The election of the Speaker of the U.S. House in 1849 is one of the five bitter contests for the
posts in the history of the nation. The House devoted an entire month to a succession of ballots
for Speaker before reaching a compromise on the 63d ballot.
A large part of the problem was the divided nature of the House. In the elections of 1848-1849,
the Democratic Party regained a plurality of seats in the House. Its success was regional, as it
won 68% of the seats in slave states but only 39% of the seats in free states. The final party
breakdown was 113 Democrats, 108 Whigs, 9 Free Soilers, and two Independents.
When Congress assembled on 12/3/1849, the two parties were aware that choosing a Speaker would
not be simple. The Democrats held a caucus and nominated Howell Cobb, a Georgia moderate. Several
Democrats from free states were unwilling to cast a vote for any Democrat from the South, as their
tacit support of the Wilmot Proviso was needed for re-election. The Whigs had a similar problem.
The incumbent Speaker, Robert C. Winthrop of Massachusetts, was interested in a second term. A
handful of Southern Whigs refused to support him because he would not openly come out against the
Wilmot Proviso. The handful of Free Soil Representatives held the balance of power. Throughout the
balloting, the Whigs reminded them that they could elect a northerner as Speaker (the Whig
Winthrop) or a slaveholding Southerner (the Democrat Cobb). For the most
[More...]
The election of the Speaker of the U.S. House in 1849 is one of the five bitter contests for the
posts in the history of the nation. The House devoted an entire month to a succession of ballots
for Speaker before reaching a compromise on the 63d ballot.
A large part of the problem was the divided nature of the House. In the elections of 1848-1849,
the Democratic Party regained a plurality of seats in the House. Its success was regional, as it
won 68% of the seats in slave states but only 39% of the seats in free states. The final party
breakdown was 113 Democrats, 108 Whigs, 9 Free Soilers, and two Independents.
When Congress assembled on 12/3/1849, the two parties were aware that choosing a Speaker would
not be simple. The Democrats held a caucus and nominated Howell Cobb, a Georgia moderate. Several
Democrats from free states were unwilling to cast a vote for any Democrat from the South, as their
tacit support of the Wilmot Proviso was needed for re-election. The Whigs had a similar problem.
The incumbent Speaker, Robert C. Winthrop of Massachusetts, was interested in a second term. A
handful of Southern Whigs refused to support him because he would not openly come out against the
Wilmot Proviso. The handful of Free Soil Representatives held the balance of power. Throughout the
balloting, the Whigs reminded them that they could elect a northerner as Speaker (the Whig
Winthrop) or a slaveholding Southerner (the Democrat Cobb). For the most part, the Free Soil
Representatives voted for their own and did not participate in strategic voting (with a notable
exception).
In the first quarter of the ballots (1 through 16), Cobb and Winthrop led. Cobb took a 103-96
lead on the first ballot and led until the 11th ballot. The two men received about 45% each, with
10% scattering. On the first 10 ballots, Cobb's vote gradually fell to 99, and Winthrop's total
increased by one. A handful of Southern Whigs voted for Meredith Gentry. The Free Soilers voted for
Wilmot, then for Joseph M. Root OH, then for Amos Tuck NH. With each passing ballot, more Northern
Democrats bolted Cobb, and by the 16th ballot one-third of the Democratic Representatives were
supporting other candidates. Winthrop led beginning with the 13th ballot.
