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, to March 4, 1855, during the first two years of Franklin Pierce's presidency. During this session, the Kansas–Nebraska Act was passed, an act that soon led to the creation of the Republican Party. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1850 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic majority.

Major events



 * March 4, 1853: Franklin Pierce became 14th President of the United States
 * April 18, 1853: Vice President William R. King died
 * July 8, 1853: Commodore Matthew C. Perry arrived in Edo Bay with a request for a trade treaty
 * December 30, 1853: Gadsden Purchase: The United States bought land from Mexico to facilitate railroad building in the Southwest
 * March 20, 1854: Republican Party founded

Major legislation

 * May 30, 1854: Kansas–Nebraska Act, ch. 59,
 * March 3, 1855: The U.S. Congress appropriates $30,000 to create the U.S. Camel Corps

Treaties

 * January 26, 1854: Point No Point Treaty signed
 * March 31, 1854: Convention of Kanagawa signed with the Japanese government, opening the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American trade

Territories organized

 * May 30, 1854 – Kansas Territory was organized.
 * May 30, 1854 – Nebraska Territory was organized.

House of Representatives
For the beginning of this congress, the size of the House was increased from 233 seats to 234 seats, following the 1850 United States census (See ).

Senate

 * President: William R. King (D), until April 18, 1853; vacant thereafter.
 * President pro tempore: David R. Atchison (D), until December 4, 1854
 * Lewis Cass (D), December 4, 1854
 * Jesse D. Bright (D), from December 5, 1854

House of Representatives

 * Speaker: Linn Boyd (D)
 * Democratic Caucus Chairman: Edson B. Olds

Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.

Senate
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 in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1856; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1858; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1854. The United States consisted of 31 states during this Congress.
 * Skip to House of Representatives, below

Alabama

 * 2. Clement C. Clay Jr. (D), from November 29, 1853
 * 3. Benjamin Fitzpatrick (D)

Arkansas

 * 2. William K. Sebastian (D)
 * 3. Solon Borland (D), until April 11, 1853
 * Robert W. Johnson (D), from July 6, 1853

California

 * 1. John B. Weller (D)
 * 3. William M. Gwin (D)

Connecticut

 * 1. Isaac Toucey (D)
 * 3. Truman Smith (W), until May 24, 1854
 * Francis Gillette (FS), from May 24, 1854

Delaware

 * 1. James A. Bayard Jr. (D)
 * 2. John M. Clayton (W)

Florida

 * 1. Stephen Mallory (D)
 * 3. Jackson Morton (W)

Georgia

 * 2. Robert Toombs (D)
 * 3. William C. Dawson (W)

Illinois

 * 2. Stephen A. Douglas (D)
 * 3. James Shields (D)

Indiana

 * 1. Jesse D. Bright (D)
 * 3. John Pettit (D)

Iowa

 * 2. George Wallace Jones (D)
 * 3. Augustus C. Dodge (D), until February 22, 1855

Kentucky

 * 2. John B. Thompson (A)
 * 3. Archibald Dixon (W)

Louisiana

 * 2. Judah P. Benjamin (W)
 * 3. Pierre Soulé (D), until April 11, 1853
 * John Slidell (D), from December 5, 1853

Maine

 * 1. Hannibal Hamlin (D)
 * 2. William Pitt Fessenden (W), from February 10, 1854

Maryland

 * 1. Thomas Pratt (W)
 * 3. James A. Pearce (W)

Massachusetts

 * 1. Charles Sumner (FS)
 * 2. Edward Everett (W), until June 1, 1854
 * Julius Rockwell (W), from June 3, 1854, until January 31, 1855
 * Henry Wilson (FS), from January 31, 1855

Michigan

 * 1. Lewis Cass (D)
 * 2. Charles E. Stuart (D)

Mississippi

 * 1. Stephen Adams (D)
 * 2. Albert G. Brown (D), from January 7, 1854

Missouri

 * 1. Henry S. Geyer (W)
 * 3. David R. Atchison (D)

New Hampshire

 * 2. Charles G. Atherton (D), until November 15, 1853
 * Jared W. Williams (D), from November 29, 1853, until July 15, 1854
 * 3. Moses Norris Jr. (D), until January 11, 1855
 * John S. Wells (D), from January 16, 1855

New Jersey

 * 1. John R. Thomson (D)
 * 2. William Wright (D)

