The 24th 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, 1835, to March 4, 1837, during the seventh and eighth years of Andrew Jackson's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1830 United States census. Both chambers had a Jacksonian majority.
Tensions with France Throughout 1835, relations between the United States and France reached an all-time low. Andrew Jackson had America's ambassador to France travel aboard a gunboat and after negotiations broke down had the American ambassador recalled to the United States and forced the French ambassador to leave. President Jackson and the French government traded threats and insults throughout the duration of the year. In this conflict, President Jackson got support from many members of the House of Representatives.
In late November 1835, Linn Boyd, Albert G. Hawes, Richard M. Johnson, John E. Coffee, Seaton Grantland, Charles Eaton Haynes, Jabez Young Jackson, George Welshman Owens, Thomas Glascock, William Schley, Reuben Chapman, Joshua L. Martin, Joab Lawler, Jesse Atherton Bynum, Jesse Speight, James Iver McKay, Micajah Thomas Hawkins, William Montgomery, Henry William Connor and James Rogers (congressman) all put in writing that if President Jackson were to ask for a formal declaration of war on France, he would have their full support. Shortly after this when the government of the United Kingdom sought to intervene, the same twenty Congressmen signed a letter stating that they welcomed the "wholesome and moderating influence" of British Prime Minister William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, British foreign secretary Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston and the British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies Charles Grant, 1st Baron Glenelg, who the letter referred to as "our thoughtful cousins." The same document referred to the France's leader Louis Philippe I as "dastardly and pusinallimous."Andrew Jackson's Presidency by Christine Zuchora-Walske pg. 78Andrew Jackson Versus France American Policy toward France, 1834-36 by Robert Charles Thomas - Tennessee Historical Quarterly - Vol. 35, No. 1 (SPRING 1976), pp. 51-64
Senators Bedford Brown, Robert J. Walker, Felix Grundy, John Pendleton King and Alfred Cuthbert all wrote to President Jackson saying that they felt the same way as the aforementioned twenty members of the house "with respects to our relations with Britain and France" and "any potential war" that might break out between the United States and France. In a series of popular outbursts in July 1836, effigies of Louis Philippe I were burnt in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi.America and French Romanticism During the July Monarchy by Seymour Drescher - American Quarterly Vol. 11, No. 1 (Spring, 1959), pp. 3-20 (18 pages)
In October 1836, it became known the French were "backing down," celebrations that were "overtly triumphant" and "distinctly anti-French" were held throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi during the last two weeks of October 1836.The Foreign Policy of Andrew Jackson. By John M. Belohlavek. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1985) Journal of American History, Volume 73, Issue 3, December 1986, Page 749
Major events
December 28, 1835: The Second Seminole War began. Seminole fighter Osceola and his warriors attack government agent Thompson outside Fort King in central Florida. 1835: Toledo War fought between Ohio and Michigan Territory over the city of Toledo and the Toledo Strip. February 3, 1836: United States Whig Party held its first convention in Albany, New York. February 23, 1836: Siege of the Alamo began in San Antonio, Texas. July 11, 1836: President Andrew Jackson issued the Specie Circular, beginning the failure of the land speculation economy that would lead to the Panic of 1837. July 13, 1836: United States patent #1 was granted after filing 9,957 unnumbered patents. November 3 – December 7, 1836: 1836 presidential election: Martin Van Buren defeated William Henry Harrison, but Virginia's electors refused to vote for Van Buren's running mate, Richard Mentor Johnson, thereby denying victory to any vice presidential candidate. December 4, 1836: Whig Party held its first national convention, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. December 15, 1836: 1836 U.S. Patent Office fire February 8, 1837: Richard Mentor Johnson defeated Francis Granger to win the (first and to date only) contingent election for Vice President of the United States.
Major legislation
July 4, 1836: Patent Act of 1836, Mar 3, 1837: Eighth and Ninth Circuits Act of 1837,
Treaties
December 29, 1835: Treaty of New Echota signed, ceding all the lands of the Cherokee east of the Mississippi to the United States
States admitted and territories formed
June 15, 1836: Arkansas admitted as the 25th state July 3, 1836: Wisconsin Territory established; approved April 20, 1836 January 26, 1837: Michigan admitted as the 26th state ; contingently approved June 15, 1836
Party summary 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 National Republicans held the Senate in the first Congressional session; Jacksonians flipped the Senate before the start of the second Congressional session and held that Senate majority for the remainder of the Congressional term.
During this congress two Senate seats were added for each of the new states of Arkansas and Michigan.
House of Representatives During this congress one House seat was added for each of the new states of Arkansas and Michigan.
Leadership
Senate President: Martin Van Buren (J) President pro tempore: William R. King (J)
House of Representatives Speaker: James K. Polk (J)
Members 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
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 began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1838; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1840; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1836.
