Congressional Districts: How to Compile Histories of Their Composition and Representation

Congressional Districts: How to Compile Histories of Their Composition and Representation

97-1052 GOV
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Congressional Districts:
How to Compile Histories of Their Composition
and Representation
December 9, 1997
(name redacted)
Analyst in American National Government
Government Division
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

Congressional Districts: How to Compile Histories of
Their Composition and Representation
Summary
Members of Congress, their staff, and their constituents sometimes request
historical information on the composition and representation of congressional
districts: Who are the Members who have ever represented the area a Member
currently represents? What are the names and party affiliations of the House
Members who have represented a particular county since it was created? Have two
counties always been within the same congressional district? This report explains
how researchers may prepare compilations called congressional “district histories,”
which answer these and other such questions. The report identifies selected sources
from which information may be obtained and provides details on how data may be
compiled and presented. While there is no one way to conduct the research, compile
the data, or present findings, the sources and procedure described here have proven
useful to those who have prepared district histories in the past.

Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Basic Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Caveat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Research Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Step 1. Identify and list the relevant counties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Step 2. Determine each county’s origin and year of creation. . . . . . . . . . . 7
Step 3. Determine the years and Congresses to be covered . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Step 4. Select and review other sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Step 5. Prepare a worksheet for collecting information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Step 6. Record the earliest Congress number and years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Step 7. Identify and record the congressional district(s) in
which each relevant county has been located. . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Step 8. Identify the relevant Representatives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Step 9. Add Data on Recent Congresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Step 10. Cross-check for Errors and Discrepancies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Step 11. Repeat the Steps of this Process as Appropriate . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Appendix A: Sources of Congressional District Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Appendix B: Worksheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Worksheet 1: Relevant Counties and Their Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Worksheet 2: Data Collection Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Appendix C: Sessions of Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Appendix D: Example District History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
List of Tables
Quick Reference Guide for Locating Information in Selected Sources . . . . . . . 25

Congressional Districts:
How to Compile Histories of
Their Composition and Representation
Introduction
Overview
Members of Congress, their staff, and their constituents frequently ask such
questions as “Who has represented the 6th congressional district of Maryland since
the 1st Congress?” The question, which could be asked about any congressional
district in any state and for any time period, is straightforward. But the answer can
be complicated. The boundaries of today’s 6th congressional district of Maryland are
different from the boundaries of the 6th district in years past. Reapportionment and
redistricting often change district boundaries. Moreover, district boundaries do not
necessarily conform to the boundaries of any other entity, such as a county or
municipality. Thus, the question must be recast. One useful way to reformulate the
question is to ask, “Who has represented the counties that constitute today’s 6th
congressional district of Maryland since the 1st Congress?”
This guide is a tool to help you answer that historical question—or analogous
questions for other states and congressional districts. It outlines the research you
will need to do and identifies useful sources of information. It suggests how you can
organize your work and present the results as what has come to be called a
“congressional district history.” It also includes worksheets for compiling data and
models for presenting your findings.
There is no one best way to prepare a congressional district history. The
approach described in this guide has been used successfully over many years, but
variants are sometimes appropriate. Law, local and state history, and the vehicles
and procedures for elections vary across time and among states. Such circumstances
may require you to work in ways different from those suggested here. Nonetheless,
this guide will likely meet the needs of most researchers who must compile historical
data on the representation and composition of congressional districts.

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Basic Sources
In most instances, researchers may use the sources indicated in Table 1 to
compile comprehensive district histories.1
Table 1. Historical Information Sources
Congress
Years
Sources
1st - 27th
1789-1841
! Everton, Handy Book for Genealogists

! Parsons, et al, United States Congressional
Districts, 1788-1841
28th - 78th 1841-1945
! CQ, Guide to U.S. Elections
! A Biographical Directory of Congress2
! Everton, Handy Book for Genealogists
! Martis, Historical Atlas of United States
Congressional Districts, 1789-1983
79th - 97th 1945-1983
! CQ, Biographical Directory of the American
Congress, 1774-1996
! Everton, Handy Book for Genealogists
! Martis, Historical Atlas of United States
Congressional Districts, 1789-1983
98th - 105th 1983-1999
! Congressional Directory for each Congress
! CQ, Biographical Directory of the American
Congress, 1774-1996
Caveat. Although the sources listed in this guide will probably be sufficient for
your work, special circumstances may require you to consult sources not identified
here.
1For complete references, see the bibliography at the back of the guide; for a more
detailed explanation of sources see the quick reference table in Appendix A.
2Two biographical directories are available and are listed in the bibliography. The
privately published biographical directory covers all Members through the 104th Congress.
Beginning with the 79th Congress (1945-1947), it identifies the congressional district
represented by each Member. The directory published as a Senate document covers all
Members through the 100th Congress, but it does not identify congressional districts the
Members represented. The Senate document is also available to Members of the House in
electronic form via computer from the MIN files managed by House Information Resources
(HIR). Congressional offices may consult HIR for access to these files.