New York

 * 1. Hamilton Fish (W)
 * 3. William H. Seward (W)

North Carolina

 * 2. David S. Reid (D), from December 6, 1854
 * 3. George E. Badger (W)

Ohio

 * 1. Benjamin Wade (W)
 * 3. Salmon P. Chase (FS)

Pennsylvania

 * 1. Richard Brodhead (D)
 * 3. James Cooper (W)

Rhode Island

 * 1. Charles T. James (D)
 * 2. Philip Allen (D), from July 20, 1853

South Carolina

 * 2. Josiah J. Evans (D)
 * 3. Andrew Butler (D)

Tennessee

 * 1. James C. Jones (W)
 * 2. John Bell (W)

Texas

 * 1. Thomas J. Rusk (D)
 * 2. Samuel Houston (D)

Vermont

 * 1. Solomon Foot (W)
 * 3. Samuel S. Phelps (W), until March 16, 1854
 * Lawrence Brainerd (FS), from October 14, 1854

Virginia

 * 1. James M. Mason (D)
 * 2. Robert M. T. Hunter (D)

Wisconsin

 * 1. Henry Dodge (D)
 * 3. Isaac P. Walker (D)





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

Alabama

 * Alabama's 1st congressional district. Philip Phillips (D)
 * Alabama's 2nd congressional district. James Abercrombie (W)
 * Alabama's 3rd congressional district. Sampson W. Harris (D)
 * Alabama's 4th congressional district. William R. Smith (D)
 * Alabama's 5th congressional district. George S. Houston (D)
 * Alabama's 6th congressional district. Williamson R. W. Cobb (D)
 * Alabama's 7th congressional district. James F. Dowdell (D)

Arkansas

 * Arkansas's 1st congressional district. Alfred B. Greenwood (D)
 * Arkansas's 2nd congressional district. Edward A. Warren (D)

California
Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
 * California's at-large congressional district. Milton Latham (D)
 * California's at-large congressional district. James A. McDougall (D)

Connecticut

 * Connecticut's 1st congressional district. James T. Pratt (D)
 * Connecticut's 2nd congressional district. Colin M. Ingersoll (D)
 * Connecticut's 3rd congressional district. Nathan Belcher (D)
 * Connecticut's 4th congressional district. Origen S. Seymour (D)

Delaware

 * Delaware's at-large congressional district. George Read Riddle (D)

Florida

 * Florida's at-large congressional district. Augustus Maxwell (D)

Georgia

 * Georgia's 1st congressional district. James L. Seward (D)
 * Georgia's 2nd congressional district. Alfred H. Colquitt (D)
 * Georgia's 3rd congressional district. David J. Bailey (D)
 * Georgia's 4th congressional district. William B. W. Dent (D)
 * Georgia's 5th congressional district. Elijah W. Chastain (D)
 * Georgia's 6th congressional district. Junius Hillyer (D)
 * Georgia's 7th congressional district. David A. Reese (W)
 * Georgia's 8th congressional district. Alexander Stephens (W)

Illinois

 * Illinois's 1st congressional district. Elihu B. Washburne (W)
 * Illinois's 2nd congressional district. John Wentworth (D)
 * Illinois's 3rd congressional district. Jesse O. Norton (W)
 * Illinois's 4th congressional district. James Knox (W)
 * Illinois's 5th congressional district. William A. Richardson (D)
 * Illinois's 6th congressional district. Richard Yates (W)
 * Illinois's 7th congressional district. James C. Allen (D)
 * Illinois's 8th congressional district. William H. Bissell (ID)
 * Illinois's 9th congressional district. Willis Allen (D)

Indiana

 * Indiana's 1st congressional district. Smith Miller (D)
 * Indiana's 2nd congressional district. William H. English (D)
 * Indiana's 3rd congressional district. Cyrus L. Dunham (D)
 * Indiana's 4th congressional district. James H. Lane (D)
 * Indiana's 5th congressional district. Samuel W. Parker (W)
 * Indiana's 6th congressional district. Thomas A. Hendricks (D)
 * Indiana's 7th congressional district. John G. Davis (D)
 * Indiana's 8th congressional district. Daniel Mace (D)
 * Indiana's 9th congressional district. Norman Eddy (D)
 * Indiana's 10th congressional district. Ebenezer M. Chamberlain (D)
 * Indiana's 11th congressional district. Andrew J. Harlan (D)

