33rd United States Congress

33rd United States Congress
Congress	33rd
Caption	The United States Capitol in the 1850s
Start	March 4, 1853
End	March 4, 1855
Pro tem	David R. Atchison
Speaker	Linn Boyd
Sen majority	Democratic
Hse majority	Democratic
Sessionnumber1	1st
Sessionstart1	December 5, 1853
Sessionend1	August 7, 1854
Sessionnumber2	2nd
Sessionstart2	December 4, 1854
Sessionend2	March 4, 1855

33rd United States Congress convened from March 4, 1853, to March 4, 1855, during the first two years of Franklin Pierce's presidency. Dominated by the Democratic Party, this Congress was consumed by the escalating national debate over the expansion of slavery into the western territories. Its most significant and controversial achievement was the passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which inflamed sectional tensions and reshaped the American political landscape.

Major legislation

The defining legislative act of the 33rd Congress was the Kansas–Nebraska Act, introduced by Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois and signed by President Franklin Pierce in May 1854. This act repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, organizing the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and establishing the principle of popular sovereignty, allowing settlers to decide the slavery question. Other notable laws included the Gadsden Purchase, ratified to facilitate a southern transcontinental railroad, and the Graduation Act, which reduced prices for unsold public land. Congress also approved the Canadian–American Reciprocity Treaty and passed the Naval Appropriations Act to fund new steam-powered warships.

Party summary

In the United States Senate, the Democratic Party held a strong majority, with the Whig Party as the primary opposition; a small number of senators from the Free Soil Party and other factions were also present. The United States House of Representatives also featured a Democratic majority, though the Whigs maintained a significant bloc. The political dynamics were profoundly disrupted during this Congress by the passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which led to the collapse of the Whig Party and the rapid emergence of the new, anti-slavery Republican Party in the North by the 1854 midterm elections.

Leadership

thumb|Linn Boyd of Kentucky, the Speaker of the House Senate leadership included President pro tempore David R. Atchison of Missouri. The Democratic floor leaders were effectively Stephen A. Douglas and Lewis Cass, while the Whig opposition was led by figures like William H. Seward of New York. In the House, Linn Boyd of Kentucky served as Speaker. Key committee chairs included James M. Mason of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Thomas H. Benton, who chaired the Senate Military Affairs Committee.

Members

This Congress included many notable political figures. The Senate roster featured Democrats like Stephen A. Douglas, Lewis Cass of Michigan, and Jefferson Davis of Mississippi, alongside Whigs such as William H. Seward and Salmon P. Chase of Ohio. The House membership included future President James Buchanan, then serving as Minister to Great Britain but influential in party circles, and Nathaniel P. Banks of Massachusetts. The elections of 1852 and 1853 brought a wave of Democratic members, but the political upheaval of 1854 saw the election of several anti-Nebraska candidates who would later form the core of the new Republican coalition.

Major events

The period was marked by intense sectional conflict. The debate and passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Act in 1854 was the central event, triggering widespread protest in the North, including the publication of the "Appeal of the Independent Democrats" and violent confrontations in Kansas Territory known as "Bleeding Kansas." The Ostend Manifesto, a controversial document advocating the seizure of Cuba from Spain, was drafted by American diplomats. Furthermore, the Gadsden Purchase treaty with Mexico was finalized, and Commodore Matthew C. Perry's expedition to Japan culminated in the Convention of Kanagawa, opening Japanese ports to American trade.

Committees

Standing committees in both chambers handled the era's pressing issues. The pivotal Senate Committee on Territories, chaired by Stephen A. Douglas, was the origin of the Kansas–Nebraska Act. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, under James M. Mason, dealt with the Ostend Manifesto and the Gadsden Purchase. In the House, the Ways and Means Committee addressed tariff and financial matters, while the Judiciary Committee grappled with the legal ramifications of the fugitive slave laws and territorial governance.

Category:1853 in American politics Category:1854 in American politics Category:United States Congresses