29th United States Congress

The 29th 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, 1845, to March 4, 1847, during the first two years of James Polk's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1840 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic majority.

• March 4, 1845: James K. Polk became President of the United States
• October 10, 1845: The Naval School (later renamed the United States Naval Academy) opened in Annapolis, Maryland
• December 2, 1845: President Polk announced to Congress that the Monroe Doctrine should be strictly enforced and that the United States should aggressively expand into the West.
• April 25, 1846: Open conflict over border disputes of Texas's boundaries began the Mexican–American War

• May 13, 1846: Mexican–American War declared, ch. 16, 9 Stat. 9
• July 9, 1846: District of Columbia retrocession, ch. 35, 9 Stat. 35
• July 30, 1846: Walker tariff, ch. 74, 9 Stat. 42

• June 15, 1846: Oregon Treaty established the 49th parallel as the border between the United States and Canada, from the Rocky Mountains to the Strait of Juan de Fuca
• January 13, 1847: Treaty of Cahuenga ended the fighting in the Mexican–American War in California (not a formal treaty between nations but an informal agreement between rival military forces)

• December 29, 1845: Texas admitted as the 28th state
• December 28, 1846: Iowa admitted as the 29th state

During this congress, two Senate seats were added for each of the new states of Texas and Iowa.

During this congress, two House seats were added for each of the new states of Texas and Iowa.

Presidents pro tempore

Willie P. Mangum (D)
until March 4, 1845

Ambrose H. Sevier (D)
on December 27, 1845

David R. Atchison (D)
from August 8, 1846

• President: George M. Dallas (D)
• President pro tempore: Willie P. Mangum (W), until March 4, 1845
  • Ambrose Hundley Sevier (D), only on December 27, 1845
  • David R. Atchison (D), from August 8, 1846

• Speaker: John W. Davis (D)

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

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 with this Congress, facing re-election in 1850; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1846; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1848.

Alabama ▌2. Dixon H. Lewis (D) ▌3. Arthur P. Bagby (D) Arkansas ▌2. Chester Ashley (D) ▌3. Ambrose H. Sevier (D) Connecticut ▌1. Jabez W. Huntington (W) ▌3. John M. Niles (D) Delaware ▌1. John M. Clayton (W) ▌2. Thomas Clayton (W) Florida ▌1. David Levy Yulee (D), from July 1, 1845 ▌3. James Westcott (D), from July 1, 1845 Georgia ▌2. John M. Berrien (W), until May, 1845; from November 13, 1845 ▌3. Walter T. Colquitt (D) Illinois ▌2. James Semple (D) ▌3. Sidney Breese (D) Indiana ▌1. Jesse D. Bright (D) ▌3. Edward A. Hannegan (D) Iowa 2. Vacant after being admitted to the Union December 28, 1846 3. Vacant after being admitted to the Union December 28, 1846 Kentucky ▌2. James T. Morehead (W) ▌3. John J. Crittenden (W) Louisiana ▌2. Alexander Barrow (W), until December 29, 1846 ▌Pierre Soulé (D), from January 21, 1847 ▌3. Henry Johnson (W) Maine ▌1. John Fairfield (D) ▌2. George Evans (W) Maryland ▌1. Reverdy Johnson (W) ▌3. James Pearce (W) Massachusetts ▌1. Daniel Webster (W) ▌2. Isaac C. Bates (W), until March 16, 1845 ▌John Davis (W), from March 24, 1845 Michigan ▌1. Lewis Cass (D) ▌2. William Woodbridge (W)