Iowa

 * Iowa's 1st congressional district. Bernhart Henn (D)
 * Iowa's 2nd congressional district. John P. Cook (W)

Kentucky

 * Kentucky's 1st congressional district. Linn Boyd (D)
 * Kentucky's 2nd congressional district. Benjamin E. Grey (W)
 * Kentucky's 3rd congressional district. Presley Ewing (W), until September 27, 1854
 * Francis Bristow (W), from December 4, 1854
 * Kentucky's 4th congressional district. James Chrisman (D)
 * Kentucky's 5th congressional district. Clement S. Hill (W)
 * Kentucky's 6th congressional district. John M. Elliott (D)
 * Kentucky's 7th congressional district. William Preston (W)
 * Kentucky's 8th congressional district. John C. Breckinridge (D)
 * Kentucky's 9th congressional district. Leander Cox (W)
 * Kentucky's 10th congressional district. Richard H. Stanton (D)

Louisiana

 * Louisiana's 1st congressional district. William Dunbar (D)
 * Louisiana's 2nd congressional district. Theodore G. Hunt (W)
 * Louisiana's 3rd congressional district. John Perkins Jr. (D)
 * Louisiana's 4th congressional district. Roland Jones (D)

Maine

 * Maine's 1st congressional district. Moses MacDonald (D)
 * Maine's 2nd congressional district. Samuel Mayall (D)
 * Maine's 3rd congressional district. E. Wilder Farley (W)
 * Maine's 4th congressional district. Samuel P. Benson (W)
 * Maine's 5th congressional district. Israel Washburn Jr. (W)
 * Maine's 6th congressional district. Thomas J. D. Fuller (D)

Maryland

 * Maryland's 1st congressional district. John R. Franklin (W)
 * Maryland's 2nd congressional district. Jacob Shower (D)
 * Maryland's 3rd congressional district. Joshua Van Sant (D)
 * Maryland's 4th congressional district. Henry May (D)
 * Maryland's 5th congressional district. William T. Hamilton (D)
 * Maryland's 6th congressional district. Augustus R. Sollers (W)

Massachusetts

 * Massachusetts's 1st congressional district. Zeno Scudder (W), until March 4, 1854
 * Thomas D. Eliot (W), from April 17, 1854
 * Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district. Samuel L. Crocker (W)
 * Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district. J. Wiley Edmands (W)
 * Massachusetts's 4th congressional district. Samuel H. Walley (W)
 * Massachusetts's 5th congressional district. William Appleton (W)
 * Massachusetts's 6th congressional district. Charles W. Upham (W)
 * Massachusetts's 7th congressional district. Nathaniel P. Banks (D)
 * Massachusetts's 8th congressional district. Tappan Wentworth (W)
 * Massachusetts's 9th congressional district. Alexander De Witt (FS)
 * Massachusetts's 10th congressional district. Edward Dickinson (W)
 * Massachusetts's 11th congressional district. John Z. Goodrich (W)

Michigan

 * Michigan's 1st congressional district. David Stuart (D)
 * Michigan's 2nd congressional district. David A. Noble (D)
 * Michigan's 3rd congressional district. Samuel Clark (D)
 * Michigan's 4th congressional district. Hestor L. Stevens (D)

Mississippi

 * Mississippi's 1st congressional district. Daniel B. Wright (D)
 * Mississippi's 2nd congressional district. William T. S. Barry (D)
 * Mississippi's 3rd congressional district. Otho R. Singleton (D)
 * Mississippi's 4th congressional district. Wiley P. Harris (D)
 * Mississippi's at-large congressional district. William Barksdale (D)

Missouri

 * Missouri's 1st congressional district. Thomas H. Benton (D)
 * Missouri's 2nd congressional district. Alfred W. Lamb (D)
 * Missouri's 3rd congressional district. James J. Lindley (W)
 * Missouri's 4th congressional district. Mordecai Oliver (W)
 * Missouri's 5th congressional district. John G. Miller (W)
 * Missouri's 6th congressional district. John S. Phelps (D)
 * Missouri's 7th congressional district. Samuel Caruthers (W)

New Hampshire

 * New Hampshire's 1st congressional district. George W. Kittredge (D)
 * New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district. George W. Morrison (D)
 * New Hampshire's 3rd congressional district. Harry Hibbard (D)

