12th United States Congress

Major events

Main article: 1811 in the United States, 1812 in the United States, 1813 in the United States, Origins of the War of 1812

• November 6, 1811: Battle of Tippecanoe: William Henry Harrison defeated Tecumseh's forces
• December 16, 1811: New Madrid earthquake
• April 4, 1812: President Madison enacted a 90-day embargo on trade with the United Kingdom
• April 20, 1812: Vice President George Clinton died
• June 18, 1812: War of 1812: United States declared war on Great Britain
• August 16, 1812: War of 1812: Detroit surrendered to the British.
• October 13, 1812: War of 1812: the Battle of Queenston Heights
• November 5, 1812: Elections of 1812:
  • 1812 United States presidential election: Incumbent James Madison beat DeWitt Clinton.
  • United States Senate elections, 1812 and 1813
  • United States House of Representatives elections, 1812 and 1813

Major legislation

Main article: List of United States federal legislation, 1789–1901#12th United States Congress

States admitted and territories organized

• April 30, 1812: Louisiana was admitted as a state into the Union. It was formerly known as the Territory of Orleans
• June 4, 1812: Missouri Territory was organized. It was formerly known as Louisiana Territory

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

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

House of Representatives

During this congress, one new House seat was added for the new state of Louisiana.

Leadership

Senate

• President: George Clinton (DR), until April 20, 1812; vacant thereafter.
• President pro tempore: William H. Crawford (DR)

House of Representatives

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Henry Clay Democratic-Republican

Members

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

Senate

Main article: List of United States senators in the 12th Congress

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 1814; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1816; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1812 :Skip to House of Representatives, below

[[List of United States senators from Connecticut|Connecticut]]

: 1. Samuel W. Dana (F) : 3. Chauncey Goodrich (F)

[[List of United States senators from Delaware|Delaware]]

: 1. Outerbridge Horsey (F) : 2. James A. Bayard (F)

[[List of United States senators from Georgia|Georgia]]

: 2. William H. Crawford (DR) : 3. Charles Tait (DR)

[[List of United States senators from Kentucky|Kentucky]]

: 2. George M. Bibb (DR) : 3. John Pope (DR)

[[List of United States senators from Louisiana|Louisiana]]

: 2. Jean N. Destréhan (DR), September 3, 1812 – October 1, 1812 :: Thomas Posey (DR), October 8, 1812 – February 4, 1813 :: James Brown (DR), from February 5, 1813 : 3. Allan B. Magruder (DR), from September 3, 1812

[[List of United States senators from Maryland|Maryland]]

: 1. Samuel Smith (DR) : 3. Philip Reed (DR)

[[List of United States senators from Massachusetts|Massachusetts]]

: 1. James Lloyd (F) : 2. Joseph Bradley Varnum (DR), from June 29, 1811

[[List of United States senators from New Hampshire|New Hampshire]]

: 2. Nicholas Gilman (DR) : 3. Charles Cutts (F)

[[List of United States senators from New Jersey|New Jersey]]

: 1. John Lambert (DR) : 2. John Condit (DR)

[[List of United States senators from New York|New York]]

: 1. Obadiah German (DR) : 3. John Smith (DR)

[[List of United States senators from North Carolina|North Carolina]]

: 2. James Turner (DR) : 3. Jesse Franklin (DR)

[[List of United States senators from Ohio|Ohio]]

: 1. Thomas Worthington (DR) : 3. Alexander Campbell (DR)

[[List of United States senators from Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]

: 1. Michael Leib (DR) : 3. Andrew Gregg (DR)

[[List of United States senators from Rhode Island|Rhode Island]]

: 1. Christopher G. Champlin (F), until October 2, 1811 :: William Hunter (F), from October 28, 1811 : 2. Jeremiah B. Howell (DR)

[[List of United States senators from South Carolina|South Carolina]]

: 2. John Taylor (DR) : 3. John Gaillard (DR)

[[List of United States senators from Tennessee|Tennessee]]

: 1. Joseph Anderson (DR) : 2. Jenkin Whiteside (DR), until October 8, 1811 :: George W. Campbell (DR), from October 8, 1811

