United States House of Representatives: History, Art, & Archives
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Joint Meetings, Joint Sessions, & Inaugurations

20th to 39th Congresses

(March 4, 1827 to March 3, 1867)

DateTypeOccasion, topic, or locationName and position of dignitary
(Where Applicable)
20th Congress (1827–1829)
Feb. 11, 1829 Joint Session Counting electoral votes N.A.
21st Congress (1829–1831)
Mar. 4, 1829 Inauguration East Portico8 President Andrew Jackson.
22nd Congress (1831–1833)
Feb. 13, 1833 Joint Session Counting electoral votes N.A.
23rd Congress (1833–1835)
Mar. 4, 1833 Inauguration Hall of the House9 President Andrew Jackson.
Dec. 31, 1834 Joint Session Lafayette eulogy Representative and former President John Quincy Adams; ceremony attended by President Andrew Jackson.
24th Congress (1835–1837)
Feb. 8, 1837 Joint Session Counting electoral votes N.A.
25th Congress (1837–1839)
Mar. 4, 1837 Inauguration East Portico President Martin Van Buren.
26th Congress (1839–1841)
Feb. 10, 1841 Joint Session Counting electoral votes N.A.
27th Congress (1841–1843)
Mar. 4, 1841 Inauguration East Portico President William Henry Harrison.
28th Congress (1843–1845)
Feb. 12, 1845 Joint Session Counting electoral votes N.A.
29th Congress (1845–1847)
Mar. 4, 1845 Inauguration East Portico President James Knox Polk.
30th Congress (1847–1849)
Feb. 14, 1849 Joint Session Counting electoral votes N.A.
31st Congress (1849–1851)
Mar. 5, 1849 Inauguration East Portico President Zachary Taylor.
July 10, 1850 Joint Session Oath of office to
President Millard Fillmore10		 N.A.
32nd Congress (1851–1853)
Feb. 9, 1853 Joint Session Counting electoral votes N.A.
33rd Congress (1853–1855)
Mar. 4, 1853 Inauguration East Portico President Franklin Pierce.
34th Congress (1855–1857)
Feb. 11, 1857 Joint Session Counting electoral votes N.A.
35th Congress (1857–1859)
Mar. 4, 1857 Inauguration East Portico President James Buchanan.
36th Congress (1859–1861)
Feb. 13, 1861 Joint Session Counting electoral votes N.A.
37th Congress (1861–1863)
Mar. 4, 1861 Inauguration East Portico President Abraham Lincoln.
Feb. 22, 1862 Joint Session Reading of
Washington's farewell address 		John W. Forney, Secretary of the Senate.
38th Congress (1863–1865)
Feb. 8, 1865 Joint Session Counting electoral votes N.A.
39th Congress (1865–1867)
Mar. 4, 1865 Inauguration East Portico President Abraham Lincoln.
Feb. 12, 1866 Joint Session Memorial to Abraham Lincoln George Bancroft, historian; ceremony attended by President Andrew Johnson.

Footnotes

8The ceremony was moved outside to accommodate the extraordinarily large crowd of people who had come to Washington to see the inauguration.

9The ceremony was moved inside because of cold weather.

10Following the death of President Zachary Taylor, Vice President Millard Fillmore took the presidential oath of office in a special Joint Session in the Hall of the House.

Office of the Historian: history@mail.house.gov
Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk: art@mail.house.gov, archives@mail.house.gov