New Jersey

 * New Jersey's 1st congressional district. Nathan T. Stratton (D)
 * New Jersey's 2nd congressional district. Charles Skelton (D)
 * New Jersey's 3rd congressional district. Samuel Lilly (D)
 * New Jersey's 4th congressional district. George Vail (D)
 * New Jersey's 5th congressional district. Alexander C. M. Pennington (W)

New York

 * New York's 1st congressional district. James Maurice (D)
 * New York's 2nd congressional district. Thomas W. Cumming (D)
 * New York's 3rd congressional district. Hiram Walbridge (D)
 * New York's 4th congressional district. Michael Walsh (D)
 * New York's 5th congressional district. William M. Tweed (D)
 * New York's 6th congressional district. John Wheeler (D)
 * New York's 7th congressional district. William A. Walker (D)
 * New York's 8th congressional district. Francis B. Cutting (D)
 * New York's 9th congressional district. Jared V. Peck (D)
 * New York's 10th congressional district. William Murray (D)
 * New York's 11th congressional district. Theodoric R. Westbrook (D)
 * New York's 12th congressional district. Gilbert Dean (D), until July 3, 1854
 * Isaac Teller (W), from November 7, 1854
 * New York's 13th congressional district. Russell Sage (W)
 * New York's 14th congressional district. Rufus W. Peckham (D)
 * New York's 15th congressional district. Charles Hughes (D)
 * New York's 16th congressional district. George A. Simmons (W)
 * New York's 17th congressional district. Bishop Perkins (D)
 * New York's 18th congressional district. Peter Rowe (D)
 * New York's 19th congressional district. George W. Chase (W)
 * New York's 20th congressional district. Orsamus B. Matteson (W)
 * New York's 21st congressional district. Henry Bennett (W)
 * New York's 22nd congressional district. Gerrit Smith (FS), until August 7, 1854
 * Henry C. Goodwin (W), from November 7, 1854
 * New York's 23rd congressional district. Caleb Lyon (I)
 * New York's 24th congressional district. Daniel T. Jones (D)
 * New York's 25th congressional district. Edwin B. Morgan (W)
 * New York's 26th congressional district. Andrew Oliver (D)
 * New York's 27th congressional district. John J. Taylor (D)
 * New York's 28th congressional district. George Hastings (D)
 * New York's 29th congressional district. Azariah Boody (W) until October 13, 1853
 * Davis Carpenter (W), from November 8, 1853
 * New York's 30th congressional district. Benjamin Pringle (W)
 * New York's 31st congressional district. Thomas T. Flagler (W)
 * New York's 32nd congressional district. Solomon G. Haven (W)
 * New York's 33rd congressional district. Reuben Fenton (D)

North Carolina

 * North Carolina's 1st congressional district. Henry M. Shaw (D)
 * North Carolina's 2nd congressional district. Thomas H. Ruffin (D)
 * North Carolina's 3rd congressional district. William S. Ashe (D)
 * North Carolina's 4th congressional district. Sion H. Rogers (W)
 * North Carolina's 5th congressional district. John Kerr Jr. (W)
 * North Carolina's 6th congressional district. Richard C. Puryear (W)
 * North Carolina's 7th congressional district. F. Burton Craige (D)
 * North Carolina's 8th congressional district. Thomas L. Clingman (D)

Ohio

 * Ohio's 1st congressional district. David T. Disney (D)
 * Ohio's 2nd congressional district. John Scott Harrison (W)
 * Ohio's 3rd congressional district. Lewis D. Campbell (W)
 * Ohio's 4th congressional district. Matthias H. Nichols (D)
 * Ohio's 5th congressional district. Alfred P. Edgerton (D)
 * Ohio's 6th congressional district. Andrew Ellison (D)
 * Ohio's 7th congressional district. Aaron Harlan (W)
 * Ohio's 8th congressional district. Moses B. Corwin (W)
 * Ohio's 9th congressional district. Frederick W. Green (D)
 * Ohio's 10th congressional district. John L. Taylor (W)
 * Ohio's 11th congressional district. Thomas Ritchey (D)
 * Ohio's 12th congressional district. Edson B. Olds (D)
 * Ohio's 13th congressional district. William D. Lindsley (D)
 * Ohio's 14th congressional district. Harvey H. Johnson (D)
 * Ohio's 15th congressional district. William R. Sapp (W)
 * Ohio's 16th congressional district. Edward Ball (W)
 * Ohio's 17th congressional district. Wilson Shannon (D)
 * Ohio's 18th congressional district. George Bliss (D)
 * Ohio's 19th congressional district. Edward Wade (FS)
 * Ohio's 20th congressional district. Joshua R. Giddings (FS)
 * Ohio's 21st congressional district. Andrew Stuart (D)