[[List of United States senators from Vermont|Vermont]]

: 1. Jonathan Robinson (DR) : 3. Stephen R. Bradley (DR)

[[List of United States senators from Virginia|Virginia]]

: 1. Richard Brent (DR) : 2. William B. Giles (DR)

]]

House of Representatives

Main article: List of United States representatives in the 12th Congress

The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

[[List of United States representatives from Connecticut|Connecticut]]

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. : . Epaphroditus Champion (F) : . John Davenport (F) : . Lyman Law (F) : . Jonathan O. Moseley (F) : . Timothy Pitkin (F) : . Lewis B. Sturges (F) : . Benjamin Tallmadge (F)

[[List of United States representatives from Delaware|Delaware]]

: . Henry M. Ridgely (F)

[[List of United States representatives from Georgia|Georgia]]

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. : . William W. Bibb (DR) : . Howell Cobb (DR), until before October, 1812 :: William Barnett (DR), from October 5, 1812 : . Bolling Hall (DR) : . George M. Troup (DR)

[[List of United States representatives from Kentucky|Kentucky]]

: . Anthony New (DR) : . Samuel McKee (DR) : . Stephen Ormsby (DR) : . Richard M. Johnson (DR) : . Henry Clay (DR) : . Joseph Desha (DR)

[[List of United States representatives from Louisiana|Louisiana]]

: . Thomas B. Robertson (DR), from December 23, 1812 (newly admitted state)

[[List of United States representatives from Maryland|Maryland]]

The 5th district was a plural district with two representatives. : . Philip Stuart (F) : . Joseph Kent (DR) : . Philip B. Key (F) : . Samuel Ringgold (DR) : . Peter Little (DR) : . Alexander McKim (DR) : . John Montgomery (DR), until April 29, 1811 :: Stevenson Archer (DR), from October 26, 1811 : . Robert Wright (DR) : . Charles Goldsborough (F)

[[List of United States representatives from Massachusetts|Massachusetts]]

: . Josiah Quincy (F) : . William Reed (F) : . Leonard White (F) : . Joseph Bradley Varnum (DR), until June 29, 1811 :: William M. Richardson (DR), from November 4, 1811 : . William Ely (F) : . Samuel Taggart (F) : . Charles Turner Jr. (DR) : . Isaiah L. Green (DR) : . Laban Wheaton (F) : . Elijah Brigham (F) : . Abijah Bigelow (F) : . Ezekiel Bacon (DR) : . Ebenezer Seaver (DR) : . Richard Cutts (DR) : . William Widgery (DR) : . Peleg Tallman (DR) : . Barzillai Gannett (DR), until sometime in 1812 before April 6 () :: Francis Carr (DR), from April 6, 1812

[[List of United States representatives from New Hampshire|New Hampshire]]

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. : . Josiah Bartlett Jr. (DR) : . Samuel Dinsmoor (DR) : . Obed Hall (DR) : . John A. Harper (DR) : . George Sullivan (F)

[[List of United States representatives from New Jersey|New Jersey]]

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. : . Adam Boyd (DR) : . Lewis Condict (DR) : . Jacob Hufty (DR) : . George C. Maxwell (DR) : . James Morgan (DR) : . Thomas Newbold (DR)

[[List of United States representatives from New York|New York]]

There were two plural districts, the 2nd & 6th each had two representatives. : . Ebenezer Sage (DR) : . Samuel L. Mitchill (DR) : . William Paulding Jr. (DR) : . Pierre Van Cortlandt Jr. (DR) : . James Emott (F) : . Thomas B. Cooke (DR) : . Asa Fitch (F) : . Robert Le Roy Livingston (F), until May 6, 1812 :: Thomas P. Grosvenor (F) from January 29, 1813 : . Harmanus Bleecker (F) : . Benjamin Pond (DR) : . Thomas Sammons (DR) : . Silas Stow (DR) : . Thomas R. Gold (F) : . Arunah Metcalf (DR) : . Uri Tracy (DR) : . Daniel Avery (DR) : . Peter B. Porter (DR)

