1862 and 1863 United States House of Representatives elections
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All 184 seats[lower-alpha 2] in the U.S. House of Representatives 93 seats needed for a majority |
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Elections to the United States House of Representatives were held during President Abraham Lincoln's first term at various dates in different states from June 1862 to November 1863. Republicans lost 22 seats and the majority, while Democrats gained 28.
The Civil War to date had been only weakly successful for the Union, but had wrought major, disruptive change in the size and reach of the Federal Government, which before the war had been small and little seen beyond post offices, customs houses in ports, and scattered military posts. The Republican Party was also relatively new, yet had led the Union down a radical path of rapid industrialization and destructive total war.
Voters turned on the Administration. Points of dissatisfaction included failure to deliver a speedy victory at times verging on military incompetence, rising inflation, new taxes, rumors of corruption, suspension of habeas corpus, conscription or the draft law, and racist fear of a future in which larger numbers of free African-Americans would compete for jobs and depress wages. For example, expressing a typical sentiment, the Cincinnati Gazette editorialized that voters "are depressed by the interminable nature of this war, as so far conducted, and by the rapid exhaustion of the national resources without progress."[1]
Short of a majority, Republicans retained control with the support of the Unionist Party. In September 1862, President Lincoln warned the South that he planned by executive order, and as a war measure, to liberate all slaves in rebelling states as of January 1, 1863. The popularity of emancipation varied by region. It was more popular in New England and areas near the Great Lakes, and less popular in cities with large immigrant populations and in the southern portion of the North. Democrats hailed the elections as a repudiation of emancipation, but the results did not alter Lincoln's plan or hamper prosecution of the war.[2]
In Lincoln's home district of Springfield, Illinois, John T. Stuart, a Democrat and one of Lincoln's former law partners, defeated the Republican incumbent. Racism, including fear of an influx freed slaves and a desire by white voters to prevent black suffrage, helped drive the result.[3] The sitting House Speaker, Galusha Grow of Pennsylvania, also lost re-election. He would return to the House in 1894.
Contents
Election summaries
The eight Representatives remaining from Tennessee and Virginia in the 37th Congress were absent from the 38th Congress. Other seceded states remained unrepresented, leaving 58 vacancies[4] Upon admission, West Virginia was allotted three Representatives [5] and during the second session one seat was added for the new state of Nevada.[6]
Reapportionment transpired according to the 1860 Census, under the 1850 Apportionment Act[7] providing a total of 233 seats. A later Act added eight seats,[8] increasing the total to 241.
72 | 2 | 85 | 25 |
Democratic | IR | Republican | Unionist |
State | Type | Date ↑ | Total seats (Reapportionment) |
Democratic | Independent Republican |
Republican | Unionist[lower-alpha 3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Seats | Change | Seats | Change | Seats | Change | Seats | Change | Seats | Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oregon | At-large | June 2, 1862 | 1 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
1 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Maine | Districts | September 8, 1862 | 5 | ![]() |
1 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
4 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Indiana | Districts | October 14, 1862 | 11 | ![]() |
7 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
4 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Iowa | Districts | 6 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
6 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Ohio | Districts | 19 | ![]() |
14 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
5 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Pennsylvania | Districts | 24 | ![]() |
12 | ![]() |
2 | ![]() |
10 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Delaware | At-large | November 1, 1862 | 1 | ![]() |
1 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Massachusetts | Districts | 10 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
10 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Illinois | Districts | November 4, 1862 (Election Day)[lower-alpha 4] |
14 | ![]() |
9 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
5 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Kansas | At-large | 1 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
1 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Michigan | Districts | 6 | ![]() |
1 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
5 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Minnesota | Districts | 2 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
2 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Missouri | Districts | 9 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
1 | ![]() |
8 | ![]() |
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New Jersey | Districts | 5 | ![]() |
4 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
1 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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New York | Districts | 31 | ![]() |
17 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
14 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Wisconsin | Districts | 6 | ![]() |
3 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
3 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Late elections (after the March 4, 1863 beginning of the term) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New Hampshire | Districts | March 10, 1863 | 3 | ![]() |
1 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
2 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Rhode Island | Districts | April 1, 1863 | 2 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
2 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Connecticut | Districts | April 6, 1863 | 4 | ![]() |
1 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
3 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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Kentucky | Districts | August 3, 1863 | 9 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
9 | ![]() |
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Vermont | Districts | September 1, 1863 | 3 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
3 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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California | At-large | September 2, 1863 | 3 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
3 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
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West Virginia[lower-alpha 5] | Districts | October 22, 1863 | 3 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
3 | ![]() |
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Maryland | Districts | November 3, 1863 | 5 | ![]() |
1 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
4 | ![]() |
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Secessionist States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alabama | Districts | None | 6 | ![]() |
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Arkansas | Districts | None | 3 | ![]() |
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Florida | At-large | None | 1 | ![]() |
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Georgia | Districts | None | 7 | ![]() |
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Louisiana | Districts | None | 5 | ![]() |
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Mississippi | Districts | None | 5 | ![]() |
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North Carolina | Districts | None | 7 | ![]() |
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South Carolina | Districts | None | 4 | ![]() |
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Tennessee | Districts | None | 8 | ![]() |
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Texas | Districts | None | 4 | ![]() |
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Virginia | Districts | None | 11[lower-alpha 6] | ![]() |
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Total[lower-alpha 2] | 184 | ![]() |
72 | ![]() |
2 | ![]() |
85 | ![]() |
25 | ![]() |
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58 Vacancies[lower-alpha 7] | 39.1% | 1.1% | 46.2% | 13.6% |
California
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Note: From statehood to 1866, California's representatives were elected state-wide at-large, with the top two vote-getters winning election from 1849 to 1858. In 1860, when California gained a seat, the top three vote-getters were elected.
