United States Senate election in New York, 1821
Encyclopedia
The 1821 United States Senate election in New York was held on February 6, 1821, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator (Class 1) to represent the State of New York
in the United States Senate
.
had been elected in 1815 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1821.
Although nominally in the same party, the Democratic-Republicans were split into two fiercely opposing factions: the "Clintonians" (allies of Governor DeWitt Clinton
), and "Bucktails
" (a combine of the Tammany
members from New York City
and Clinton's upstate adversaries led by Martin Van Buren
). The Federalist Party had disbanded, the larger part joining the Clintonians, the others the Bucktails. At the State election in April 1820, although Clinton was re-elected Governor, a Bucktails majority was elected to the Assembly, and five of the eight State Senators up for renewal were Bucktails. The 44th State Legislature met from November 7 to 20, 1820; and from January 9 to April 3, 1821, at Albany, New York
. The party strength in the Assembly as shown by the vote for Speaker
was: 69 for Bucktail Peter Sharpe
and 52 for Clintonian John C. Spencer.
.
Disregarding the caucus nominee, a practice now already established, the incumbent U.S. Senator Nathan Sanford received the votes of the Clintonians.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
Background
Nathan SanfordNathan Sanford
Nathan Sanford was an American politician.- Life :He was the son of Thomas Sanford and Phebe Sanford, née Baker...
had been elected in 1815 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1821.
Although nominally in the same party, the Democratic-Republicans were split into two fiercely opposing factions: the "Clintonians" (allies of Governor DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton was an early American politician and naturalist who served as United States Senator and the sixth Governor of New York. In this last capacity he was largely responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal...
), and "Bucktails
Bucktails
The Bucktails may refer to one of two organizations that were particularly characterized and identified by the wearing of a bucktail in their headgear....
" (a combine of the Tammany
Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...
members from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Clinton's upstate adversaries led by Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson ....
). The Federalist Party had disbanded, the larger part joining the Clintonians, the others the Bucktails. At the State election in April 1820, although Clinton was re-elected Governor, a Bucktails majority was elected to the Assembly, and five of the eight State Senators up for renewal were Bucktails. The 44th State Legislature met from November 7 to 20, 1820; and from January 9 to April 3, 1821, at Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. The party strength in the Assembly as shown by the vote for Speaker
Speaker of the New York State Assembly
The Speaker of the New York State Assembly is the highest official in the New York State Assembly, customarily elected from the ranks of the majority party....
was: 69 for Bucktail Peter Sharpe
Peter Sharpe
Peter Sharpe was an American politician who served as a United States Representative from New York.-Life:...
and 52 for Clintonian John C. Spencer.
Candidates
Before the election, a caucus of Democratic-Republican State legislators was held with 82 members present. 58 voted for Van Buren, 24 for Sanford, and Martin Van Buren was declared nominated. In the election, he received the votes of the BucktailsBucktails
The Bucktails may refer to one of two organizations that were particularly characterized and identified by the wearing of a bucktail in their headgear....
.
Disregarding the caucus nominee, a practice now already established, the incumbent U.S. Senator Nathan Sanford received the votes of the Clintonians.
Result
Martin Van Buren was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected.| Office | House | Dem.-Rep./Bucktails Bucktails The Bucktails may refer to one of two organizations that were particularly characterized and identified by the wearing of a bucktail in their headgear.... |
Dem.-Rep./Clintonian | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senator | State Senate New York State Senate The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve... (32 members) |
Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson .... |
17 | Nathan Sanford Nathan Sanford Nathan Sanford was an American politician.- Life :He was the son of Thomas Sanford and Phebe Sanford, née Baker... |
8 |
| State Assembly New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652... (126 members) |
Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson .... |
69 | Nathan Sanford Nathan Sanford Nathan Sanford was an American politician.- Life :He was the son of Thomas Sanford and Phebe Sanford, née Baker... |
52 | |
Sources
- The New York Civil List compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 63 for U.S. Senators; pg. 124 for State Senators 1820-21; pg. 196f for Members of Assembly 1820-21)
- Members of the 17th United States Congress
- History of Political Parties in the State of New-York, Vol. I by Jabez Delano Hammond (pages 561f) [gives Senate vote as 17 to 8, Hammond himself abstained]
- Election result (U.S. Senator) at Tufts UniversityTufts UniversityTufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
Library project "A New Nation Votes" [gives Senate vote as 19 to 11] - Election result (Speaker) at Tufts UniversityTufts UniversityTufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
Library project "A New Nation Votes"