The 1852–53 United States House of Representatives elections were held on various dates in various states between August 2, 1852, and November 8, 1853. Each state set its own date for its elections to the House of Representatives before the first session of the

33rd United States Congress The 33rd 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, 1853, ...

convened on December 5, 1853. The size of the House increased to 234 seats following the congressional reapportionment based on the 1850 United States census. Democrats increased their House majority while electing national compromise candidate

Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...

, a Northerner favorable to Southern interests, to the Presidency. Effects of the Compromise of 1850 temporarily had reduced sectional tensions, and both major parties, Democrats and Whigs, unified around the 1852 presidential campaign, with Whig unity more tenuous. Two small parties, the Constitutional Unionists and States' Rights parties, collapsed before this election, while the Free Soil Party, opposing slavery in the Western territories, retained four seats. One Independent, Caleb Lyon, was elected from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Election summaries

Following the 1850 census, the House was reapportioned. In the initial

apportionment bill United States congressional apportionment is the process by which seats in the United States House of Representatives are distributed among the 50 states according to the most recent decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. ...

, the number of seats was unchanged at 233, but later one seat was added to California's delegation, increasing the total apportionment to 234, due to returns from California being determined to be incomplete.

Alabama

Arkansas

, - ! , rowspan=2 , Robert W. Johnson
, rowspan=2 , rowspan=2 ,

1846 Events January–March * January 5 – The United States House of Representatives votes to stop sharing the Oregon Country with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom. * January 13 – The Milan–Venice railway' ...

, , Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic hold. , nowrap , , - ! , , New seat.
Democratic gain. , nowrap ,

California

Note: From statehood to 1864, California's representatives were elected at-large, with the top two vote-getters winning election from 1849 to 1858; in 1860 when California gained a seat in the House the top three vote-getters were elected. , - ! rowspan=2 ,
,

Edward C. Marshall Edward Colston Marshall (June 29, 1821 – July 9, 1893) was an American politician who served as congressman from California's at-large district from 1851 to 1853, and as California attorney general from 1883 to 1887. He was a member of the Dem ...

, , Democratic ,

1851 Events January–March * January 11 – Hong Xiuquan officially begins the Taiping Rebellion. * January 15 – Christian Female College, modern-day Columbia College, receives its charter from the Missouri General Assembly. ...

, , Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic hold. , rowspan=2 nowrap , , - ,

Joseph W. McCorkle Joseph Walker McCorkle (June 24, 1819 – March 18, 1884) was an American lawyer and politician who served one term as a California congressman from 1851 to 1853. Early life McCorkle was born in Piqua, Ohio on June 24, 1819. He attended Kenyon ...

, , Democratic ,

, , Incumbent lost renomination.
New member elected.
Democratic hold.

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

, - ! ,

Edward C. Cabell Edward Carrington Cabell (February 5, 1816 – February 28, 1896) was the first U.S. Representative from Florida. Biography Born in Richmond, Virginia; attended Washington College (now Washington and Lee University), Lexington, Virginia in 183 ...

, , Whig ,

, , Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain. , nowrap ,

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

The elections were held November 8, 1852. However, many of the districts went to a December 13, 1852 second ballot. , - ! ,

Zeno Scudder Zeno Scudder (August 18, 1807 – June 26, 1857) was the son of Deacon Josiah and Hannah Scudder. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts. He was born in Osterville, Massachusetts on August 18, 1807. He ...

, , Whig ,

, Incumbent re-elected on the second ballot. , nowrap ,
, - ! , - ! , - ! , - ! , - ! , - ! , - ! , - ! , - ! , - !

Michigan

, - ! , Ebenezer J. Penniman , , Whig ,

1850 Events January–June * April ** Pope Pius IX returns from exile to Rome. ** Stephen Foster's parlor ballad "Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway" is published in the United States. * April 4 – Los Angeles is incorporated as a cit ...

, , Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain. , nowrap , , - ! ,

Charles E. Stuart Charles Edward Stuart (November 25, 1810May 19, 1887) was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan. Biography Stuart was born in New York, either near Waterloo, New York, or in Columbia County. He studied law, was admi ...

, ,

1847 Events January–March * January 4 – Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the U.S. government. * January 13 – The Treaty of Cahuenga ends fighting in the Mexican–American War in California. * January 16 – John C. Frémont ...

1848

, , Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator.
New member elected.
Democratic hold. , nowrap , , - ! ,

James L. Conger James Lockwood Conger (February 18, 1805 – April 10, 1876) was an American lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. From 1851 to 1853, he served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives as a member of the Whig party. Biogr ...

, , Whig ,

, , Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain. , nowrap , , - ! , colspan=3 , None , , New seat.
Democratic gain. , nowrap ,

Mississippi

Elections held late, from November 7 to 8, 1853 , - ! data-sort-value=0 , , colspan=3 , None (new district) , , New seat.
Democratic gain. , nowrap , , - ! ,

Benjamin D. Nabers Benjamin Duke Nabers (November 7, 1812 – September 6, 1878) was a U.S. Representative from Mississippi. Biography Born in Franklin, Tennessee, Nabers attended the common schools. He moved to Hickory Flat, Mississippi. He engaged as a comm ...

, , Unionist ,

, , Incumbent lost re-election as a Whig.
New member elected.
Democratic gain. , nowrap , , - ! , John A. Wilcox , , Unionist ,

, , Incumbent lost re-election as a Whig.
New member elected.
Democratic gain. , nowrap , , - ! ,

John D. Freeman John D. Freeman (1817January 17, 1886) was a U.S. Representative from Mississippi. Born in 1817 in Cooperstown, New York, Freeman attended the common schools. He moved to Mississippi and located in Grand Gulf. He studied law. He was admitted to ...

, , Unionist ,

, , Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain. , nowrap , , - ! ,

Albert G. Brown Albert Gallatin Brown (May 31, 1813June 12, 1880) was Governor of Mississippi from 1844 to 1848 and a Democratic United States Senator from Mississippi from 1854 to 1861, when he withdrew during secession. Early life He was born to Joseph and ...

, , Southern Rights ,

, , Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain. , nowrap ,

Wiley P. Harris Wiley P. Harris (born Wiley Pope Harris; November 9, 1818 – December 3, 1891) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Mississippi. Biography Born on November 9, 1818, in Pike County, Mississippi, Pike County, Mi ...

(Democratic) 100%

Missouri

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Elections held late, on August 4, 1853. , - ! rowspan=2 , ,

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

, , Democratic ,

1842 Events January–March * January ** Michael Alexander takes office, as the first appointee to the Anglican-German Bishopric in Jerusalem. ** American medical student William E. Clarke of Berkshire Medical College becomes the first pe ...

, , Incumbent retired to run for Governor.
Democratic loss. , rowspan=2 nowrap , , - , Albert G. Watkins
Redistricted from the . , , Whig ,

1849 Events January–March * January 1 – France begins issue of the Ceres series, the nation's first postage stamps. * January 5 – Hungarian Revolution of 1848: The Austrian army, led by Alfred I, Prince of Windisch-Grätz, enters in th ...

, , Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain. , - ! , William M. Churchwell
Redistricted from the . , , Democratic ,

, Incumbent re-elected. , nowrap , , - ! , colspan=3 , New district , , New member elected.
Democratic gain. , nowrap , , - ! rowspan=2 , , John H. Savage , , Democratic ,

, , Incumbent retired.
Democratic loss. , rowspan=2 nowrap , , - ,

William Cullom William Cullom (June 4, 1810 – December 6, 1896) was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives. Biography Cullom was born on June 4, 1810, near Monticello, Kentucky, in Wayne County, Kentucky, Wayne Cou ...