Mississippi ▌1. Jesse Speight (D) ▌2. Robert J. Walker (D), until March 5, 1845 ▌Joseph W. Chalmers (D), from November 3, 1845 Missouri ▌1. Thomas H. Benton (D) ▌3. David R. Atchison (D) New Hampshire ▌2. Levi Woodbury (D), until September 20, 1845 ▌Benning W. Jenness (D), from December 1, 1845, until June 13, 1846 ▌Joseph Cilley (L), from June 13, 1846 ▌3. Charles G. Atherton (D) New Jersey ▌1. William L. Dayton (W) ▌2. Jacob W. Miller (W) New York ▌1. Daniel S. Dickinson (D) ▌3. John A. Dix (D) North Carolina ▌2. Willie P. Mangum (W) ▌3. William H. Haywood Jr. (D), until July 25, 1846 ▌George E. Badger (W), from November 26, 1846 Ohio ▌1. Thomas Corwin (W) ▌3. William Allen (D) Pennsylvania ▌1. Daniel Sturgeon (D) ▌3. James Buchanan (D), until March 5, 1845 ▌Simon Cameron (D), from March 13, 1845 Rhode Island ▌1. Albert C. Greene (W) ▌2. James F. Simmons (W) South Carolina ▌2. John C. Calhoun (D), from November 26, 1845 ▌3. George McDuffie (D), until August 17, 1846 ▌Andrew Butler (D), from December 4, 1846 Tennessee ▌1. Hopkins L. Turney (D) ▌2. Spencer Jarnagin (W) Texas ▌1. Thomas J. Rusk (D), from February 21, 1846 (newly admitted state) ▌2. Samuel Houston (D), from February 21, 1846 (newly admitted state) Vermont ▌1. Samuel S. Phelps (W) ▌3. William Upham (W) Virginia ▌1. Isaac S. Pennybacker (D), December 3, 1845 – January 12, 1847 ▌James M. Mason (D), from January 21, 1847 ▌2. William S. Archer (W)

The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

Alabama ▌1. Edmund S. Dargan (D) ▌2. Henry W. Hilliard (W) ▌3. William L. Yancey (D), until September 1, 1846 ▌James L. Cottrell (D), from December 7, 1846 ▌4. William W. Payne (D) ▌5. George S. Houston (D) ▌6. Reuben Chapman (D) ▌7. Felix G. McConnell (D), until September 10, 1846 ▌Franklin W. Bowdon (D), from December 7, 1846 Arkansas ▌At-large. Archibald Yell (D), until July 1, 1846 ▌Thomas W. Newton (W), from February 6, 1847 Connecticut ▌1. James Dixon (W) ▌2. Samuel D. Hubbard (W) ▌3. John A. Rockwell (W) ▌4. Truman Smith (W) Delaware ▌At-large. John W. Houston (W) Florida ▌At-large. Edward C. Cabell (W), from October 6, 1845, until January 24, 1846 ▌William H. Brockenbrough (D), from January 24, 1846 Georgia ▌1. Thomas Butler King (W) ▌2. Seaborn Jones (D) ▌3. George W. B. Towns (D), from January 5, 1846 ▌4. Hugh A. Haralson (D) ▌5. John H. Lumpkin (D) ▌6. Howell Cobb (D) ▌7. Alexander H. Stephens (W) ▌8. Robert A. Toombs (W) Illinois ▌1. Robert Smith (D) ▌2. John A. McClernand (D) ▌3. Orlando B. Ficklin (D) ▌4. John Wentworth (D) ▌5. Stephen A. Douglas (D), until March 3, 1847 ▌6. Joseph P. Hoge (D) ▌7. Edward D. Baker (W), until January 15, 1847 ▌John Henry (W), from February 5, 1847 Indiana ▌1. Robert D. Owen (D) ▌2. Thomas J. Henley (D) ▌3. Thomas Smith (D) ▌4. Caleb B. Smith (W) ▌5. William W. Wick (D) ▌6. John W. Davis (D) ▌7. Edward W. McGaughey (W) ▌8. John Pettit (D) ▌9. Charles W. Cathcart (D) ▌10. Andrew Kennedy (D) Iowa ▌At-large. S. Clifton Hastings (D), from December 28, 1846 (newly admitted state) ▌At-large. Shepherd Leffler (D), from December 28, 1846 (newly admitted state) Kentucky ▌1. Linn Boyd (D) ▌2. John H. McHenry (W) ▌3. Henry Grider (W) ▌4. Joshua F. Bell (W) ▌5. Bryan R. Young (W) ▌6. John P. Martin (D) ▌7. William P. Thomasson (W) ▌8. Garrett Davis (W) ▌9. Andrew A. Trumbo (W) ▌10. John W. Tibbatts (D) Louisiana ▌1. John Slidell (D), until November 10, 1845 ▌Emile La Sére (D), from January 29, 1846 ▌2. Bannon G. Thibodeaux (W) ▌3. John H. Harmanson (D) ▌4. Isaac E. Morse (D) Maine ▌1. John F. Scamman (D) ▌2. Robert P. Dunlap (D) ▌3. Luther Severance (W) ▌4. John D. McCrate (D) ▌5. Cullen Sawtelle (D) ▌6. Hannibal Hamlin (D) ▌7. Hezekiah Williams (D) Maryland ▌1. John G. Chapman (W) ▌2. Thomas J. Perry (D) ▌3. Thomas W. Ligon (D) ▌4. William F. Giles (D) ▌5. Albert Constable (D) ▌6. Edward H. C. Long (W) Massachusetts ▌1. Robert C. Winthrop (W) ▌2. Daniel P. King (W) ▌3. Amos Abbott (W) ▌4. Benjamin Thompson (W) ▌5. Charles Hudson (W) ▌6. George Ashmun (W) ▌7. Julius Rockwell (W) ▌8. John Quincy Adams (W) ▌9. Artemas Hale (W) ▌10. Joseph Grinnell (W) Michigan ▌1. Robert McClelland (D) ▌2. John S. Chipman (D) ▌3. James B. Hunt (D) Mississippi ▌At-large. Stephen Adams (D) ▌At-large. Jefferson Davis (D), until October 28, 1846 ▌Henry T. Ellett (D), from January 26, 1847 ▌At-large. Robert W. Roberts (D) ▌At-large. Jacob Thompson (D) Missouri ▌At-large. James B. Bowlin (D) ▌At-large. John S. Phelps (D) ▌At-large. Sterling Price (D), until August 12, 1846 ▌William McDaniel (D), from December 7, 1846 ▌At-large. James H. Relfe (D) ▌At-large. Leonard H. Sims (D) New Hampshire ▌At-large. James H. Johnson (D) ▌At-large. Mace Moulton (D) ▌At-large. Moses Norris Jr. (D) At-large. Vacant New Jersey ▌1. James G. Hampton (W) ▌2. Samuel G. Wright (W), until July 30, 1845 ▌George Sykes (D), from November 4, 1845 ▌3. John Runk (W) ▌4. Joseph E. Edsall (D) ▌5. William Wright (W)