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Research Procedure
A step-by-step guide for preparing a congressional district history follows. The
steps are illustrated using the hypothetical question, “Who has represented the
counties that constitute what is currently the 6th congressional district of Maryland
since the 1st Congress?”3
Worksheets. This guide provides two worksheets for collecting the necessary
information. Worksheet 1 is entitled “Relevant Counties and Their Origins.”
Worksheet 2 is entitled “Data Collection Form.” Both can be found in appendix B
of this report. Photocopy as many as you need for your research.
Step 1. Identify and list the relevant counties.
Identify and list all the counties that currently constitute the congressional
district you are researching (hereafter referred to as “relevant counties”).4 Indicate
whether each relevant county is completely or partially within the district.

Sources. There are two useful sources for this task:
1.
Congressional Directory for the current Congress, the biographical section
of which describes each congressional district in every state; and
2.
Congressional Districts of the 103rd Congress. published by the Bureau of
Census.
Tip. If the descriptions of the districts are lengthy and detailed, or if several
counties are divided among more than one district, you may find the Census
publication easier to use.5 Its tables list only the counties within each congressional
district, without further description. The notation “(pt)” indicates that the district
includes only part of a county. Maps of the counties, their subdivisions, boundaries,
and other information appear in the appendices that follow the tables.
Caution: Check for redistricting. If you use the Census Bureau’s reports for
the 103rd Congress, be sure to determine whether the state you are researching has
redistricted since the 103rd Congress (1993-1995).6
3Remember that the county is the basic unit for compiling information, except in
Louisiana, where the parish is the basic unit.
4Depending on the state and district, the number of counties can range from one to more
than 30.
5Grouped under the broader title, “Census of Population and Housing” (CHP), the
series provides a separate volume for each state. The example in this CRS guide uses the
1990 report for the State of Maryland , CPH-4-22.
6 Except for Maine, all states with more than one congressional district redistricted for
the 103rd Congress.

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! States that redistricted during the 104th Congress (1995-1997) are:
Georgia
Louisiana
Maine
Minnesota
South Carolina
Virginia
! States that redistricted during the 105th Congress (as of the date of this report)
are:
Georgia
Louisiana
Florida
Kentucky
Texas
! Among the states that are likely to redistrict for the 106th Congress are:
New York
North Carolina
Virginia
Remember also that redistricting occurs regularly after each decennial census.
The next regularly scheduled redistricting will occur after the census for the year
2000; it will go into effect for the 108th Congress (2003-2005). As a matter of
routine, the number and composition of the districts in any of the 50 states may
change, depending upon census data from the year 2000. Be sure the source
documents you choose reflect the actual composition of the district.
Example
Now, let us work through this stage of the process, using our example—the 6th
Congressional District of Maryland, as currently constituted.
Source. Open a Congressional Directory for the 105th Congress to the
biographical section, which is arranged alphabetically by state. The Maryland entry
begins on page 137. Turn to page 140, and examine the entry for the “Sixth
District.” It lists six counties: Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Washington,
and part of Howard.
Alternate source. You may also use the Census Bureau’s Congressional
Districts, 103rd Congress, Maryland (1990 CPH-4-22). Turn to page 18, table 8. In
the first column of the table, under the subheading “District 6,” you will see the
same six counties: Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Howard (pt)7, and Washington.
Procedure. Use Worksheet 1 to list relevant counties and related information.
At the top of the worksheet, enter the state, the district number, and the number and
years of the current Congress. Then fill in the name of each relevant county and
check the appropriate column to show whether it is completely or partially included
in the congressional district. List the relevant counties alphabetically and number
them, so you can more easily keep track of them. Leave some rows blank between
your relevant county entries in case you need space for information that will be filled
in later.8
7As noted earlier, ‘(pt)’ is used when only part of a county is within the district.
8For example, you may need the blank rows to list counties from which the relevant
(continued...)