District | Incumbent | Party | Results | Candidates |
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California at-large Plural district with 3 seats |
Timothy Phelps | Republican | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
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Aaron A. Sargent | Republican | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
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Frederick F. Low | Republican | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
Ohio
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District | Incumbent | Party | First elected |
Result | Candidates[9] |
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Ohio 1 | George H. Pendleton | Democratic | 1856 | Incumbent re-elected. | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
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Ohio 2 | John A. Gurley | Republican | 1858 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio 3 | Clement Vallandigham | Democratic | 1858 (Contested) | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican gain. |
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Ohio 4 | William Allen | Democratic | 1858 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
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Ohio 5 | New district | New district. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio 6 | Chilton A. White | Democratic | 1860 | Incumbent re-elected. | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
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Ohio 7 | Richard A. Harrison | Unionist | 1861 (Special) | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic loss. |
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Samuel S. Cox Redistricted from the C |
Democratic | 1856 | Incumbent re-elected. | ||
Samuel Shellabarger Redistricted from the C |
Republican | 1860 | Incumbent lost renomination. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio 8 | New district | New district. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio 9 | Warren P. Noble | Democratic | 1860 | Incumbent re-elected. | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
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Samuel T. Worcester Redistricted from the C |
Republican | 1861 (Special) | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican loss. |
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Ohio 10 | James M. Ashley Redistricted from the C |
Republican | 1858 | Incumbent re-elected. | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
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Ohio 11 | Valentine B. Horton | Republican | 1860 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio 12 | Carey A. Trimble Redistricted from the C |
Republican | 1858 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio 13 | New district | New district. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio 14 | Harrison G. O. Blake | Republican | 1859 (Special) | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio 15 | Robert H. Nugen | Democratic | 1860 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
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James R. Morris Redistricted from the C |
Democratic | 1860 | Incumbent re-elected. | ||
William P. Cutler Redistricted from the C |
Republican | 1860 | Incumbent lost re-election. New member elected. Republican loss. |
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Ohio 16 | New district | New district. New member elected. Democratic gain. |
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Ohio 17 | New district | New district. New member elected. Republican gain. |
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Ohio 18 | Sidney Edgerton | Republican | 1858 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
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Ohio 19 | Albert G. Riddle | Republican | 1860 | Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold. |
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See also
Notes
- ↑ Excluding states admitted after the start of Congress.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Including late elections.
- ↑ Including Unconditional Unionists.
- ↑ In 1845, Congress passed a law providing for a uniform date for choosing presidential electors (see: Statutes at Large, 28th Congress, 2nd Session, p. 721). Congressional elections were unaffected by this law, but the date was gradually adopted by the states for Congressional elections as well.
- ↑ New state.
- ↑ Subsequently, 3 seats were transferred to the new state of West Virginia.
- ↑ After 3 seats were reassigned from Virginia to West Virginia.
References
Bibliography
- Carson, Jamie L. et al. "The Impact of National Tides and District-Level Effects on Electoral Outcomes: The U.S. Congressional Elections of 1862–63," American Journal of Political Science, October 2001, Vol. 45 Issue 4, pp 887–898 in JSTOR
- Nevins, Allan. Ordeal of the Union: vol 6. War Becomes Revolution, 1862–1863 (1960)
- Shankman, Arnold. "Francis W. Hughes and the 1862 Pennsylvania Election." Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 1971 95(3): 383-393. ISSN 0031-4587
- Tap, Bruce. "Race, Rhetoric, and Emancipation: the Election of 1862 in Illinois." Civil War History 1993 39(2): 101-125. ISSN 0009-8078
- Voegeli, Jacque. "The Northwest and the Race Issue, 1861–1862," Mississippi Valley Historical Review Vol. 50, No. 2 (September 1963), pp. 235–251 IN jstor
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External links
- Office of the Historian (Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)