United States House election, 1818

United States House of Representatives elections, 1818

← 1816

April 26, 1818 - August 12, 1819

1820 →

All 186 seats to the United States House of Representatives
94 seats were needed for a majority

	Majority party	Minority party

Leader	Henry Clay	John Sergeant
Party	Democratic-Republican	Federalist
Leader's seat	Kentucky-2nd	Pennsylvania-1st
Last election	145 seats	40 seats
Seats won	160	26
Seat change	15	14

Speaker before election

Henry Clay
Democratic-Republican

Elected Speaker

Henry Clay
Democratic-Republican

Elections to the United States House of Representatives for the 16th Congress were held in the various states between April 28, 1818 (in New York) and August 12, 1819 (in North Carolina), with Alabama electing its first representatives September 20–21, 1819 during James Monroe's first term. The Congress assembled on December 6, 1819.

The election occurred in a time period that featured no pressing federal issues and a feeling of national consensus to the effectiveness of the ruling party. The Federalist collapse continued, as support for the party was dismal outside of New England due to a decline in an acceptance of their ideology and lingering anger over the secessionist doctrine produced at the Hartford Convention. The Democratic-Republicans used this election to increase their enormous majority.

Alabama and Maine were admitted during the 16th Congress. One new seat was added for Alabama, while Maine had split off from Massachusetts and so representatives from the former District of Maine continued in Congress representing Maine, and no general election was held for Representatives from Maine during this Congress. In the next election, 7 seats were transferred from Massachusetts to Maine.

The state of Illinois was admitted on December 3, 1818 during the Second Session of the 15th Congress.

McLean took office on December 4.

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