Mapping Early American Elections

Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1805

In 1805, Pennsylvania elected at least twenty-three Federalists, thirty-three Democratic-Republicans, and thirty-one Republicans who were part of a faction within the party to Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives. In this election, the Republican faction was a coalition of Federalists and moderate Democratic-Republicans (Constitutionalists). This group of candidates was often referred to as Quids. Democratic-Republicans and Quids clashed over impeachments, the governor’s appointment powers, and reforms of the constitution and the court system.

While Pennsylvania’s state legislature started out as a unicameral assembly, in 1791, the Pennsylvania General Assembly became a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives whose members were elected annually in October and a state Senate whose members were elected to four-year terms.

Pennsylvania used a district system for electing members to Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Districts elected various numbers of Representatives (based on population), and were normally made up of a single county. However, during the early 1800s, numerous new counties were organized, especially in the sparsely settled western and northern part of the state. These new counties, for periods of time, voted with their parent county, and returns were rarely reported for them individually. This resulted in several multiple-county districts.

In this election the following counties voted together in a single district: Allegheny, Beaver, and Butler Counties. Armstrong, Indiana, Jefferson, and Westmoreland Counties voted together. The votes cast in Indiana County are included in the Westmoreland County totals. Crawford, Erie, Mercer, Venango, and Warren Counties voted together. The votes cast in Warren County are included in the Venango County totals. Lycoming, Tioga, and Potter Counties voted together. The votes cast in Potter County are included in the Lycoming County totals. Northampton and Wayne Counties voted together.

On January 21, 1806, a special election was held in which Constitutionalist Samuel Henderson was elected to replace Federalist Samuel Miles, who had died.