Alabama
2. William R. King (J) 3. Gabriel Moore (NR)
Arkansas
2. William S. Fulton (J), from September 18, 1836 (newly admitted state) 3. Ambrose H. Sevier (J), from September 18, 1836 (newly admitted state)
Connecticut
1. Nathan Smith (NR), until December 6, 1835 John M. Niles (J), from December 21, 1835 3. Gideon Tomlinson (NR)
Delaware
1. Arnold Naudain (NR), until June 16, 1836 Richard H. Bayard (NR), from June 17, 1836 2. John M. Clayton (NR), until December 29, 1836 Thomas Clayton (NR), from January 9, 1837
Georgia
2. John P. King (J) 3. Alfred Cuthbert (J)
Illinois
2. John M. Robinson (J) 3. Elias K. Kane (J), until December 12, 1835 William L. D. Ewing (J), from December 30, 1835
Indiana
1. John Tipton (J) 3. William Hendricks (NR)
Kentucky
2. John J. Crittenden (NR) 3. Henry Clay (NR)
Louisiana
2. Robert C. Nicholas (J), from January 13, 1836 3. Alexander Porter (NR), until January 5, 1837 Alexander Mouton (J), from January 12, 1837
Maine
1. Ether Shepley (J), until March 3, 1836 Judah Dana (J), from December 7, 1836 2. John Ruggles (J)
Maryland
1. Joseph Kent (NR) 3. Robert H. Goldsborough (NR), until October 5, 1836 John S. Spence (NR), from December 31, 1836
Massachusetts
1. Daniel Webster (NR) 2. John Davis (NR)
Michigan
1. Lucius Lyon (J), from January 26, 1837 (newly admitted state) 2. John Norvell (J), from January 26, 1837 (newly admitted state)
Mississippi
1. John Black (NR) 2. Robert J. Walker (J)
Missouri
1. Thomas H. Benton (J) 3. Lewis F. Linn (J)
New Hampshire
2. Henry Hubbard (J) 3. Isaac Hill (J), until May 30, 1836 John Page (J), from June 8, 1836
New Jersey
1. Samuel L. Southard (NR) 2. Garret D. Wall (J)
New York
1. Nathaniel P. Tallmadge (J) 3. Silas Wright Jr. (J)
North Carolina
2. Bedford Brown (J) 3. Willie P. Mangum (NR), until November 26, 1836 Robert Strange (J), from December 5, 1836
Ohio
1. Thomas Morris (J) 3. Thomas Ewing (NR)
Pennsylvania
1. Samuel McKean (J) 3. James Buchanan (J)
Rhode Island
1. Asher Robbins (NR) 2. Nehemiah R. Knight (NR)
South Carolina
2. John C. Calhoun (N) 3. William C. Preston (N)
Tennessee
1. Felix Grundy (J) 2. Hugh Lawson White (NR)
Vermont
1. Benjamin Swift (NR) 3. Samuel Prentiss (NR)
Virginia
1. John Tyler (NR), until February 29, 1836 William C. Rives (J), from March 4, 1836 2. Benjamin W. Leigh (NR), until July 4, 1836 Richard E. Parker (J), from December 12, 1836
House of Representatives
The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
Alabama
. Reuben Chapman (J) . Joshua L. Martin (J) . Joab Lawler (J) . Dixon H. Lewis (N) . Francis S. Lyon (NR)
Arkansas
. Archibald Yell (J), from August 1, 1836 (newly admitted state)
Connecticut
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. . Elisha Haley (J) . Samuel Ingham (J) . Andrew T. Judson (J), until July 4, 1836 Orrin Holt (J), from December 5, 1836 . Lancelot Phelps (J) . Isaac Toucey (J) . Zalmon Wildman (J), until December 10, 1835 Thomas T. Whittlesey (J), from April 29, 1836
Delaware
. John J. Milligan (NR)
Georgia
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. . John E. Coffee (J), until September 25, 1836 William C. Dawson (SR), from November 7, 1836 . Seaton Grantland (J) . Charles E. Haynes (J) . Jabez Y. Jackson (J), from October 5, 1835 . George W. Owens (J) . John W. A. Sanford (J), until July 25, 1835 Thomas Glascock (J), from October 5, 1835 . William Schley (J), until July 1, 1835 Jesse F. Cleveland (J), from October 5, 1835 . James C. Terrell (J), until July 8, 1835 Hopkins Holsey (J), from October 5, 1835 . George W. B. Towns (J), until September 1, 1836 Julius C. Alford (NR), from January 2, 1837
Illinois
. John Reynolds (J) . Zadok Casey (J) . William L. May (J)
Indiana
. Ratliff Boon (J) . John W. Davis (J) . John Carr (J) . Amos Lane (J) . Johnathan McCarty (NR) . George L. Kinnard (J), until November 26, 1836 William Herod (NR), from January 25, 1837 . Edward A. Hannegan (J)
Kentucky
. Linn Boyd (J) . Albert G. Hawes (J) . Joseph R. Underwood (NR) . Sherrod Williams (NR) . James Harlan (NR) . John Calhoon (NR) . Benjamin Hardin (NR) . William J. Graves (NR) . John White (NR) . Chilton Allan (NR) . Richard French (J) . John Chambers (NR) . Richard M. Johnson (J)
Louisiana
. Henry Johnson (NR) . Eleazar W. Ripley (J) . Rice Garland (NR)
Maine
. John Fairfield (J) . Francis O. J. Smith (J) . Jeremiah Bailey (NR) . George Evans (NR) . Moses Mason Jr. (J) . Leonard Jarvis (J) . Joseph Hall (J) . Gorham Parks (J)
Maryland
The 4th district was a plural district with two representatives. . John N. Steele (NR) . James A. Pearce (NR) . James Turner (J) . Benjamin C. Howard (J) . Isaac McKim (J) . George C. Washington (NR) . Francis Thomas (J) . Daniel Jenifer (NR)
Massachusetts
. Abbott Lawrence (NR) . Stephen C. Phillips (NR) . Caleb Cushing (NR) . Samuel Hoar (NR) . Levi Lincoln Jr. (NR) . George J. Grennell Jr. (NR)