35th United States Congress
The 35th United States Congress , made up of the House and Senate , was the United States' legislature . Its legislative period lasted from March 4, 1857 to March 4, 1859. All members of the House of Representatives and a third of the senators ( Class I ) were elected in the 1856 congressional elections. This resulted in a majority in both chambers for the Democratic Party , which with James Buchanan also provided the president. The Congress met in the American capital Washington, DC At the beginning of the legislature, the United States consisted of 31 states. That number increased to 33 by the accession of Minnesota and Oregon in 1859. The distribution of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1850 census .
Important events
- March 4, 1857: Beginning of the legislative period of the 35th Congress. At the same time, the new President James Buchanan, also elected in November 1856, was introduced into office. He takes over from Franklin Pierce .
- The entire legislative period has been shaped by tensions between the North and the South in the run-up to the American Civil War . There are already riots in some areas, especially in the later state of Kansas . See also Bleeding Kansas . In addition, the Indian Wars continue in the West . For the first time, the Republican Party, founded in 1854, is a serious political force in Congress.
- March 6, 1857: The US Supreme Court pronounces its verdict in the Dred Scott v. Sandford , which strengthens the rights of slave owners.
- March 23, 1857: The first elevator is installed in a building in New York City . The manufacturer is Elisha Graves Otis .
- May 11, 1858: Minnesota becomes the 32nd US state.
- July 29, 1858: The Harris Treaty is signed between the USA and Japan .
- November 1858: US Congress elections. The Democrats defend their majority in the Senate, but lose their majority in the House of Representatives to the Republicans.
- February 14, 1859: Oregon becomes the 33rd state in the USA.
Composition according to parties
senate
- Democratic Party: 41
- Republican Party: 20
- Others: 5
- Vacant: 0
Total: 66 at the end of the legislative period
House of Representatives
- Democratic Party: 130
- Republican Party: 92
- Others: 15
- Vacant: 0
Total: 237 at the end of the legislative period
There were also seven congressional delegates who were not entitled to vote
Public officials
senate
- President of the Senate : John C. Breckinridge (D)
- President pro tempore : Thomas Jefferson Rusk (D) until July 29, 1857. After that from December 1857 Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D) between meetings.
House of Representatives
Senate members
The following senators represented their respective states in the 35th Congress:
Members of the House of Representatives
The following congressmen represented the interests of their respective states in the 35th Congress:
Members of the House of Representatives who are not entitled to vote:
- Kansas Territory : Marcus Junius Parrott (R)
- Minnesota Territory : William W. Kingsbury (D) through May 11, 1858
- Nebraska Territory : Fenner Ferguson (D)
- New Mexico Territory : Miguel Antonio Otero (D)
- Oregon Territory : Joseph Lane (D) through February 14, 1859
- Utah Territory : John Milton Bernhisel
- Washington Territory : Isaac Ingalls Stevens (D)
Web links
- bioguide.congress.gov (by entering 35 under Year OR Congress: you get a list of the members of the 35th Congress with a link to the official biographies; English)