District Candidate Party Vote Percentage Elected
Adams William Smith Republican Faction 1,240 49.8% ✓
Adams Andrew Shriver Republican Faction 1,076 43.2% ✓
Adams William Cooper 176 7.1%
Allegheny, Beaver, and Butler Jacob Mechlin Democratic-Republican 1,850 16.9% ✓
Allegheny, Beaver, and Butler Abner Lacock Democratic-Republican 1,828 16.7% ✓
Allegheny, Beaver, and Butler Francis MacClure Democratic-Republican 1,825 16.7% ✓
Allegheny, Beaver, and Butler James Carothers Republican Faction 1,790 16.4%
Allegheny, Beaver, and Butler John MacBride Republican Faction 1,755 16%
Allegheny, Beaver, and Butler Jacob Ferree Republican Faction 1,069 9.8%
Allegheny, Beaver, and Butler George Robinson Republican Faction 826 7.5%
Armstrong, Indiana, Jefferson, and Westmoreland Henry Allhouse Republican Faction ✓
Armstrong, Indiana, Jefferson, and Westmoreland James MacComb Republican Faction ✓
Armstrong, Indiana, Jefferson, and Westmoreland John Sloan Republican Faction ✓
Bedford William Piper Federalist 768 30% ✓
Bedford Benjamin Martin Federalist 629 24.6% ✓
Bedford Jacob Fore Democratic-Republican 482 18.8%
Bedford Hugh Barclay Federalist 360 14.1%
Bedford Peter Morgert Democratic-Republican 320 12.5%
Berks Daniel Rose Republican Faction 3,694 13.1% ✓
Berks Elias Redge Republican Faction 3,644 12.9% ✓
Berks Valentine Brobst Republican Faction 3,550 12.5% ✓
Berks John Bischoff Republican Faction 3,511 12.4% ✓
Berks Jacob Schaffer Republican Faction 3,324 11.7% ✓
Berks William Witman Democratic-Republican 2,052 7.2%
Berks Jacob Rhoads Democratic-Republican 2,025 7.2%
Berks Daniel Udree Democratic-Republican 2,019 7.1%
Berks Isaac Adams Democratic-Republican 2,016 7.1%
Berks Jacob Epler Democratic-Republican 2,009 7.1%
Bucks Nathaniel Shewall Republican Faction 2,543 14.2% ✓
Bucks William Milnor Republican Faction 2,529 14.2% ✓
Bucks Samuel D. Ingham Republican Faction 2,515 14.1% ✓
Bucks Paul Apple Republican Faction 2,491 14% ✓
Bucks Samuel Smith Democratic-Republican 1,955 11%
Bucks William Rodman Democratic-Republican 1,952 10.9%
Bucks John Smith Democratic-Republican 1,936 10.8%
Bucks Robert Smith Democratic-Republican 1,930 10.8%
Chester John Boyd Republican Faction 2,766 10.7% ✓
Chester James Kelton Republican Faction 2,763 10.7% ✓
Chester John G. Bull Republican Faction 2,756 10.7% ✓
Chester Francis Gardner Republican Faction 2,752 10.7% ✓
Chester Methusalah Davis Republican Faction 2,703 10.5% ✓
Chester William Harris Democratic-Republican 2,416 9.4%
Chester James Fulton Democratic-Republican 2,409 9.4%
Chester Edward Darlington Democratic-Republican 2,399 9.3%
Chester James Steel Democratic-Republican 2,398 9.3%
Chester John Reed Democratic-Republican 2,383 9.3%
Crawford, Erie, Mercer, Venango, and Warren Wilson Smith Democratic-Republican 1,597 60.8% ✓
Crawford, Erie, Mercer, Venango, and Warren James Pollack Republican Faction 1,031 39.2%
Cumberland James Lowrey Democratic-Republican 1,809 20.1% ✓
Cumberland Samuel Fenton Democratic-Republican 1,763 19.6% ✓
Cumberland Jacob Alter Democratic-Republican 1,762 19.6% ✓
Cumberland John Bowman Federalist 1,245 13.9%
Cumberland John Brown Federalist 1,244 13.8%
Cumberland James Wilson Federalist 1,165 13%
Dauphin Edward Crouch Democratic-Republican 2,129 22.4% ✓
Dauphin Jacob Bucher Democratic-Republican 2,087 21.9% ✓
Dauphin Jacob Weirich Democratic-Republican 2,064 21.7% ✓
Dauphin Adam Boyd Federalist 1,119 11.8%
Dauphin George Bauman Federalist 1,104 11.6%
Dauphin Martin Tomma Federalist 1,009 10.6%
Delaware William Trimble Federalist 1,109 35.4% ✓
Delaware William Pennock Federalist 1,103 35.2% ✓
Delaware William Brook Democratic-Republican 463 14.8%
Delaware Jesse Darlington Democratic-Republican 462 14.7%
Fayette Charles Porter Republican Faction 1,934 25.9% ✓
Fayette Christian Tarr Democratic-Republican 1,348 18.1% ✓
Fayette William Boyd Republican Faction 1,249 16.7% ✓
Fayette John Cunningham Democratic-Republican 1,080 14.5%
Fayette Isaac Rogers Republican Faction 1,055 14.1%
Fayette Thomas Bowell Democratic-Republican 799 10.7%
Franklin William Findlay Democratic-Republican 1,386 17.6% ✓
Franklin James MacConnell Democratic-Republican 1,355 17.3% ✓
Franklin Jacob Dechert Democratic-Republican 1,350 17.2% ✓
Franklin Christian Oyster Federalist 1,260 16%
Franklin George Clarke Federalist 1,253 16%
Franklin Thomas Greer Federalist 1,250 15.9%
Greene John Brown Democratic-Republican unopposed ✓
Huntingdon James MacCune Democratic-Republican 994 30.2% ✓
Huntingdon Arthur Moore Democratic-Republican 937 28.5% ✓
Huntingdon Thomas Johnston Federalist 690 21% ✓
Huntingdon Thomas Wilson Federalist 671 20.4% ✓
Lancaster William Ramsey Federalist 4,023 10.6% ✓
Lancaster John Roberts Federalist 4,015 10.6% ✓
Lancaster Jacob Kimmel Federalist 4,011 10.6% ✓
Lancaster Jacob Gish Federalist 4,008 10.6% ✓
Lancaster William Webb Federalist 3,993 10.6% ✓
Lancaster Robert Jenkins Federalist 3,936 10.4% ✓
Lancaster Henry Ford Democratic-Republican 2,364 6.3%
Lancaster Henry Haines Democratic-Republican 2,303 6.1%
Lancaster Samuel Humes Democratic-Republican 2,301 6.1%
Lancaster Isaac Ferree Democratic-Republican 2,292 6.1%
Lancaster William Brisben Democratic-Republican 2,290 6.1%