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Figure A illustrates the worksheet partially filled-in with the names of the six
counties in the 6th Congressional District of Maryland.
8(...continued)
counties originated.

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Figure A. Step 1
Worksheet 1: Relevant Counties and Their Origin
State: Maryland
Current Congress:
105th
District: 6th
Years:
1997-1999
County
Parent county/
Year
(alphabetically)
All
Part
Territory
created
1. Allegany
T
2. Carroll
T
3. Frederick
T
4. Garrett
T
5. Howard
T
6. Washington
T

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Step 2. Determine each county’s origin and year of creation.
Determine the year when each relevant county was created. If a relevant county
is not an original county, it was created from one or more other counties. Identify
its “parent” county or counties.
Source. Everton’s Handy Book for Genealogists provides the following
information on the counties of every state: name, year created, parent county or
territory of origin, and other historical information.
Alternate Source. Parson, Beach, and Hermann’s United States Congressional
Districts, 1788-1841 provides similar information on some of the counties that were
created during the period it covers. It lists county name changes, counties that were
redefined or abolished, and counties that were originally part of another state.9
Procedure. Continue to use Worksheet 1. Open The Handy Book for
Genealogists, 8th ed., to page 114-115, where an alphabetical listing of Maryland’s
counties appears under the heading “Maryland County Data.” Across from the name
of each county is the year it was created and the parent county or territory from
which it originated. The Handy Book for Genealogists indicates that the origin of
each relevant county in our example is as follows:
! Allegany County was created in 1789 from part of Washington County;
! Carroll County was created in 1837 from parts of Baltimore and Frederick
Counties;
! Frederick County was created in 1748 from part of Prince George’s County;
! Garrett County was created in 1872 from part of Allegany County;
! Howard County was created in 1851 from parts of Baltimore and Anne
Arundel Counties;
! Washington County was created in 1776 from part of Frederick County.
Use this information to complete columns 4 and 5 of Worksheet 1, as shown in
figure B.
Step 3. Determine the years and Congresses to be covered.
Identify the Congresses and the corresponding years your district history is to
cover. Some sources identify Congresses by number without providing the
corresponding years; other sources provide years without indicating the
corresponding Congresses. Consequently, you will need to know both the number
of each Congress and the corresponding years when you consult your source
documents.
9The Appendix includes a “County Creations” section, which begins on page 375 and
is arranged alphabetically by state. However, only one of the six relevant counties in our
example is listed under “Maryland” (page 381). Consequently, we must use The Handy
Book for Genealogists, which provides data on all six of the relevant counties.

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Figure B: Step 2
Worksheet 1: Relevant Counties and Their Origin
State: Maryland
Current Congress:
105th
District: 6th
Years:
1997-1999
County
Parent county/
Year
(alphabetically)
All
Part
Territory
created
1. Allegany
T
Washington
1789
2. Carroll
T
Baltimore and Frederick
1837
3. Frederick
T
Prince George’s
1748
4. Garrett
T
Allegany
1872
5. Howard
T
Anne Arundel and Baltimore
1851
6. Washington
T
Frederick
1776

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Source. Appendix C of this guide lists each Congress number and its
corresponding years. Every Congress begins and ends in an odd numbered year.
Alternative Sources. The Congressional Directory for each recent Congress has
a table entitled “Sessions of Congress,” which lists the number of each Congress and
its precise beginning and adjournment dates.10 Similarly, the CQ Guide to U.S.
Elections, 3rd edition, presents the same information in its appendix in a table called
“Sessions of the U.S. Congress, 1789-1991.”
Step 4. Select and review other sources.
You have already used some of the source documents to complete the preceding
steps. Now select the other sources you will need.
Look over the sources listed on page 2 of this guide and in Appendix A. Get the
other sources that are usually needed for congressional district histories. Don’t
hesitate to consult additional sources if the need arises.
Carefully read background and other notes in your sources. Sometimes the
key to apparent errors or discrepancies is knowing the methods used to compile data
in the sources. That and other information is detailed in notes. For example, in
Parsons, Beach and Hermann’s United States Congressional Districts, 1788-1841,
the Methodology Notes (p. xiii-xvi) provide detailed explanations of the methods
used to correlate Members with the congressional districts and to ascertain Members’
party affiliations. These explanations make it easier for you to handle instances when
the number for the same district or the party affiliation for the same Member varies
among sources. Similarly, in Martis’s Historical Atlas of United States
Congressional Districts, the “Introduction” provides clear and useful information
that may enable you to account for some of the anomalies you may encounter in the
course of your research. (See for example, the text under the subheadings: plural
district representation, at-large representation, state statutes, boundary definitions,
and terminology on pages 2-13).
Step 5. Prepare a worksheet for collecting information
Make several photocopies of Worksheet 2 entitled “Data Collection Form,”
found in Appendix B. The number you will need depends, in part, upon on how
many Congresses you are researching. (If you prefer, reconstruct the worksheet
using your own computer.
Worksheet 2 has five columns: (1) Congress; (2) years of the Congress; (3)
congressional district number; (4) congressional district composition; and (5) the
name, party affiliation and place of residence of each Representative. Your
completed worksheet will be the basis for a smooth table presenting your research
findings.
10 For example, see Congressional Directory 105th Congress (1997-1998), p. 505.

