of the administration of President James K. Polk. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1840 United States census. The Senate had a Democratic majority, and the House had a Whig majority. It was the only Congress in which Abraham Lincoln served.

30th United States Congress
29th ←
→ 31st

March 4, 1847 – March 4, 1849
Members60 senators
230 representatives
2 non-voting delegates
Senate majorityDemocratic
Senate PresidentGeorge M. Dallas (D)
House majorityWhig
House SpeakerRobert C. Winthrop (W)
Sessions
1st: December 6, 1847 – August 14, 1848
2nd: December 4, 1848 – March 3, 1849

Major events

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Sutter's Mill, origin of the California Gold Rush

Major legislation

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Treaty

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Mapa de los Estados Unidos de Méjico by John Distrunell: the 1847 map used during negotiations of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

States admitted and territories established

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Party summary

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Senate

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

Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic
(D)
Independent
Democratic

(ID)
Liberty
(L)
Whig
(W)
End of previous congress 31 0 1 24 56 2
Begin 34 1 0 20 55 3
End 38 21 600
Final voting share 63.3% 1.7% 0.0% 35.0%
Beginning of next congress 33 0 0 25 58 2

House of Representatives

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During this congress, two House seats were added for the new state of Wisconsin.

Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
American
(A)
Democratic
(D)
Independent
Democratic

(ID)
Independent
(I)
Whig
(W)
End of previous congress 12 137 0 0 77 226 2
Begin 1 107 2 1 116 227 1
End 110 2300
Final voting share 0.4% 47.8% 0.9% 0.4% 50.4%
Beginning of next congress 1 113 0 0 107 221 1

Leadership

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President of the Senate
George M. Dallas

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.

Skip to House of Representatives, below

Senate

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House of Representatives

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The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

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: 11
  • Deaths: 5
  • Resignations: 6
  • Interim appointments: 7
  • Seats of newly admitted states: 4
Senate changes
State
(class)
Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[a]
Tennessee
(2)
Vacant Failure to elect.
Successor elected November 22, 1847.
John Bell (W) Elected November 22, 1847.
Iowa
(2)
Vacant Iowa had been admitted to the Union December 28, 1846, but the legislature failed to elect due to a three-way split that prevented any candidate from earning the required number of 30 legislators' votes.[1]
First Senator elected December 7, 1848.
George Wallace Jones (D) Elected December 7, 1848.
Iowa
(3)
Vacant Iowa had been admitted to the Union December 28, 1846, but the legislature failed to elect due to a three-way split that prevented any candidate from earning the required number of 30 legislators' votes.[1]
First Senator elected December 7, 1848.
Augustus C. Dodge (D) Elected December 7, 1848.
Mississippi
(1)
Jesse Speight (D) Incumbent died May 1, 1847.
Successor appointed August 10, 1847, and then elected January 1848.
Jefferson Davis (D) Appointed December 5, 1847.
Connecticut
(1)
Jabez W. Huntington (W) Incumbent died November 1, 1847.
Successor appointed November 11, 1847, and then elected May 1848.
Roger S. Baldwin (W) Appointed December 5, 1847.
Maine
(1)
John Fairfield (D) Incumbent died December 24, 1847.
Successor appointed January 5, 1848.
Wyman B. S. Moor (D) Appointed January 5, 1848.
Georgia
(3)
Walter T. Colquitt (D) Incumbent resigned February 4, 1848.
Successor appointed February 4, 1848, to finish the term.
Herschel V. Johnson (D) Appointed February 4, 1848.
Arkansas
(3)
Ambrose H. Sevier (D) Incumbent resigned March 15, 1848.
Successor appointed March 30, 1848, to finish the term.
Solon Borland (D) Appointed March 30, 1848.
Arkansas
(2)
Chester Ashley (D) Incumbent died April 29, 1848.
Successor appointed May 12, 1848, and elected sometime thereafter.
William K. Sebastian (D) Elected May 12, 1848.
Wisconsin
(1)
Wisconsin admitted to the Union May 29, 1848.
First Senator elected June 8, 1848.
Henry Dodge (D) Elected June 8, 1848.
Wisconsin
(3)
Wisconsin admitted to the Union May 29, 1848.
First Senator elected June 8, 1848.
Isaac P. Walker (D) Elected June 8, 1848.
Michigan
(1)
Lewis Cass (D) Incumbent resigned May 29, 1848, to run for U.S. President.
Successor appointed June 8, 1848.
Thomas Fitzgerald (D) Elected June 8, 1848.
Maine
(1)
Wyman B. S. Moor (D) Interim appointee retired when successor elected June 7, 1848. Hannibal Hamlin (D) Elected June 7, 1848.
Kentucky
(3)
John J. Crittenden (W) Incumbent resigned June 12, 1848, to run for Governor of Kentucky.
Successor appointed June 23, 1848, and elected sometime thereafter.
Thomas Metcalfe (W) Elected June 23, 1848.
Alabama
(3)
Arthur P. Bagby (D) Incumbent resigned June 16, 1848, to become U.S. Minister to Russia.
Successor elected July 1, 1848.
William R. King (D) Elected July 1, 1848.
Alabama
(2)
Dixon H. Lewis (D) Incumbent died October 25, 1848.
Successor elected November 25, 1848.
Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D) Elected November 25, 1848.
Delaware
(1)
John M. Clayton (W) Incumbent resigned February 23, 1849, to become U.S. Secretary of State.
Successor elected February 23, 1849.
John Wales (W) Elected February 23, 1849.

House of Representatives

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  • Replacements: 10
  • Deaths: 7
  • Resignations: 0
  • Contested election: 1
  • Seats of newly admitted states: 2
  • Total seats with changes: 12
House changes
District Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[a]
Illinois 5th Vacant Representative Stephen A. Douglas resigned at end of previous congress. William A. Richardson (D) Seated December 6, 1847
Virginia 2nd George Dromgoole (D) Incumbent died April 27, 1847. Richard K. Meade (D) Seated August 5, 1847
Michigan 2nd Edward Bradley (D) Incumbent died August 5, 1847. Charles E. Stuart (D) Seated December 6, 1847
Pennsylvania 6th John W. Hornbeck (W) Incumbent died January 16, 1848. Samuel A. Bridges (D) Seated March 6, 1848
Massachusetts 8th John Quincy Adams (W) Incumbent died February 23, 1848. Horace Mann (W) Seated April 3, 1848
New York 27th John M. Holley (W) Incumbent died March 8, 1848. Esbon Blackmar (W) Seated December 4, 1848
South Carolina 1st James A. Black (D) Incumbent died April 3, 1848. Daniel Wallace (D) Seated June 12, 1848
New York 6th David S. Jackson (D) James Monroe contested seat after which the House declared the seat vacant April 19, 1848. Horace Greeley (W) Seated December 4, 1848
Wisconsin 1st Wisconsin admitted into the Union May 29, 1848, and seat remained vacant until June 8, 1848. William P. Lynde (D) Seated June 8, 1848
Wisconsin 2nd Wisconsin admitted into the Union May 29, 1848, and seat remained vacant until June 8, 1848. Mason C. Darling (D) Seated June 8, 1848
Wisconsin Territory At-large John H. Tweedy (W) Incumbent was disqualified May 29, 1848, after the portion of territory he resided in achieved statehood. Henry H. Sibley Seated October 30, 1848
South Carolina 4th Alexander D. Sims (D) Incumbent died November 22, 1848. John McQueen (D) Seated February 12, 1849

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. ^ a b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

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  1. ^ a b Clark, Dan Elbert (1913). History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa. Iowa: State Historical Society of Iowa. pp. 17–46, 72–79.
  • 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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