Pennsylvania

 * Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district. Thomas B. Florence (D)
 * Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district. Joseph R. Chandler (W)
 * Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district. John Robbins Jr. (D)
 * Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district. William H. Witte (D)
 * Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district. John McNair (D)
 * Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district. William Everhart (W)
 * Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district. Samuel A. Bridges (D)
 * Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district. Henry A. Muhlenberg (D), until January 9, 1854
 * J. Glancey Jones (D), from February 4, 1854
 * Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district. Isaac E. Hiester (W)
 * Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district. Ner A. Middleswarth (W)
 * Pennsylvania's 11th congressional district. Christian M. Straub (D)
 * Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district. Hendrick B. Wright (D)
 * Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district. Asa Packer (D)
 * Pennsylvania's 14th congressional district. Galusha A. Grow (D)
 * Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district. James Gamble (D)
 * Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district. William H. Kurtz (D)
 * Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district. Samuel L. Russell (W)
 * Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district. John McCulloch (W)
 * Pennsylvania's 19th congressional district. Augustus Drum (D)
 * Pennsylvania's 20th congressional district. John L. Dawson (D)
 * Pennsylvania's 21st congressional district. David Ritchie (W)
 * Pennsylvania's 22nd congressional district. Thomas M. Howe (W)
 * Pennsylvania's 23rd congressional district. Michael C. Trout (D)
 * Pennsylvania's 24th congressional district. Carlton B. Curtis (D)
 * Pennsylvania's 25th congressional district. John Dick (W)

Rhode Island

 * Rhode Island's 1st congressional district. Thomas Davis (D)
 * Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district. Benjamin B. Thurston (D)

South Carolina

 * South Carolina's 1st congressional district. John McQueen (D)
 * South Carolina's 2nd congressional district. William Aiken Jr. (D)
 * South Carolina's 3rd congressional district. Laurence M. Keitt (D)
 * South Carolina's 4th congressional district. Preston Brooks (D)
 * South Carolina's 5th congressional district. James L. Orr (D)
 * South Carolina's 6th congressional district. William W. Boyce (D)

Tennessee

 * Tennessee's 1st congressional district. Brookins Campbell (D), until December 25, 1853
 * Nathaniel G. Taylor (W), from March 30, 1854
 * Tennessee's 2nd congressional district. William M. Churchwell (D)
 * Tennessee's 3rd congressional district. Samuel A. Smith (D)
 * Tennessee's 4th congressional district. William Cullom (W)
 * Tennessee's 5th congressional district. Charles Ready (W)
 * Tennessee's 6th congressional district. George W. Jones (D)
 * Tennessee's 7th congressional district. Robert M. Bugg (W)
 * Tennessee's 8th congressional district. Felix K. Zollicoffer (W)
 * Tennessee's 9th congressional district. Emerson Etheridge (W)
 * Tennessee's 10th congressional district. Frederick P. Stanton (D)

Texas

 * Texas's 1st congressional district. George W. Smyth (D)
 * Texas's 2nd congressional district. Peter H. Bell (D)

Vermont

 * Vermont's 1st congressional district. James Meacham (W)
 * Vermont's 2nd congressional district. Andrew Tracy (W)
 * Vermont's 3rd congressional district. Alvah Sabin (W)

Virginia

 * Virginia's 1st congressional district. Thomas H. Bayly (D)
 * Virginia's 2nd congressional district. John S. Millson (D)
 * Virginia's 3rd congressional district. John Caskie (D)
 * Virginia's 4th congressional district. William Goode (D)
 * Virginia's 5th congressional district. Thomas S. Bocock (D)
 * Virginia's 6th congressional district. Paulus Powell (D)
 * Virginia's 7th congressional district. William Smith (D)
 * Virginia's 8th congressional district. Charles J. Faulkner Sr. (D)
 * Virginia's 9th congressional district. John Letcher (D)
 * Virginia's 10th congressional district. Zedekiah Kidwell (D)
 * Virginia's 11th congressional district. John F. Snodgrass (D), until June 5, 1854
 * Charles S. Lewis (D), from December 4, 1854
 * Virginia's 12th congressional district. Henry A. Edmundson (D)
 * Virginia's 13th congressional district. LaFayette McMullen (D)