Redistricted from the . , , Whig ,

, Incumbent re-elected. , - ! , colspan=3 , New district , , New member elected.
Whig gain. , nowrap , , - ! rowspan=2 , ,

William H. Polk William Hawkins Polk (May 24, 1815 – December 16, 1862) was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee's 6th congressional district from 1851 to 1853. He was the younger brother of President J ...

, , Independent
Democratic ,

, , Incumbent retired.
Independent Democratic loss. , rowspan=2 nowrap ,

George W. Jones George Wallace Jones (April 12, 1804 – July 22, 1896) was an American frontiersman, entrepreneur, attorney, and judge, was among the first two United States Senators to represent the state of Iowa after it was admitted to the Union in 1846 ...

(Democratic) 100% , - ,

Redistricted from the . , , Democratic ,

, Incumbent re-elected. , - ! ,

Meredith P. Gentry Meredith Poindexter Gentry (September 15, 1809 – November 2, 1866) was an American politician who represented Tennessee's eighth and seventh districts in the United States House of Representatives. Biography Gentry was born in Rockingham ...

, , Whig ,

1845 Events January–March * January 10 – Elizabeth Barrett receives a love letter from the younger poet Robert Browning; on May 20, they meet for the first time in London. She begins writing her ''Sonnets from the Portuguese''. * January 23 ...

, , Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Whig hold. , nowrap , , - ! , colspan=3 , New district , , New member elected.
Whig gain. , nowrap , , - ! rowspan=2 , ,

Isham G. Harris Isham Green Harris (February 10, 1818July 8, 1897) was an American politician who served as the 16th governor of Tennessee from 1857 to 1862, and as a U.S. senator from 1877 until his death. He was the state's first governor from West Tennessee. ...

, , Democratic ,

, , Incumbent retired.
Democratic loss. , rowspan=2 nowrap , , - , Christopher H. Williams
Redistricted from the . , , Whig ,

, Incumbent re-elected. , - ! ,

Frederick P. Stanton Frederick Perry Stanton (December 22, 1814 – June 4, 1894) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee's 10th congressional district and as Secretary (and at times acting gov ...

, , Democratic ,

, Incumbent re-elected. , nowrap ,

Texas

Vermont

Virginia

Wisconsin

, - ! ,

Charles Durkee Charles H. Durkee (December 10, 1805January 14, 1870) was an American pioneer, Congressman, and United States Senator from Wisconsin. He was one of the founders of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and was a Governor of the Utah Territory in the last five yea ...

, , Free Soil ,

1848 1848 is historically famous for the wave of revolutions, a series of widespread struggles for more liberal governments, which broke out from Brazil to Hungary; although most failed in their immediate aims, they significantly altered the polit ...

, , Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain. , nowrap , , - ! ,

Ben C. Eastman Ben C. Eastman (October 24, 1812 – February 2, 1856) was an American lawyer and politician who represented Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives in the Thirty-second and Thirty-third Congres ...

, , Democratic ,

, Incumbent re-elected. , nowrap , , - ! , James Duane Doty , , Ind. Democratic ,

, , Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Democratic gain. , nowrap ,

Non-voting delegates

, - ! , Henry Hastings Sibley , , Democratic , 1848
1849
1849 , , Incumbent retired.
New delegate elected.
Democratic hold. , nowrap , , - ! ,

Richard H. Weightman Richard Hanson Weightman (December 28, 1816 – August 10, 1861) was an antebellum delegate to the United States Congress from the Territory of New Mexico. He was also a district commander of the secessionist Missouri State Guard during the ...

, , Democratic ,

, , Incumbent retired.
New delegate elected in 1853.
Democratic hold. , nowrap , , - ! , Joseph Lane , , Democratic ,

, Incumbent re-elected. , nowrap ,

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

Office of the Historian
(Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives) {{DEFAULTSORT:1852-53 United States House of Representatives elections

Election summaries

Alabama

Arkansas

California

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Mississippi

Missouri

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Vermont

Virginia

Wisconsin

Non-voting delegates

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links