The 1821 United States Senate election in New York was held on February 6, 1821, by the New York State Legislature to elect a

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

(Class 1) to represent the State of

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 * '' ...

in the United States Senate.

Background

Nathan Sanford Nathan Sanford (November 5, 1777 – October 17, 1838) was an American politician. Early life Sanford was born on November 5, 1777, in Bridgehampton, New York. He was the son of Thomas Sanford and Phebe (née Baker) Sanford, a family of farme ...

had been elected in 1815 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1821. Although nominally in the same party, the

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

s were split into two fiercely opposing factions: the "Clintonians" (allies of Governor

DeWitt Clinton DeWitt Clinton (March 2, 1769February 11, 1828) was an American politician and naturalist. He served as a United States senator, as the mayor of New York City, and as the seventh governor of New York. In this last capacity, he was largely res ...

), and " Bucktails" (a combine of the Tammany members from New York City and Clinton's upstate adversaries led by Martin Van Buren). The

Federalist Party The Federalist Party was a Conservatism in the United States, conservative political party which was the first political party in the United States. As such, under Alexander Hamilton, it dominated the national government from 1789 to 1801. De ...

had disbanded, the larger part joining the Clintonians, the others the Bucktails. At the State election in April 1820, although Clinton was re-elected Governor, a Bucktails majority was elected to the Assembly, and five of the eight State Senators up for renewal were Bucktails. The

44th New York State Legislature The 44th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from November 7, 1820, to April 3, 1821, during the fourth year of DeWitt Clinton's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the ...

met from November 7 to 20, 1820; and from January 9 to April 3, 1821, at Albany, New York. The party strength in the Assembly as shown by the vote for Speaker was: 69 for Bucktail Peter Sharpe and 52 for Clintonian

John C. Spencer John Canfield Spencer (January 8, 1788May 17, 1855) was an American lawyer, politician, judge and United States Cabinet secretary in the administration of President John Tyler. Early life John Canfield Spencer was born on January 8, 1788, in H ...

Candidates

Before the election, a caucus of Democratic-Republican State legislators was held with 82 members present. 58 voted for Van Buren, 24 for Sanford, and Martin Van Buren was declared nominated. In the election, he received the votes of the Bucktails. Disregarding the caucus nominee, a practice now already established, the incumbent U.S. Senator Nathan Sanford received the votes of the Clintonians.

Result

Martin Van Buren was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected.

Sources

''The New York Civil List''
compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 63 for U.S. Senators; pg. 124 for State Senators 1820-21; pg. 196f for Members of Assembly 1820-21)
Members of the 17th United States Congress''History of Political Parties in the State of New-York, Vol. I''
by Jabez Delano Hammond (pages 561f) ives Senate vote as 17 to 8, Hammond himself abstainedbr>Election result (U.S. Senator)
at Tufts University Library project "A New Nation Votes" ives Senate vote as 19 to 11br>Election result (Speaker)
at Tufts University Library project "A New Nation Votes" {{New York elections

1821 Events January–March * January 21 – Peter I Island in the Antarctic is first sighted, by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen. * January 28 – Alexander Island, the largest in Antarctica, is first discovered by Fabian Gottlieb von Be ...

United States Senate Martin Van Buren