Wisconsin

 * Wisconsin's 1st congressional district. Daniel Wells Jr. (D)
 * Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district. Ben C. Eastman (D)
 * Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district. John B. Macy (D)

Non-voting members

 * Kansas Territory's at-large congressional district. John W. Whitfield (D), from December 20, 1854
 * Minnesota Territory's at-large congressional district. Henry M. Rice (D)
 * Nebraska Territory's at-large congressional district. Napoleon B. Giddings (D), from January 5, 1855
 * New Mexico Territory's at-large congressional district. José Manuel Gallegos (D)
 * Oregon Territory's at-large congressional district. Joseph Lane (D)
 * Utah Territory's at-large congressional district. John M. Bernhisel
 * Washington Territory's at-large congressional district. Columbia Lancaster (D), from April 12, 1854

33 us house membership.png]]

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

Senate

 * Replacements: 7
 * Democrats (D): 2 seat net gain
 * Whigs (W): 2 seat net loss
 * Free Soilers (FS): 3 seat net gain
 * Deaths: 2
 * Resignations: 4
 * Interim appointments: 1
 * Total seats with changes: 13

(2) Successor was elected July 20, 1853.
 * Rhode Island
 * Rhode Island
 * Vacant
 * Failure to elect.
 * | Philip Allen (D)
 * July 20, 1853

(2) Successor elected November 29, 1853.
 * Alabama
 * Alabama
 * Vacant
 * Failure to elect.
 * | Clement C. Clay (D)
 * November 29, 1853

(2) Successor elected January 7, 1854.
 * Mississippi
 * Mississippi
 * Vacant
 * Failure to elect.
 * | Albert G. Brown (D)
 * January 7, 1854

(2) Successor was elected February 10, 1854.
 * Maine
 * Maine
 * Vacant
 * Failure to elect.
 * | William P. Fessenden (W)
 * February 10, 1854

(2) Successor was elected December 6, 1854.
 * North Carolina
 * North Carolina
 * Vacant
 * Failure to elect.
 * | David Reid (D)
 * December 6, 1854

(3) Successor appointed July 6, 1853.
 * Arkansas
 * Arkansas
 * | Solon Borland (D)
 * Resigned April 11, 1853, after being appointed U.S. Minister to Nicaragua and other Central American Republics.
 * | Robert W. Johnson (D)
 * July 6, 1853

(3) Successor elected December 5, 1853.
 * Louisiana
 * Louisiana
 * | Pierre Soulé (D)
 * Resigned April 11, 1853, after being appointed U.S. Minister to Spain.
 * | John Slidell (D)
 * December 5, 1853

(2)
 * New Hampshire
 * New Hampshire
 * | Charles G. Atherton (D)
 * Died November 15, 1853.
 * | Jared W. Williams (D)
 * November 29, 1853

(3) Successor elected October 14, 1854.
 * Vermont
 * Vermont
 * | Samuel S. Phelps (W)
 * Senate declared not entitled to seat March 16, 1854.
 * | Lawrence Brainerd (FS)
 * October 14, 1854

(3) Successor was elected May 24, 1854.
 * Connecticut
 * Connecticut
 * | Truman Smith (W)
 * Resigned May 24, 1854.
 * | Francis Gillette (FS)
 * May 24, 1854

(2) Successor was appointed to serve until a new successor was elected.
 * Massachusetts
 * Massachusetts
 * | Edward Everett (W)
 * Resigned June 1, 1854
 * | Julius Rockwell (W)
 * June 3, 1854

(2)
 * New Hampshire
 * New Hampshire
 * | Jared W. Williams (D)
 * Resigned August 4, 1854.
 * Vacant
 * Not filled this term

(3) Successor appointed January 16, 1855, to finish the term.
 * New Hampshire
 * New Hampshire
 * | Moses Norris Jr. (D)
 * Died January 11, 1855.
 * | John S. Wells (D)
 * January 16, 1855

(2)
 * Massachusetts
 * Massachusetts
 * | Julius Rockwell (W)
 * Successor elected January 31, 1855.
 * | Henry Wilson (FS)
 * January 31, 1855