[[List of United States representatives from North Carolina|North Carolina]]

: . Lemuel Sawyer (DR) : . Willis Alston (DR) : . Thomas Blount (DR), until February 7, 1812 :: William Kennedy (DR), from January 30, 1813 : . William Blackledge (DR) : . William R. King (DR) : . Nathaniel Macon (DR) : . Archibald McBryde (F) : . Richard Stanford (DR) : . James Cochran (DR) : . Joseph Pearson (F) : . Israel Pickens (DR) : . Meshack Franklin (DR)

[[List of United States representatives from Ohio|Ohio]]

: . Jeremiah Morrow (DR)

[[List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]

There were four plural districts, the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd had three representatives each, the 4th had two representatives. : . William Anderson (DR) : . James Milnor (F) : . Adam Seybert (DR) : . Robert Brown (DR) : . Jonathan Roberts (DR) : . William Rodman (DR) : . Roger Davis (DR) : . John M. Hyneman (DR) : . Joseph Lefever (DR) : . David Bard (DR) : . Robert Whitehill (DR) : . George Smith (DR) : . William Crawford (DR) : . William Piper (DR) : . William Findley (DR) : . John Smilie (DR), until December 30, 1812, vacant thereafter : . Aaron Lyle (DR) : . Abner Lacock (DR)

[[List of United States representatives from Rhode Island|Rhode Island]]

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. : . Richard Jackson Jr. (F) : . Elisha R. Potter (F)

[[List of United States representatives from South Carolina|South Carolina]]

: . Langdon Cheves (DR) : . William Butler Sr. (DR) : . David R. Williams (DR) : . William Lowndes (DR) : . Richard Winn (DR) : . John C. Calhoun (DR) : . Thomas Moore (DR) : . Elias Earle (DR)

[[List of United States representatives from Tennessee|Tennessee]]

: . John Rhea (DR) : . John Sevier (DR) : . Felix Grundy (DR)

[[List of United States representatives from Vermont|Vermont]]

: . Samuel Shaw (DR) : . William Strong (DR) : . James Fisk (DR) : . Martin Chittenden (F)

[[List of United States representatives from Virginia|Virginia]]

: . Thomas Wilson (F) : . John Baker (F) : . John Smith (DR) : . William McCoy (DR) : . James Breckinridge (F) : . Daniel Sheffey (F) : . Joseph Lewis Jr. (F) : . John P. Hungerford (DR), until November 29, 1811 :: John Taliaferro (DR), from November 29, 1811 : . Aylett Hawes (DR) : . John Dawson (DR) : . John Roane (DR) : . Burwell Bassett (DR) : . William A. Burwell (DR) : . Matthew Clay (DR) : . John Randolph (DR) : . James Pleasants (DR) : . Thomas Gholson Jr. (DR) : . Peterson Goodwyn (DR) : . Edwin Gray (DR) : . Thomas Newton Jr. (DR) : . Hugh Nelson (DR) : . John Clopton (DR)

Non-voting members

: . Shadrach Bond, from December 3, 1812 : . Jonathan Jennings : . George Poindexter : . Edward Hempstead, from November 9, 1812 : , vacant until April 29, 1812

Changes in membership

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

Senate

• Replacements: 1
  • Democratic-Republicans: no net change
  • Federalists: no net change
• Deaths: 0
• Resignations: 4
• Interim appointments: 1
• Seats of newly admitted states: 2
• Vacancies:1
• Total seats with changes: 6 Sorted Chronologically by date of vacancy --

|- | Massachusetts (2) | Vacant | Legislature elected late. Successor elected June 29, 1811. | | Joseph B. Varnum (DR) | June 29, 1811

|- | Rhode Island (1) | | Christopher G. Champlin (F) | Resigned October 2, 1811 Successor elected October 28, 1811. | | William Hunter (F) | October 28, 1811

|- | Tennessee (2) | | Jenkin Whiteside (DR) | Resigned October 8, 1811. Successor elected October 8, 1811. | | George W. Campbell (DR) | October 8, 1811

