The U.S. House

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...

 election of 1856 returned a semblance of normality to the Democratic Party, as they retook a House majority and retained the presidency (James Buchanan

James Buchanan

James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....

 was elected). However, the party was permanently divided over the slavery issue.

Earlier in the year, the Whig Party

Whig Party (United States)

The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

 disbanded, with the majority of its members joining the Republican cause, while the short-lived Know Nothing movement declined, and the American Party began to fall apart. The Democrats, aided by much support from recent immigrants, took advantage of the situation and became the majority, despite fragmented support within the party.

Overall results

Party	Total seats (change)		Seat percentage
Democratic Party	132	+48	55.7%
Republican Party	90	+44	38.0%
American Party	14	-48	6.0%
Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...	1	+1	0.4%
Totals	237	-15	100%

California

Note: From statehood to 1864, California's representatives were elected at-large, with the top two vote-getters winning election from 1849 to 1858; in 1860 when California gained a seat in the House the top three vote-getters were elected.

District	Incumbents	Status	Candidates	Winners
	James W. Denver James W. Denver James William Denver was an American politician, soldier, lawyer, and esteemed actor. He served in the California state government, as an officer in the United States Army in two wars, and as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from California, as well as playing lead... (Democratic)	Retired	Charles L. Scott Charles L. Scott Charles Lewis Scott is a former American Democratic politician from California.-Biography:Charles L. Scott was born January 23, 1827 in Richmond, Virginia. His father was Robert G. Scott, well known attorney and politition of Richmond VA who was born in McIntosh Co. GA and died in AL. His mother...  (Democratic) 29.9% Joseph C. McKibbin Joseph C. McKibbin Joseph Chambers McKibbin was a California Democratic politician.McKibbin was born 1824 in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.He received a common-school education then attended Princeton College 1840-1842....  (Democratic) 21% A. B. Dibble (Know-Nothing) 20.7% Ira P. Rankin (Independent) 13% J. N. Turner (Republican) 12.5%	Charles L. Scott Charles L. Scott Charles Lewis Scott is a former American Democratic politician from California.-Biography:Charles L. Scott was born January 23, 1827 in Richmond, Virginia. His father was Robert G. Scott, well known attorney and politition of Richmond VA who was born in McIntosh Co. GA and died in AL. His mother... (Democratic)
	Philemon T. Herbert Philemon T. Herbert Philemon Thomas Herbert was a Democratic U.S. Representative from California. He represented the California Second District in the 34th Congress . He previously served two terms in the California State Assembly, representing Mariposa County. Herbert, originally from Alabama, was a combative... (Democratic)	Retired after manslaughter acquittal		Joseph C. McKibbin Joseph C. McKibbin Joseph Chambers McKibbin was a California Democratic politician.McKibbin was born 1824 in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.He received a common-school education then attended Princeton College 1840-1842.... (Democratic)

External links

• http://clerk.house.gov/histHigh/Congressional_History/index.html