| Voting for Speaker of the U.S. House in 1849: Ballots 1 to
16 |
| Contender: ballot | 1st | 2d | 3d | 4th | 5th
| 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th
| 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th |
| Howell Cobb (D-GA) | 103 | 102 | 102 | 102 | 102
| 101 | 100 | 99 | 100 | 99 | 98 | 97 | 93
| 89 | 89 | 73 |
| Robert C. Winthrop (W-MA) | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96
| 97 | 97 | 97 | 97 | 97 | 97 | 97 | 98
| 99 | 101 | 100 |
| W.A. Richardson (D-IL) | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2
| 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8
| 9 | 19 |
| Emery Potter (D-OH) | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2
| 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 10
| 10 | 16 |
| David Wilmot (FS-PA) | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 9
| 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | -- |
| Amos Tuck (FS-NH) | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | --
| -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 7
| 8 |
| Joseph M. Root (FS-OH) | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | --
| -- | -- | -- | -- | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | --
| 1 |
| Meredith Gentry (W-TN) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6
| 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5
| 5 |
| Scattering | 7 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 6
| 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 4
| 3 |
In the second quarter of the balloting, Winthrop consistently led, 10-12 votes shy of a
majority. His vote of 102 in this quarter was his high of the entire balloting. Unlike the
Whigs, the Democratic vote splintered. Southern Democrats shifted their support from Cobb to Linn
Boyd KY on the 25th ballot. Northern Democrats generally supported Richardson until the 22d ballot,
then Potter, and shifted to W.J. Brown IN on the 32d ballot. Five Southern Whigs supported Gentry,
and the Free Soilers switched back to Wilmot. The number of candidates receiving votes was in the
12-15 range on these ballots.
| Voting for Speaker of the U.S. House in 1849: Ballots 17 to
32 |
| Contender: ballot | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th | 21st
| 22d | 23d | 24th | 25th | 26th | 27th | 28th
| 29th | 30th | 31st | 32d |
| Robert C. Winthrop (W-MA) | 100 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 102
| 102 | 102 | 102 | 102 | 102 | 102 | 101
| 102 | 102 | 101 | 101 |
| Emery Potter (D-OH) | 17 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 18
| 29 | 40 | 48 | 61 | 70 | 76 | 76 | 77
| 78 | 1 |
| Howell Cobb (D-GA) | 66 | 63 | 63 | 62 | 66 | 65
| 31 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5
| 5 | 10 |
| W.J. Brown (D-IN) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 2
| 2 | 53 |
| W.A. Richardson (D-IL) | 25 | 26 | 29 | 28 | 23
| 23 | 23 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1
| 1 | -- | -- |
| Linn Boyd (D-KY) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
| 3 | 14 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 14 | 5 | 4
| 5 | 15 |
| David T. Disney (D-OH) | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | -- | 13 |
| James S. Green (D-MO) | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 10
| 12 | 10 | 5 |
| Amos Tuck (FS-NH) | 8 | 9 | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | -- |
| David Wilmot (FS-PA) | -- | -- | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7
| 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6
| 6 |
| John K. Miller (D-OH) | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | 5 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4
| 3 | 3 |
| Meredith Gentry (W-TN) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5
| 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5
| 5 |
| Scattering | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 18
| 15 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 9
| 12 |
In the third quarter of the balloting, two events took place. First, northern Democrats attempted to form a
coalition with the Free Soilers. If the two parties were able to elect Brown the Speaker, he would allow the
Free Soilers to organize three committees as they wished: the committees on the District of Columbia, the
territories, and the judiciary. In order for the plan to work, all Democrats would have to shift their votes
to him. On the 37th ballot, Brown moved ahead of Winthrop. His vote reached 112 on the 40th ballot - the
most votes cast for any candidate in the entire balloting and only two votes short of a majority. At the end
of the balloting, Whigs including Edward Stanly uncovered Brown's plan, which caused all Southern Democrats
to balk at the proposal. Brown immediately withdrew from the contest. Winthrop, tired of lobbying other
Representatives, also withdrew - resulting in a scattering of the Whig votes as well. The number of candidates receiving votes was as high as 24 on the 43d ballot.