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Tip. As you work, leave plenty of space around your entries. Leave rows blank
between entries to avoid crowding and improve legibility. You may also need to go
back and add information as your research proceeds.
Step 6. Record the earliest Congress number and years.
You are now ready to begin recording your findings on Worksheet 2. Start with
the earliest Congress or year you are researching. Use the “Sessions of Congress”
table in Appendix C to find the Congress number and its corresponding years.
Record them in columns 1 and 2, respectively.
Tip. If your starting point is a year (rather than a Congress), it may involve two
Congresses. For example, if your starting point were the year 1791, that year could
be the end of the 1st Congress or the beginning of the 2nd Congress. Consequently,
you should begin your research with the earlier Congress to make certain you have
covered the entire year. Be sure to provide the Congress number and its
corresponding years in the appropriate column of Worksheet 2.
Example. Figure C below shows what the data collection form for Maryland’s
6th Congressional District would look like at this stage of the process. In this
instance, the starting point is the 1st Congress, so “1st” appears in column 1; the years
1789-1791, in column 2.
Figure C: Step 6
Worksheet 2: Data Collection Form
Congressional district
Member (party)
Congress
Years
No.
Composition
residence
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
1st
1789-1791
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .

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Step 7. Identify and record the congressional district(s) in which
each relevant county has been located.
This step is relatively complex and sometimes tedious. Proceed carefully. Have
your completed Worksheet 1 at hand so that you can refer to it while you add
information to Worksheet 2.
Starting with the earliest Congress you are researching, read the congressional
district descriptions in source documents and find the name of each relevant county.
This may be straight forward, or you may face either or both of two problems.
Problem 1. Some source documents do not indicate any numbered
congressional districts or descriptions for the state during the specified time period.
If instead you see such phrases as “one representative,” “two general ticket
representatives,” or “at large,”11 then the state had no numbered congressional
districts at that time. It elected Members at large. In such instances, record “AL”
and “At large” on Worksheet 2 in columns 3 and 4, respectively. If sources indicate
that the state had more than one at-large Member, create a note that says precisely
how many at-large Members the state had during that Congress.
Example. Figure D gives an example of how to record the representation of a
state that had 3 Members elected at large during the 1st Congress. The note at the
foot of the table says precisely how many at-large Members the state had during the
Congress indicated. Using the phrase “during this Congress,” rather than “during
the 1st Congress” allows the researcher to apply the same note to any other Congress
when the state had three House Members at large. (See also Appendix D, 88th
Congress, and note 14 on pages 39 and 41.)
11Martis’s Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts clearly
distinguishes general ticket and at-large representation (pp. 2, 5). In most district histories,
however, the description “at -large” is used for both types of representation.