New York ▌1. John W. Lawrence (D) ▌2. Henry J. Seaman (A) ▌3. William S. Miller (A) ▌4. William B. Maclay (D) ▌5. Thomas M. Woodruff (A) ▌6. William W. Campbell (A) ▌7. Joseph H. Anderson (D) ▌8. William W. Woodworth (D) ▌9. Archibald C. Niven (D) ▌10. Samuel Gordon (D) ▌11. John F. Collin (D) ▌12. Richard P. Herrick (W), until June 20, 1846 ▌Thomas C. Ripley (W), from December 17, 1846 ▌13. Bradford R. Wood (D) ▌14. Erastus D. Culver (W) ▌15. Joseph Russell (D) ▌16. Hugh White (W) ▌17. Charles S. Benton (D) ▌18. Preston King (D) ▌19. Orville Hungerford (D) ▌20. Timothy Jenkins (D) ▌21. Charles Goodyear (D) ▌22. Stephen Strong (D) ▌23. William J. Hough (D) ▌24. Horace Wheaton (D) ▌25. George O. Rathbun (D) ▌26. Samuel S. Ellsworth (D) ▌27. John De Mott (D) ▌28. Elias B. Holmes (W) ▌29. Charles H. Carroll (W) ▌30. Martin Grover (D) ▌31. Abner Lewis (W) ▌32. William A. Moseley (W) ▌33. Albert Smith (W) ▌34. Washington Hunt (W) North Carolina ▌1. James Graham (W) ▌2. Daniel M. Barringer (W) ▌3. David S. Reid (D) ▌4. Alfred Dockery (W) ▌5. James C. Dobbin (D) ▌6. James I. McKay (D) ▌7. John R. J. Daniel (D) ▌8. Henry S. Clark (D) ▌9. Asa Biggs (D) Ohio ▌1. James J. Faran (D) ▌2. Francis A. Cunningham (D) ▌3. Robert C. Schenck (W) ▌4. Joseph Vance (W) ▌5. William Sawyer (D) ▌6. Henry St. John (D) ▌7. Joseph J. McDowell (D) ▌8. Allen G. Thurman (D) ▌9. Augustus L. Perrill (D) ▌10. Columbus Delano (W) ▌11. Jacob Brinkerhoff (D) ▌12. Samuel F. Vinton (W) ▌13. Isaac Parrish (D) ▌14. Alexander Harper (W) ▌15. Joseph Morris (D) ▌16. John D. Cummins (D) ▌17. George Fries (D) ▌18. David A. Starkweather (D) ▌19. Daniel R. Tilden (W) ▌20. Joshua R. Giddings (W) ▌21. Joseph M. Root (W) Pennsylvania ▌1. Lewis C. Levin (A) ▌2. Joseph R. Ingersoll (W) ▌3. John H. Campbell (A) ▌4. Charles J. Ingersoll (D) ▌5. Jacob S. Yost (D) ▌6. Jacob Erdman (D) ▌7. Abraham R. McIlvaine (W) ▌8. John Strohm (W) ▌9. John Ritter (D) ▌10. Richard Brodhead (D) ▌11. Owen D. Leib (D) ▌12. David Wilmot (D) ▌13. James Pollock (W) ▌14. Alexander Ramsey (W) ▌15. Moses McClean (D) ▌16. James Black (D) ▌17. John Blanchard (W) ▌18. Andrew Stewart (W) ▌19. Henry D. Foster (D) ▌20. John H. Ewing (W) ▌21. Cornelius Darragh (W) ▌22. William S. Garvin (D) ▌23. James Thompson (D) ▌24. Joseph Buffington (W) Rhode Island ▌1. Henry Y. Cranston (W) ▌2. Lemuel H. Arnold (W) South Carolina ▌1. James A. Black (D) ▌2. Richard F. Simpson (D) ▌3. Joseph A. Woodward (D) ▌4. Alexander D. Sims (D) ▌5. Armistead Burt (D) ▌6. Isaac E. Holmes (D) ▌7. Robert Rhett (D) Tennessee ▌1. Andrew Johnson (D) ▌2. William M. Cocke (W) ▌3. John H. Crozier (W) ▌4. Alvan Cullom (D) ▌5. George W. Jones (D) ▌6. Barclay Martin (D) ▌7. Meredith P. Gentry (W) ▌8. Joseph H. Peyton (W), until November 11, 1845 ▌Edwin H. Ewing (W), from January 2, 1846 ▌9. Lucien B. Chase (D) ▌10. Frederick P. Stanton (D) ▌11. Milton Brown (W) Texas ▌1. David S. Kaufman (D), from March 30, 1846 (newly admitted state) ▌2. Timothy Pilsbury (D), from March 30, 1846 (newly admitted state) Vermont ▌1. Solomon Foot (W) ▌2. Jacob Collamer (W) ▌3. George P. Marsh (W) ▌4. Paul Dillingham Jr. (D) Virginia ▌1. Archibald Atkinson (D) ▌2. George C. Dromgoole (D) ▌3. William M. Tredway (D) ▌4. Edmund W. Hubard (D) ▌5. Shelton F. Leake (D) ▌6. James A. Seddon (D) ▌7. Thomas H. Bayly (D) ▌8. Robert M. T. Hunter (D) ▌9. John S. Pendleton (W) ▌10. Henry Bedinger (D) ▌11. William Taylor (D), until January 17, 1846 ▌James McDowell (D), from March 6, 1846 ▌12. Augustus A. Chapman (D) ▌13. George W. Hopkins (D) ▌14. Joseph Johnson (D) ▌15. William G. Brown Sr. (D) Non-voting members ▌Iowa Territory. Augustus C. Dodge (D), until December 28, 1846 ▌Wisconsin Territory. Morgan L. Martin (D)

