The Green Papers
The Green Papers
Political Party Breakdown of the
12th Congress of the United States, 1811-1813

Boldface (with superscript C) numbers indicate the majority Party in each house. Red (with superscript P) numbers (boldface or not) indicate the Party of the President in any event.

President Party Congress United States Senate House of Representatives
 RepublicanFederalistothervacanciesRepublicanFederalistother
MadisonRepublican12th 1811-181326CP8     

12th CONGRESS- in General

SENATE: 26 Republicans, 8 Federalists

Although the latest date- as mandated by the U.S. Constitution in Article I, Section 4, clause 2- for the convening of the "long" session of the 12th Congress was 2 December 1811, this Congress actually convened its "long" session on 4 November 1811.
[For further information about the types of and dates for sessions of Congress, please see our website's page containing an Explanation of the types of Sessions of Congress as well as the associated table re: the Sessions of the Congress of the United States ]

LOUISIANA was admitted as the 18th State of the Union on 30 April 1812: as this was after the end of the odd-numbered year during which the 12th Congress took office [this being 1811], Louisiana's 2 Senators are NOT counted among those elected to the Senate of the 4th Congress; neither is Louisiana's 1 Congressman counted among those elected to the House of Representatives in that Congress.

12TH CONGRESS- United States SENATE

Joseph B. Varnum, a Republican, was elected by the General Court of the Commonwealth of MASSACHUSETTS to the Class 2 seat (term: 4 March 1811 to 3 March 1817) from that State on 8 June 1811, before the end of the odd-numbered year in which the 12th Congress took office [this being 1811]. Senator Varnum, therefore, is counted among the 26 Republicans elected to the Senate of the 12th Congress, notwithstanding the existence of a vacancy at the start of that Congress [4 March 1811] due to a failure of the legislature to elect.

Modified .