United States House election, 1848
Encyclopedia
Elections to the United States House of Representatives
were held in 1848.
The Democrats
gained three seats, regaining the majority they had lost to the Whigs
just two years earlier in the election of 1846.
The Mexican–American War
, which ended with an American victory several months before the election, was a big factor in the election. Zachary Taylor
, a general in the war, was elected president as a Whig, but the Democrats, who instigated the war, were rewarded for their victory by regaining their House majority. The fiercely abolitionist
Free Soil Party
was a huge spoiler
in this election, earning 9 seats in districts that generally supported Whig politicians.
When Congress assembled on March 3, 1849, no single party was able to win a majority
of the vote for Speaker of the House
. The Whigs split; the majority renominating Robert Charles Winthrop
of Massachusetts
but the southern Whigs split off to support Meredith Poindexter Gentry
of Tennessee
. The Democrats put forth Howell Cobb
of Georgia
, while the Free Soilers supported David Wilmot
of Pennsylvania
, author of the Wilmot Proviso
.
The impasse continued until the 63d ballot. Two dozen other candidates were offered in the hopes that someone else could gain a majority. The Democrats and Free Soilers attempted a compromise on the 40th ballot, but this was exposed when Edward Stanly
, a Whig from North Carolina
, exposed the deal. After the 59th ballot, Stanly offered a proposal, which was accepted. The House would take three additional ballots. If no candidate won the majority, whoever placed first on the 63d ballot would be declared the new Speaker. Cobb was chosen on the 63d ballot with 102 votes to 99 for Winthrop and 20 scattering.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
were held in 1848.
The Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
gained three seats, regaining the majority they had lost to the Whigs
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
just two years earlier in the election of 1846.
The Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
, which ended with an American victory several months before the election, was a big factor in the election. Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
, a general in the war, was elected president as a Whig, but the Democrats, who instigated the war, were rewarded for their victory by regaining their House majority. The fiercely abolitionist
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
Free Soil Party
Free Soil Party
The Free Soil Party was a short-lived political party in the United States active in the 1848 and 1852 presidential elections, and in some state elections. It was a third party and a single-issue party that largely appealed to and drew its greatest strength from New York State. The party leadership...
was a huge spoiler
Spoiler effect
The spoiler effect describes the effect a minor party candidate with little chance of winning has in a close election, when that candidate's presence in the election draws votes from a major candidate similar to them, thereby causing a candidate dissimilar to them to win the election...
in this election, earning 9 seats in districts that generally supported Whig politicians.
When Congress assembled on March 3, 1849, no single party was able to win a majority
Majority
A majority is a subset of a group consisting of more than half of its members. This can be compared to a plurality, which is a subset larger than any other subset; i.e. a plurality is not necessarily a majority as the largest subset may consist of less than half the group's population...
of the vote for Speaker of the House
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
. The Whigs split; the majority renominating Robert Charles Winthrop
Robert Charles Winthrop
Robert Charles Winthrop was an American lawyer and philanthropist and one time Speaker of the United States House of Representatives....
of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
but the southern Whigs split off to support Meredith Poindexter Gentry
Meredith Poindexter Gentry
Meredith Poindexter Gentry was an American politician who represented Tennessee's eighth and seventh districts in the United States House of Representatives. He also served in the Confederate States Congress during the American Civil War.-Biography:Gentry was born in Rockingham County, North...
of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. The Democrats put forth Howell Cobb
Howell Cobb
Howell Cobb was an American political figure. A Southern Democrat, Cobb was a five-term member of the United States House of Representatives and Speaker of the House from 1849 to 1851...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, while the Free Soilers supported David Wilmot
David Wilmot
David Wilmot was a U.S. political figure. He was a sponsor and eponym of the Wilmot Proviso which aimed to ban slavery in land gained from Mexico in the Mexican-American War of 1846–1848. Wilmot was a Democrat, a Free Soiler, and a Republican during his political career...
of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, author of the Wilmot Proviso
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso, one of the major events leading to the Civil War, would have banned slavery in any territory to be acquired from Mexico in the Mexican War or in the future, including the area later known as the Mexican Cession, but which some proponents construed to also include the disputed...
.
The impasse continued until the 63d ballot. Two dozen other candidates were offered in the hopes that someone else could gain a majority. The Democrats and Free Soilers attempted a compromise on the 40th ballot, but this was exposed when Edward Stanly
Edward Stanly
Edward W. Stanly was a North Carolina politician and orator who represented the southeastern portion of the State in the U.S. House for five terms. In 1857, Stanly ran for Governor of California but lost to John B. Weller. Politicians of the mid-nineteenth century remarked that Stanly bore a...
, a Whig from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, exposed the deal. After the 59th ballot, Stanly offered a proposal, which was accepted. The House would take three additional ballots. If no candidate won the majority, whoever placed first on the 63d ballot would be declared the new Speaker. Cobb was chosen on the 63d ballot with 102 votes to 99 for Winthrop and 20 scattering.
Overall results
| Party | Total seats (change) | Seat percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
113 | +3 | 48.7% |
| Whig Party Whig Party (United States) The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic... |
108 | -8 | 46.6% |
| Free Soil Party Free Soil Party The Free Soil Party was a short-lived political party in the United States active in the 1848 and 1852 presidential elections, and in some state elections. It was a third party and a single-issue party that largely appealed to and drew its greatest strength from New York State. The party leadership... |
9 | +9 | 3.9% |
| Independents Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
1 | 0 | 0.4% |
| American Party | 1 | 0 | 0.4% |
| Totals | 232 | +2 | 100% |
See also
- http://clerk.house.gov/histHigh/Congressional_History/index.html
- http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=343141