(3)
 * Iowa
 * Iowa
 * | Augustus C. Dodge (D)
 * Resigned February 22, 1855, after being appointed U.S. Minister to Spain.
 * Vacant
 * Not filled this term
 * }

House of Representatives

 * Replacements: 7
 * Democrats (D): 2 seat net loss
 * Whigs (W): 3 seat net gain
 * Free Soilers (FS): 1 seat net loss
 * Deaths: 4
 * Resignations: 4
 * Total seats with changes: 8


 * Washington Territory's at-large congressional district
 * Vacant
 * style="font-size:80%" | New seat established after Washington became a territory near the end of previous Congress. Seat was vacant until April 12, 1854.
 * | Columbia Lancaster (D)
 * Seated April 12, 1854
 * New York's 29th congressional district
 * | Azariah Boody (W)
 * style="font-size:80%" | Resigned on October 13, 1853
 * | Davis Carpenter (W)
 * Seated November 8, 1853
 * Tennessee's 1st congressional district
 * | Brookins Campbell (D)
 * style="font-size:80%" | Died December 25, 1853
 * | Nathaniel G. Taylor (W)
 * Seated March 30, 1854
 * Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district
 * | Henry A. Muhlenberg (D)
 * style="font-size:80%" | Died January 9, 1854
 * | J. Glancy Jones (D)
 * Seated February 4, 1854
 * Massachusetts's 1st congressional district
 * | Zeno Scudder (W)
 * style="font-size:80%" | Resigned March 4, 1854
 * | Thomas D. Eliot (W)
 * Seated April 17, 1854
 * Kansas Territory's at-large congressional district
 * New seat
 * style="font-size:80%" | New seat established after Kansas became a territory May 30, 1854. Seat was vacant until December 20, 1854.
 * | John W. Whitfield (D)
 * Seated December 20, 1854
 * Nebraska Territory's at-large congressional district
 * New seat
 * style="font-size:80%" | New seat established after Nebraska became a territory May 30, 1854. Seat was vacant until January 5, 1855.
 * | Napoleon B. Giddings (D)
 * Seated December 5, 1855
 * Virginia's 11th congressional district
 * | John F. Snodgrass (D)
 * style="font-size:80%" | Died June 5, 1854
 * | Charles S. Lewis (D)
 * Seated December 4, 1854
 * New York's 12th congressional district
 * | Gilbert Dean (D)
 * style="font-size:80%" | Resigned July 3, 1854, after being appointed justice of the Supreme Court of New York
 * | Isaac Teller (W)
 * Seated November 7, 1854
 * New York's 22nd congressional district
 * | Gerrit Smith (W)
 * style="font-size:80%" | Resigned August 7, 1854
 * | Henry C. Goodwin (W)
 * Seated November 7, 1854
 * Kentucky's 3rd congressional district
 * | Presley Ewing (W)
 * style="font-size:80%" | Died September 27, 1854
 * | Francis Bristow (W)
 * Seated December 4, 1854
 * }
 * | Gerrit Smith (W)
 * style="font-size:80%" | Resigned August 7, 1854
 * | Henry C. Goodwin (W)
 * Seated November 7, 1854
 * Kentucky's 3rd congressional district
 * | Presley Ewing (W)
 * style="font-size:80%" | Died September 27, 1854
 * | Francis Bristow (W)
 * Seated December 4, 1854
 * }
 * }

