The United States Senate elections of 1808 and 1809 were elections that had the Federalist Party gain one seat in the United States Senate, and which coincided with the 1808 presidential election. The Federalists had gone into the elections with such a small share of Senate seats (6 out of 34, or 18%) that even if they had won every election, they would have still remained a minority caucus.
The Federalist Party, referred to as the Pro-Administration party until the 3rd United States Congress as opposed to their opponents in the Anti-Administration party, was the first American political party. It existed from the early 1790s to the 1820s, with their last presidential candidate being fielded in 1816. They appealed to business and to conservatives who favored banks, national over state government, manufacturing, and preferred Britain and opposed the French Revolution.
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, which along with the United States House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the legislature of the United States. The Senate chamber is located in the north wing of the Capitol, in Washington, D.C.
The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established the popular election of United States Senators by the people of the states. The amendment supersedes Article I, §3, Clauses 1 and 2 of the Constitution, under which senators were elected by state legislatures. It also alters the procedure for filling vacancies in the Senate, allowing for state legislatures to permit their governors to make temporary appointments until a special election can be held.
A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 25 states, the legislature is simply called the Legislature, or the State Legislature, while in 19 states, the legislature is called the General Assembly. In Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the legislature is called the General Court, while North Dakota and Oregon designate the legislature the Legislative Assembly.
Incumbent resigned June 8, 1808, having broken with his party and lost re-election to the next term. New senator electedJune 9, 1808, having already won election to the next term, see below. Federalist hold.
Incumbent resigned April 25, 1808, despite surviving an expulsion trial in the Senate. New senator electedDecember 12, 1808. Democratic-Republican hold.
Incumbent resigned January 4, 1809, believing he would lose re-election. New senator electedJanuary 9, 1809. Democratic-Republican hold. Winner had already been elected to the next term, see below.
Incumbent lost re-election as a Democratic-Republican. New senator elected June 2, 1808. Federalist hold. Incumbent resigned and winner was elected to finish the remaining term, see above
Incumbent lost re-election. Legislature failed to elect. Democratic-Republican loss. Incumbent was appointed to begin the term and was later elected to finish the term.
Joseph Anderson (Democratic-Republican) [Data unknown/missing.]
Incumbent resigned March 31, 1809. New senator electedApril 11, 1809. Democratic-Republican hold. Winner was subsequently re-elected early to the following Congress, see below.
The Tenth 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, 1807, to March 4, 1809, during the seventh and eighth years of Thomas Jefferson's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Second Census of the United States in 1800. Both chambers had an overwhelming Democratic-Republican majority.
Notes
↑ "Massachusetts 1808 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing The Freeman's Journal and Philadelphia Mercantile Advertiser (Philadelphia, PA). June 13, 1808.
↑ "Pennsylvania 1809 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 3, 2018., citing Journal of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1808. 174-176.
↑ "Delaware 1809 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing United States' Gazette (Philadelphia, PA). January 14, 1809.
↑ "Maryland 1809 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing The Hornet (Fredericktown, Md.). November 29, 1809.
↑ "Massachusetts 1808 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 3, 2018., citing The Pittsfield Sun (Pittsfield, MA). June 11, 1808.
1 2 3 "New Jersey 1808 U.S. Senate, Ballot 2". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 6, 2018., citing The True American and Commercial Advertiser (Philadelphia, PA). November 9, 1808.
↑ "Rhode Island 1808 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing United States' Gazette (Philadelphia, PA). January 14, 1809.
↑ "Vermont 1808 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing Weekly Wanderer (Randolph, VT). November 7, 1808.
1 2 "Virginia 1809 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing United States' Gazette (Philadelphia, PA). January 16, 1809.
↑ "Tennessee 1809 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved January 30, 2018., citing The Minerva (Raleigh, NC). May 4, 1809. The Star (Raleigh, NC). May 4, 1809. National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser (Washington, DC). May 5, 1809. The True American and Commercial Advertiser (Philadelphia, PA). May 10, 1809. Norwich Courier (Norwich, CT). May 17, 1809. White, Robert Hiram. Messages of the Governors of Tennessee, 1796-1821. Vol. 1. Nashville: The Tennessee Historical Commission, 1952.
↑ "Rhode Island 1809 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 19, 2018., citing Newport Mercury (Newport, RI). July 1, 1809.
↑ "Georgia 1809 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing The Republican and Savannah Evening Ledger (Savannah, GA). December 5, 1809.
↑ "New Jersey 1809 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing New Jersey Privy Council Records, 1809. 176.
↑ "Tennessee 1809 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved January 29, 2018., citing Journal of the Tennessee House of Representatives, 1809. 115.
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