United States House election, 1812
Encyclopedia
The U.S. House election, 1812 was an election for the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 to the thirteenth Congress. Voting in the various states took place between August 3, 1812 (Kentucky) and May 1, 1813 (North Carolina). The Congress was convened on May 24, 1813.

A significant expansion of the House occurred prior to this election cycle, with many new seats being added in Western areas. With America entering the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

 against Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, the Democratic-Republican and Federalist Parties effectively served as pro-war and anti-war camps. Democratic-Republican delegates from Southern and Western states had been the primary leaders in the push to declare war, asserting that the British had violated America's sovereign rights. High levels of support for the conflict in agrarian regions resulted the Democratic-Republicans taking many newly-created rural districts. However, the Federalists and their key supporters in New England opposed the war from the start, citing its potential for damaging American trade and infrastructure. The 1812 elections are marked by massive Federalist gains, with many coming in the Middle Colonies, where support for the war became lukewarm after the initial shots were fired.

Overall results

Party Total seats (change) Seat percentage
Democratic-Republicans
Democratic-Republican Party (United States)
The Democratic-Republican Party or Republican Party was an American political party founded in the early 1790s by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Political scientists use the former name, while historians prefer the latter one; contemporaries generally called the party the "Republicans", along...

114 +7 62.6%
Federalists
Federalist Party (United States)
The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801...

68 +32 37.4%
Totals 182 +39 100%

See also

  • United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 1812
    United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 1812
    The 1812 United States House of Representatives elections in New York were held from December 15 to 17, 1812, to elect 27 U.S. Representatives to represent the State of New York in the United States House of Representatives of the 13th United States Congress. At the same time, a vacancy was filled...

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