Committees
List of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

 * Agriculture (Chairman: Philip Allen)
 * American Association for the Promotion of Science (Select)
 * Atmospheric Telegraph Between Washington and Baltimore (Select)
 * Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate (Chairman: Josiah J. Evans)
 * Claims (Chairman: Richard Brodhead)
 * Commerce (Chairman: Hannibal Hamlin)
 * Distributing Public Revenue Among the States (Select)
 * District of Columbia (Chairman: Moses Norris Jr.)
 * Engrossed Bills (Chairman: Benjamin Fitzpatrick)
 * Finance (Chairman: Robert M.T. Hunter)
 * Foreign Relations (Chairman: James M. Mason)
 * French Spoilations (Select)
 * Indian Affairs (Chairman: William K. Sebastian)
 * Judiciary (Chairman: Andrew P. Butler)
 * Library (Chairman: James A. Pearce)
 * Loss of Original Papers of Mark and Richard Bean (Select)
 * Manufactures (Chairman: Hannibal Hamlin)
 * Mexican Claims Commission (Select)
 * Military Affairs (Chairman: James Shields)
 * Militia (Chairman: Sam Houston)
 * Naval Affairs (Chairman: William M. Gwin)
 * Ordnance and War Ships (Select)
 * Pacific Railroad (Select) (Chairman: William M. Gwin)
 * Patents and the Patent Office (Chairman: Charles T. James)
 * Pensions (Chairman: George Wallace Jones)
 * Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Thomas J. Rusk)
 * Printing (Chairman: Benjamin Fitzpatrick)
 * Private Claims Commission (Select)
 * Private Land Claims (Chairman: John Pettit)
 * Protection of Life and Health in Passenger Ships (Select)
 * Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: James A. Bayard Jr.)
 * Public Lands (Chairman: Augustus Dodge)
 * Retrenchment (Chairman: Stephen Adams)
 * Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: Isaac P. Walker)
 * Roads and Canals (Chairman: John Slidell)
 * Sickness on Emigrant Ships (Select)
 * Tariff Regulation (Select)
 * Territories (Chairman: Stephen A. Douglas)
 * Whole

House of Representatives

 * Accounts (Chairman: Carlton B. Curtis)
 * Agriculture (Chairman: John L. Dawson)
 * Claims (Chairman: Alfred P. Edgerton)
 * Commerce (Chairman: Frederick P. Stanton)
 * District of Columbia (Chairman: William T. Hamilton)
 * Elections (Chairman: Richard H. Stanton)
 * Engraving (Chairman: George R. Riddle)
 * Expenditures in the Navy Department (Chairman: Fayette McMullen)
 * Expenditures in the Post Office Department (Chairman: Samuel Lilly)
 * Expenditures in the State Department (Chairman: Daniel Wells Jr.)
 * Expenditures in the Treasury Department (Chairman: David Stuart)
 * Expenditures in the War Department (Chairman: George W. Kittredge)
 * Expenditures on Public Buildings (Chairman: Henry A. Edmundson)
 * Foreign Affairs (Chairman: Thomas H. Bayly)
 * Indian Affairs (Chairman: James L. Orr)
 * Invalid Pensions (Chairman: Thomas A. Hendricks)
 * Judiciary (Chairman: Frederick P. Stanton)
 * Manufactures (Chairman: John McNair)
 * Mileage (Chairman: Andrew J. Harlan)
 * Military Affairs (Chairman: William H. Bissell)
 * Militia (Chairman: Elijah W. Chastain)
 * Naval Affairs (Chairman: Thomas S. Bocock)
 * Patents (Chairman: Benjamin B. Thurston)
 * Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Edson B. Olds)
 * Private Land Claims (Chairman: Junius Hillyer)
 * Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: Francis B. Craige)
 * Public Expenditures (Chairman: William H. Kurtz)
 * Public Lands (Chairman: David T. Disney)
 * Revisal and Unfinished Business (Chairman: Williamson R. W. Cobb)
 * Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: Rufus W. Peckham)
 * Revolutionary Pensions (Chairman: William M. Churchwell)
 * Roads and Canals (Chairman: Cyrus L. Dunham)
 * Rules (Select)
 * Standards of Official Conduct
 * Territories (Chairman: William A. Richardson)
 * Ways and Means (Chairman: George S. Houston)
 * Whole

Joint committees

 * Amending the Constitution on Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections
 * Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Sen. George Wallace Jones)
 * The Library (Chairman: Joseph R. Chandler)
 * Printing (Chairman: William Murray)
 * San Francisco Disaster

Caucuses

 * Democratic (House)
 * Democratic (Senate)

Legislative branch agency directors

 * Architect of the Capitol: Thomas U. Walter
 * Librarian of Congress: John Silva Meehan

Senate

 * Chaplain: Clement M. Butler (Episcopalian), until December 7, 1853
 * Henry Slicer (Methodist), elected December 7, 1853
 * Secretary: Asbury Dickins
 * Sergeant at Arms: Robert Beale, until March 17, 1853
 * Dunning R. McNair, elected March 17, 1853

House of Representatives

 * Chaplain: William H. Milburn (Methodist)
 * Clerk: John W. Forney
 * Doorkeeper: Zadock W. McKnew
 * Postmaster: John M. Johnson
 * Reading Clerks:
 * Sergeant at Arms: Adam J. Glossbrenner