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

• Replacements: 8
  • Democrats (D): no net change
  • Whigs (W): no net change
• Deaths: 3
• Resignations: 6
• Interim appointments: 1
• Seats of newly admitted states: 4
• Total seats with changes: 14

• Replacements: 12
  • Democrats (D): 1 seat net gain
  • Whigs (W): 1 seat net loss
• Deaths: 5
• Resignations: 6
• Contested election: 1
• Seats of newly admitted states: 4
• Total seats with changes: 17

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

• Agriculture (Chairman: Daniel Sturgeon)
• Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate (Chairman: Jesse Speight)
• Charges of Corruption Contained in the Daily Times (Select)
• Claims (Chairman: Isaac S. Pennybacker)
• Commerce (Chairman: William Haywood then John Adams Dix)
• Distributing Public Revenue Among the States (Select)
• District of Columbia (Chairman: William Haywood then Simon Cameron)
• Finance (Chairman: John C. Calhoun then Dixon H. Lewis)
• Foreign Relations (Chairman: William Allen then Ambrose H. Sevier)
• French Spoilations (Select) (Chairman: Daniel Webster)
• Indian Affairs (Chairman: Ambrose H. Sevier then Arthur P. Bagby)
• International Copyright Law (Select) (Chairman: Lewis Cass)
• Judiciary (Chairman: Chester Ashley)
• Manufactures (Chairman: Daniel S. Dickinson)
• Memorial on W.T.G. Morton (Select)
• Memphis Convention (Select) (Chairman: John C. Calhoun)
• Military Affairs (Chairman: Thomas H. Benton)
• Militia (Chairman: David R. Atchison)
• Naval Affairs (Chairman: John Fairfield)
• Ordnance and War Ships (Select)
• Patents and the Patent Office (Chairman: Simon Cameron then Walter Colquitt)
• Pensions (Chairman: Henry Johnson)
• Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: John M. Niles)
• Printing (Chairman: Charles G. Atherton)
• Private Land Claims (Chairman: David Levy Yulee)
• Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: Simon Cameron)
• Public Lands (Chairman: Sidney Breese)
• Retrenchment (Chairman: Dixon H. Lewis)
• Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: Thomas Clayton)
• Roads and Canals (Chairman: Edward A. Hannegan)
• Tariff Regulation (Select)
• Territories (Chairman: James Westcott)
• Smithsonian Institution (Select) (Chairman: John Adams Dix)
• Whole