| Voting for Speaker of the U.S. House in 1849: Ballots 33 to
48 |
| Contender: ballot | 33d | 34th | 35th | 36th | 37th
| 38th | 39th | 40th | 41st | 42d | 43d | 44th
| 45th | 46th | 47th | 48th |
| W.J. Brown (D-IN) | 80 | 84 | 88 | 97 | 107 | 109
| 109 | 112 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | -- |
| Robert C. Winthrop (W-MA) | 101 | 101 | 101 | 101 | 101
| 100 | 101 | 17 | 59 | 36 | 25 | 27 | 20
| 14 | 10 | 70 |
| Linn Boyd (D-KY) | 15 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 1
| 1 | -- | 26 | 51 | 68 | 82 | 82 | 85
| 86 | 86 |
| Edward Stanly (W-NC) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
-- | -- | 18 | 21 | 30 | 40 | 49 | 55 | 67
| 66 | 3 |
| Howell Cobb (D-GA) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | -- | --
| -- | -- | 40 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1
| 1 | 1 |
| Thaddeus Stevens (W-PA) | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | -- | 2 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 24
| 23 | 27 | 18 |
| William Duer (W-NY) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | 26 | -- | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1
| 1 | -- |
| Emery Potter (D-OH) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | -- | 24 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 17
| 18 | 17 |
| Charles D. Morehead (W-KY) | -- | -- | 5 | 5 | 5
| 5 | 5 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 8
| 5 | 4 | 16 |
| Edward W. McGaughey (W-IN) | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | -- | 13 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | --
| -- | -- | -- |
| David T. Disney (D-OH) | 8 | 7 | 4 | -- | -- | --
| -- | -- | 1 | 2 | -- | -- | 1 | 3
| 3 | 4 |
| Robert L. McLane (D-MD) | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | -- | -- | 2 | 8 | 7 | 1 | --
| -- | -- | -- |
| David Wilmot (FS-PA) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6
| 7 | -- | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | -- | --
| -- | -- |
| Meredith Gentry (W-TN) | 5 | 5 | -- | -- | -- |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | -- |
| Scattering | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3
| 18 | 30 | 22 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 9
| 8 |
Throughout the balloting, various means of resolving the speakership were raised. After the 59th ballot,
Edward Stanly recommended that leading Democrats and Whigs meet and try to reach a resolution. At the
meeting, party leaders agreed to hold three additional ballots. If no candidate had a majority at that time,
the candidate placing first on the 63d ballot would be declared the new speaker.
When balloting resumed, Stanly and McClernand withdrew in favor of the original candidates, Winthrop and
Cobb. Cobb took the lead on the 60th ballot. Stragglers slowly returned to the leading candidates, but not
enough for a majority. Cobb was chosen on the critical 63d ballot with 102 votes to 99 for Winthrop. It was
the first time that the Speaker of the House was chosen by a plurality vote. Neither Cobb nor Winthrop
received his highest vote on the final ballot.
| Voting for Speaker of the U.S. House in 1849: Ballots 49 to 63 |
| Contender: ballot | 49th | 50th | 51st | 52d | 53d | 54th
| 55th | 56th | 57th | 58th | 59th | 60th | 61st
| 62d | 63d |
| Howell Cobb (D-GA) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 16
| 15 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 102 |
| Robert C. Winthrop (W-MA) | 72 | 75 | 57 | 95 | 97 | 97
| 97 | 84 | 88 | 86 | 13 | 90 | 92 | 97 | 99
|
| Linn Boyd (D-KY) | 87 | 87 | 87 | 66 | 57 | 51 | 47
| 37 | 33 | 32 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Edward Stanly (W-NC) | 1 | 1 | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
-- | 1 | -- | -- | 75 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| John A. McClernand (D-IL) | -- | -- | -- | 13 | 18 | 23
| 26 | 35 | 40 | 46 | 50 | -- | -- | -- | --
|
| Charles D. Morehead (W-KY) | 22 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 5
| 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4
|
| William Strong (D-PA) | 4 | 3 | 4 | -- | -- | 4
| 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3
|
| Emery Potter (D-OH) | 14 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 8
| -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1
|
| Thaddeus Stevens (W-PA) | 11 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | --
|
| David T. Disney (D-OH) | 5 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 4
| -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| David Wilmot (FS-PA) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8
|
| George W. Julian (FS-IN) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 4
| 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
|
| John K. Miller (D-OH) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1
| -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -- | -- | -- | --
|
| James McDowell (D-VA) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | --
| -- | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | --
|
| Scattering | 5 | 12 | 32 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 6
| 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 3 |
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103 (10.72%)