|- | Louisiana (3) | New seat | Louisiana was admitted to the Union on April 30, 1812. Inaugural Senator elected September 3, 1812, for the term ending March 4, 1813. | | Allan B. Magruder (DR) | September 3, 1812

|- (2) | New seat | Louisiana was admitted to the Union on April 30, 1812. Inaugural Senator elected September 3, 1812, for the term ending March 4, 1817. | | Jean Noel Destréhan (DR) | September 3, 1812

|- | | Jean N. Destréhan (DR) | Resigned October 1, 1812, without having qualified. Successor appointed October 8, 1812, to continue the term ending March 4, 1817. | | Thomas Posey (DR) | October 8, 1812

|- | | Thomas Posey (DR) | Appointee lost election to finish the term. Successor elected February 4, 1813. | | James Brown (DR) | February 5, 1813

|}

House of Representatives

• Replacements: 3
  • Democratic-Republicans: no net change
  • Federalists: no net change
• Deaths: 2
• Resignations: 5
• Contested election: 1
• Seats of newly admitted states: 1
• Vacancies: 1
• Total seats with changes: 10

Sorted Chronologically by date of vacancy

Main article: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives

|- | | | John Montgomery (DR) | Resigned April 29, 1811, to become attorney General of Maryland | | Stevenson Archer (DR)

| | | Joseph B. Varnum (DR) | Resigned June 29, 1811, to become U.S. Senator | | William M. Richardson (DR)

| | | John Hungerford (DR) | Lost contested election November 29, 1811 | | John Taliaferro (DR)

| | | Barzillai Gannett (DR) | Resigned sometime in 1812 before April 6 () | | Francis Carr (DR)

| | | Thomas Blount (DR) | Died February 7, 1812 | | William Kennedy (DR)

| |- |

|- | | | Robert Le Roy Livingston (F) | Resigned May 6, 1812 | | Thomas P. Grosvenor (F)

| | | Howell Cobb (DR) | Resigned sometime before October 1812 () | | William Barnett (DR)

| | Edward Hempstead

| | Shadrach Bond

| | | John Smilie (DR) | Died December 30, 1812 | Vacant | Not filled until next Congress |}

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

• Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate (Chairman: Michael Leib)
• Engrossed Bills (Chairman: Nicholas Gilman)
• National University
• Whole

House of Representatives

• Accounts (Chairman: Charles Turner Jr.)
• Apportionment of Representatives (Select)
• Bankruptcy (Select)
• Claims (Chairman: Burwell Bassett then Thomas Gholson Jr.)
• Commerce and Manufactures (Chairman: Thomas Newton Jr.)
• District of Columbia (Chairman: Joseph Lewis Jr.)
• Elections (Chairman: William Findley)
• Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: John Rhea)
• Public Lands (Chairman: Jeremiah Morrow)
• Revisal and Unfinished Business (Chairman: Adam Seybert then Burwell Bassett)
• Rules (Select)
• Standards of Official Conduct
• Ways and Means (Chairman: Ezekiel Bacon then Langdon Cheves)
• Whole

Joint committees

• Enrolled Bills (Chairman: )
• The Library (Chairman: N/A)

Employees

[[List of federal agencies in the United States#United States Congress|Legislative branch agency]] directors

• Architect of the Capitol: Benjamin Latrobe, until July 1, 1811; vacant thereafter
• Librarian of Congress: Patrick Magruder

Senate

• Chaplain: Walter D. Addison (Presbyterian), until November 13, 1811
  • John Brackenridge (Presbyterian), from November 13, 1811
• Secretary: Samuel A. Otis
• Sergeant at Arms: James Mathers, died
  • Mountjoy Bayly, elected November 6, 1811

House of Representatives

• Chaplain: Jesse Lee (Methodist), until November 13, 1811
  • Nicholas Snethen (Methodist), elected November 13, 1811
  • Jesse Lee (Methodist), elected November 2, 1812
• Clerk: Patrick Magruder
• Doorkeeper: Thomas Claxton
• Reading Clerks:
• Sergeant at Arms: Thomas Dunn

Notes

References