• Accounts (Chairman: Daniel P. King)
• Agriculture (Chairman: Joseph H. Anderson)
• Claims (Chairman: John Reeves Jones Daniel)
• Commerce (Chairman: Robert McClelland)
• District of Columbia (Chairman: Robert M.T. Hunter)
• Elections (Chairman: Hannibal Hamlin)
• Engraving (Chairman: Jacob S. Yost)
• Expenditures in the Navy Department (Chairman: John F. Collin)
• Expenditures in the Post Office Department (Chairman: John H. Harmanson)
• Expenditures in the State Department (Chairman: Stephen Strong)
• Expenditures in the Treasury Department (Chairman: John F. Scammon)
• Expenditures in the War Department (Chairman: Owen D. Leib)
• Expenditures on Public Buildings (Chairman: Orlando B. Ficklin)
• Foreign Affairs (Chairman: Charles J. Ingersoll)
• Indian Affairs (Chairman: John A. McClernand)
• Invalid Pensions (Chairman: Preston King)
• Judiciary (Chairman: George O. Rathbun)
• Manufactures (Chairman: John Quincy Adams)
• Mileage (Chairman: John P. Martin)
• Military Affairs (Chairman: Hugh A. Haralson)
• Militia (Chairman: James A. Black)
• Naval Affairs (Chairman: Isaac E. Holmes)
• Patents (Chairman: Thomas J. Henley)
• Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: George W. Hopkins)
• Private Land Claims (Chairman: James B. Bowlin)
• Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: Orlando B. Ficklin)
• Public Expenditures (Chairman: Robert P. Dunlap)
• Public Lands (Chairman: John A. McClernand)
• Revisal and Unfinished Business (Chairman: Cullen Sawtelle)
• Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: Joseph Johnson)
• Revolutionary Pensions (Chairman: Richard Brodhead)
• Roads and Canals (Chairman: Robert Smith)
• Rules (Select)
• Standards of Official Conduct
• Territories (Chairman: Stephen A. Douglas)
• Ways and Means (Chairman: James I. McKay)
• Whole

• Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Sen. Jesse D. Bright)
• The Library (Chairman: N/A)
• Printing (Chairman: N/A)
• Smithsonian Bequest

• Librarian of Congress: John Silva Meehan

• Chaplain: Septimus Tustin (Presbyterian), until December 16, 1846
  • Henry Slicer (Methodist), elected December 16, 1846
• Secretary: Asbury Dickins
• Sergeant at Arms: Edward Dyer, died September 8, 1845
  • Robert Beale, elected December 9, 1845

• Chaplain: William H. Milburn (Methodist), elected December 3, 1845
  • William T.S. Sprole (Presbyterian), elected December 7, 1846
• Clerk: Benjamin B. French
• Doorkeeper: Cornelius C. Whitney, elected December 3, 1845
• Postmaster: John M. Johnson
• Reading Clerks: [data missing]
• Sergeant at Arms: Newton Lane

• 1844 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress)
  • 1844 United States presidential election
  • 1844–45 United States Senate elections
  • 1844–45 United States House of Representatives elections
• 1846 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
  • 1846–47 United States Senate elections
  • 1846–47 United States House of Representatives elections

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.

• Statutes at Large, 1789–1875
• Senate Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
• House Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
• Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
• U.S. House of Representatives: House History
• U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists
• Congressional Directory for the 29th Congress, 1st Session.
• Congress, United States (1846). Congressional Directory for the 29th Congress, 1st Session (Revision).
• Congressional Directory for the 29th Congress, 2nd Session.