32nd United States Congress
The 32nd United States Congress , made up of the House and Senate , was the United States' legislature . Its legislative period lasted from March 4, 1851 to March 4, 1853. All members of the House of Representatives and a third of the senators ( Class I ) were elected in the 1850 congressional elections. This resulted in a majority for the Democratic Party in both chambers . The Whig Party was only left with the role of the opposition party. The Congress met in the American capital Washington, DC President Millard Fillmore of the Whig Party. The United States then consisted of 31 states. The distribution of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1840 census .
Important events
- March 4, 1851: Beginning of the legislative period of the 32nd Congress
- The Indian Wars continued throughout the legislative period . In addition, tensions between the northern and southern states of the United States are gradually increasing.
- May to August 1851: Severe flooding caused severe damage to the Midwest and Mississippi River valley .
- September 18, 1851: The New York Times newspaper (then called The New-York Daily Times ) was founded.
- March 20, 1852: Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes her novel Onkel Toms Hütte
- July 1, 1852: The late Senator Henry Clay is laid out as the first American in the rotunda of the United States Capitol .
- November 2, 1852: US presidential and congressional elections. The Democrat Franklin Pierce becomes the new president (in office March 4, 1853). In the congressional elections, the Democrats win a majority in both chambers.
- March 2, 1853: Washington Territory is established .
Composition according to parties
senate
- Democratic Party: 35
- Whig Party: 23
- Others: 4 ( Free Soil Party )
- Vacant: 0
Total: 62 at the end of the legislative period
House of Representatives
- Democratic Party: 126
- Whig Party: 86
- Others: 20
- Vacant: 1
Total: 233 at the end of the legislative period
There were also four congressional delegates who were not entitled to vote
Public officials
senate
- President of the Senate : Vacant
- President per tempore : William R. King (D) until December 20, 1852, then David Rice Atchison (D)
House of Representatives
Senate members
The following senators represented their respective states in the 32nd Congress:
|
|
Members of the House of Representatives
The following congressmen represented the interests of their respective states in the 32nd Congress:
Members of the House of Representatives who are not entitled to vote:
- Minnesota Territory : Henry Hastings Sibley
- New Mexico Territory : Richard Hanson Weightman (D)
- Oregon Territory : Joseph Lane (D)
- Utah Territory : John Milton Bernhisel
Web links
- bioguide.congress.gov (by entering 32 under Year OR Congress: you get a list of the members of the 32nd Congress with a link to the official biographies; English)