Lancaster James Patterson Democratic-Republican 2,269 6%
Luzerne Rosewell Welles Federalist 662 30% ✓
Luzerne Nathan Beach Federalist 509 23.1% ✓
Luzerne John Jenkins Democratic-Republican 392 17.8%
Luzerne Nathan Palmer Democratic-Republican 273 12.4%
Luzerne Moses Coolbaugh 214 9.7%
Luzerne Other candidates 157 6.8%
Lycoming and Potter Martin Federalist 2,844 223.2%
Lycoming and Potter John Franklin Republican Faction 521 40.9% ✓
Lycoming and Potter Hugh White 517 40.5%
Mifflin William Beale Democratic-Republican 1,333 49.1% ✓
Mifflin William Wilson Democratic-Republican 973 35.8% ✓
Mifflin John Brown Democratic-Republican 410 15.1%
Montgomery Samuel Miles Federalist 2,358 13.6% ✓
Montgomery William Hallman Federalist 2,338 13.5% ✓
Montgomery Samuel Rees Federalist 2,327 13.5% ✓
Montgomery Cadwallader Evans Federalist 2,321 13.4% ✓
Montgomery Samuel Gross Democratic-Republican 2,029 11.7%
Montgomery Nathaniel B. Boileau Democratic-Republican 1,985 11.5%
Montgomery Henry Sheetz Democratic-Republican 1,975 11.4%
Montgomery John Mann Democratic-Republican 1,957 11.3%
Northampton and Wayne William Barnet Republican Faction 3,394 18.5% ✓
Northampton and Wayne Matthias Gress Republican Faction 3,374 18.4% ✓
Northampton and Wayne George Acker Republican Faction 3,313 18.1% ✓
Northampton and Wayne Abraham Rinker Republican Faction 3,192 17.4% ✓
Northampton and Wayne John Coolbaugh Democratic-Republican 1,302 7.1%
Northampton and Wayne Joseph Seigfried Democratic-Republican 1,296 7.1%
Northampton and Wayne Jacob Neuhard Democratic-Republican 1,258 6.9%
Northampton and Wayne George Herman Democratic-Republican 1,203 6.6%
Northumberland Robert Smith Democratic-Republican 3,259 18.3% ✓
Northumberland Leonard Reupert Democratic-Republican 3,232 18.2% ✓
Northumberland John Bull Democratic-Republican 3,201 18% ✓
Northumberland Abraham MacKinney Democratic-Republican 3,173 17.8% ✓
Northumberland Solomon Markley Republican Faction 1,270 7.1%
Northumberland John Kelly Republican Faction 1,235 6.9%
Northumberland Thomas Wallis Republican Faction 1,226 6.9%
Northumberland Christian Probst Republican Faction 1,197 6.7%
Philadelphia Jacob Holgate Democratic-Republican 2,473 9.2% ✓
Philadelphia James Engle Democratic-Republican 2,464 9.2% ✓
Philadelphia Philip Peltz Democratic-Republican 2,462 9.2% ✓
Philadelphia Caspar Schneider Democratic-Republican 2,456 9.1% ✓
Philadelphia Jacob Shearer Democratic-Republican 2,447 9.1% ✓
Philadelphia Christian Sheetz Democratic-Republican 2,443 9.1% ✓
Philadelphia William T. Donaldson 2,033 7.6%
Philadelphia Heath Norbury 2,020 7.5%
Philadelphia Standish Forde 2,019 7.5%
Philadelphia Daniel Groves 2,016 7.5%
Philadelphia Archibald Wilson 2,014 7.5%
Philadelphia Derick Peterson 2,014 7.5%
Philadelphia City John Sergeant Republican Faction 2,107 12% ✓
Philadelphia City Lawrence Herbert Republican Faction 2,098 11.9% ✓
Philadelphia City Joseph Sansom Republican Faction 2,095 11.9% ✓
Philadelphia City Samuel Carver Republican Faction 2,064 11.7% ✓
Philadelphia City Joseph Hemphill Republican Faction 1,641 9.3% ✓
Philadelphia City James Pearson Democratic-Republican 1,426 8.1%
Philadelphia City Philip Odenheimer Democratic-Republican 1,426 8.1%
Philadelphia City James Sharswood Democratic-Republican 1,425 8.1%
Philadelphia City Hugh Ferguson Democratic-Republican 1,422 8.1%
Philadelphia City Jacob Mitchell Democratic-Republican 1,418 8%
Somerset Patrick Sullivan Federalist 896 64% ✓
Somerset Alexander Ogle Democratic-Republican 505 36%
Tioga John Franklin 138 unopposed ✓
Washington John Marshall Democratic-Republican 2,281 17.5% ✓
Washington Aaron Lyle Democratic-Republican 2,166 16.7% ✓
Washington James Stephenson Democratic-Republican 2,152 16.6% ✓
Washington Samuel Agnew Democratic-Republican 2,126 16.4% ✓
Washington William MacFarland Federalist 1,002 7.7%
Washington John Hoge Federalist 923 7.1%
Washington James Mitchell Federalist 903 6.9%
Washington Thomas Patterson Federalist 878 6.8%
York George Spangler Federalist 2,587 25% ✓
York Benjamin Pedan Federalist 1,721 16.6% ✓
York Conrad Sherman Federalist 1,620 15.7% ✓
York John MacClellan Federalist 1,351 13.1% ✓
York Adam Hendrix Democratic-Republican 1,192 11.5%
York Eli Lewis Democratic-Republican 960 9.3%
York Matthew Clark Democratic-Republican 914 8.8%

In most cases, only candidates who received more than 5 percent of the vote in a district are reported. Other candidates are reported as a group, but only if they in aggregate received more than 5 percent of the vote. In addition, percentages for each district may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding. The term Dissenting Republican includes various breakaway factions of the Democratic-Republican party.

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“Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1805,” Mapping Early American Elections, https://earlyamericanelections.org/maps/meae.staterepresentative.1805.pa.county.html

Mapping Early American Elections is generously funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and developed by the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University.

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