56th United States Congress - Membership Changes

The Fifty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, comprised of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4 1899 to March 3 1901, during the last two years of the first administration of U.S. President William McKinley.

The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Tenth Census of the United States in 1890. Both chambers had a Republican majority.

Main article: 56th United States Congress
See also: 56th United States Congress - political parties
See also: 56th United States Congress - State Delegations
See also: United States House election, 1898

Dates of sessions

March 4 1899 - March 3 1901

  • First session: December 4 1899 - June 7 1900
  • Second session: December 3 1900 - March 3 1901 — a lame duck session

Previous congress: 55th Congress
Next congress: 57th Congress

Party changes

Senate

  • Democratic: 1 seat gain
  • Republican: 1 seat loss

House of Representatives

  • Democratic: 2 seat loss
  • Republican: 2 seat gain

Membership changes

Senate

  • deaths: 3
  • resignations: 1
  • vacancy: 5
  • interim appointments: 3
  • Total seats with changes: 9

House of Representatives

  • deaths: 15
  • resignations: 8
  • contested election: 4
  • Total seats with changes: 25

Membership changes

Senate

State

Outgoing Senator

Reason for Change

Successor

California
class 1

|

vacant

Vacancy in class.
Legislature failed to elect a Senator.

|

Florida
class 1

|

vacant

Vacancy in class.
Legislature failed to elect a Senator.

|

Florida
class 1

|

Samuel Pasco
Dem.

Interim appointment.
Senator Samuel Pasco served until April 18 1899.

|

Iowa
class 2

|

John H. Gear
Rep.

Death.
Senator John H. Gear died July 14 1900.

|

Minnesota
class 1

|

Cushman K. Davis
Rep.

Death.
Senator Cushman K. Davis died November 7 1900.

|

Minnesota
class 1

|

Charles A. Towne
Dem.

Interim appointment.
Senator Charles A. Towne served until January 23 1901.

|

Montana
class 1

|

William A. Clark
Dem.

Resignation.
Senator William A. Clark resigned May 15 1900.

|

Nebraska
class 1

|

vacant

Vacancy in class.
Legislature failed to elect a Senator.

|

Nebraska
class 1

|

Monroe L. Hayward
Rep.

Death.
Senator-elect Monroe L. Hayward died December 5 1899.

|

Pennsylvania
class 1

|

vacant

Vacancy in class.
Legislature failed to elect a Senator.

|

Utah
class 1

|

vacant

Vacancy in class.
Legislature failed to elect a Senator.

|

Vermont
class 3

|

Jonathan Ross
Rep.

Interim appointment.
Senator Jonathan Ross served until October 18 1900.

|

House of Representatives

State

Outgoing Representative

Reason for Change

Successor

|

Gaston A. Robbins
Dem.

Contested election.
Representative Gaston A. Robbins served until March 8 1900.

|

|

Joseph Wheeler
Dem.

Resignation.
Representative Joseph Wheeler resigned April 20 1900.

|

|

Marion De Vries
Dem.

Resignation.
Representative Marion De Vries resigned August 20 1900.

|

|

John H. Hoffecker
Rep.

Death.
Representative John H. Hoffecker died June 16 1900.

|

|

Smith McPherson
Rep.

Resignation.
Representative Smith McPherson resigned June 6 1900.

|

|

Jonathan P. Dolliver
Rep.

Resignation.
Representative Jonathan P. Dolliver resigned August 22 1900.

|

|

Evan E. Settle
Dem.

Death.
Representative Evan E. Settle died November 16 1899, before Congress assembled.

|

|

Samuel T. Baird
Dem.

Death.
Representative Samuel T. Baird died April 22 1899, before Congress assembled.

|

|

Thomas B. Reed
Rep.

Resignation.
Representative Thomas B. Reed resigned September 4 1899, before Congress assembled.

|

|

Nelson Dingley, Jr.
Rep.

Death.
Representative Nelson Dingley, Jr. died before Congress assembled.

|

|

Charles A. Boutelle
Rep.

Resignation.
Representative Charles A. Boutelle resigned March 3 1901.

|

|

John W. Smith
Dem.

Resignation.
Representative John W. Smith resigned January 12 1900.

|

|

Richard P. Bland
Dem.

Death.
Representative Richard P. Bland died June 15 1899.

|

|

William L. Greene
Populist

Death.
Representative William L. Greene died March 11 1899, before Congress assembled.

|

|

Frank G. Clarke
Rep.

Death.
Representative Frank G. Clarke died January 9 1901.

|

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William D. Daly
Dem.

Death.
Representative William D. Daly died July 31 1900.

|

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Charles A. Chickering
Rep.

Death.
Representative Charles A. Chickering died February 13 1900.

|

|

Albert D. Shaw
Rep.

Death.
Representative Albert D. Shaw died February 10 1901.

|

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Warren B. Hooker
Rep.

Resignation.
Representative-elect Warren B. Hooker resigned before Congress assembled.

|

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William T. Crawford
Dem.

Contested election.
Representative William T. Crawford served until May 10 1900

|

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Lorenzo Danford
Rep.

Death.
Representative Lorenzo Danford died June 19 1899

|

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Alfred C. Harmer
Rep.

Death.
Representative Alfred C. Harmer died March 6 1900

|

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Daniel Ermentrout
Dem.

Death.
Representative Daniel Ermentrout died September 17 1899

|

|

vacant

Contested election.
Representative-elect Brigham H. Roberts was not sworn in by the House and the seat declared vacant.

|

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William A. Young
Dem.

Contested election.
Representative William A. Young served until March 12 1900.

|

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Richard A. Wise
Dem.

Death.
Representative Richard A. Wise died December 21 1900.

|

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Sydney P. Epes
Dem.

Death.
Representative Sydney P. Epes died March 3 1900.

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  • Statutes at Large, 1789-1875 1
  • Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress 2
  • U.S. House of Representatives: Congressional History 3
  • U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists 4

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