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Figure D: Step 7
Worksheet 2: Data Collection Form
Congressional district
Member (party)
Congress
Years
No.
Composition
residence
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
1st a
1789-1791
AL
At large
AL
At large
AL
At large
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
a During this Congress, Maryland had three House Members elected at large.
Problem 2. Sometimes the relevant counties are not among the counties listed
for a particular time period in source documents. This can happen because the
relevant counties did not exist at that time or, if they did exist, because they were not
specified in the state redistricting act for that time period. In such instances, you will
need to look for the names of the “parent” counties12 in source documents. In some
instances, you may need to trace parent counties back another level to the counties
from which they originated (i.e, “grandparent” counties of the relevant counties).13
Whether you will need to include data on parent and grandparent counties will
depend upon when the relevant counties were created, the point at which their names
appear in the state redistricting act, and how far back in time your district history
goes. If appropriate, look for the grandparent counties until the point when the parent
counties are specified in the state redistricting act. Continue with the parent counties
until the relevant counties are specified in the state redistricting act.
12As noted earlier, parent counties are those from which the relevant counties were
created.
13In step 2, you have already recorded on Worksheet 1 the year each relevant county
was created and the parent from which it originated. If you need to include grandparent
counties, identify them using the same sources and procedure you used to identify the parent
counties. Remember, a grandparent county is the county from which a parent county
originated.

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For the earliest Congress you are researching, continue to read the description
of each congressional district in the state until you can account for every relevant
county (either by name or through its parent or grandparent) in its entirety.14 Record
the number and composition of the districts that include the relevant counties
following either of the two approaches explained below.
How to record the number and composition of districts comprising relevant
counties. On Worksheet 2, in column 3 under the subheading “No.,” record the
number of the first congressional district that comprises one or more of the relevant
counties (or parent or grandparent counties, if appropriate). Then, in column 4 under
the subheading “Composition,” record the names of the counties within that
particular congressional district, using either of two approaches.
In providing the names of the counties within the congressional district, you may
use any of several approaches, including either of these two:
1. List only relevant counties along with any parents and grandparents of
relevant counties, as appropriate; or
2. List the names of all of the counties (i.e., including “non-relevant”
counties) within the district. This approach provides a more
comprehensive description of district composition across time.
Approach 1. If you choose to list only relevant counties (and parent counties
and grandparent counties, as appropriate), develop some system for distinguishing
them from one another. For instance, make typographical distinctions as shown
below and in figure G:
Distinguishing Among Relevant, Parent, and Grandparent Counties
Type of county
Typography
Example
Relevant county
Bold
Carroll
Parent county
Normal, between brackets
[Anne Arundel]
Grandparent county
Normal, between braces
{Washington}
Relevant county that is also a parent
Bold, between brackets
[Frederick]
of other relevant counties
Relevant county that is also a
Bold, between braces
{Washington}
grandparent of relevant counties
Relevant county that is also both a
Bold, between braces and
{[Washington]}
parent and a grandparent of relevant
brackets
counties
Approach 2. If you choose the second approach, you must list all of the
counties within the district(s) comprising relevant counties—that is, all relevant and
14Remember, a relevant county may be (have been) divided among more than one
congressional district.

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non-relevant counties.15 You can still use the same typographic conventions
described in Approach 1. The difference in using this approach is that, in addition to
the relevant, parent, and grandparent counties, you will also provide the names of all
other counties in the districts comprising relevant counties. The names of the “non-
relevant” counties should appear in normal type. (See figure H.)
Sources. For the 1st through the 27th Congresses (1789-1841), use the Parsons,
Beach, and Hermann book for data on the composition of each congressional district.
It compiles in one place all data needed for all five columns of Worksheet 2.
Information is arranged chronologically by Congress number and then by state.
Within each state, congressional districts are listed sequentially by number; the
counties constituting each district, in the first column. A few columns to the right,
you will find the name of the House Member representing that district, the number
of the Congress in which he served, an abbreviation for the his political party, his
home county, and the city or town in which he resided. Instances when Members
died in office or resigned are noted in parentheses.
Martis’s Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts, 1789-1983,
also provides information on the composition of congressional districts. Part III of
this book—Legal District Descriptions—provides detailed congressional district
descriptions for all the states from 1789-1983. Part III is arranged alphabetically by
state. Based upon original legal statutes, it describes every congressional district for
every state. Each state is covered from the time it was admitted to statehood up to
the 97th Congress (1981-1983). The number of the congressional district in which
the relevant county is located appears in the column to the left of the description.
Example. Open Parsons, Beach, and Hermann at page 8 to the listing of
Maryland’s six congressional districts for the 1st and 2nd Congresses. Beginning with
District 1 in the first column on the left of the page, under the subheading “County”
are the names of the counties in each district. According to this source, during the
1st and 2nd Congresses, the composition of Maryland’s congressional districts was as
follows:
15A “non-relevant” county is any county that you are not researching and which has no
connection (in terms of origin) to any of your relevant counties. It appears in your
compilation 2 solely because it lies within the same district as one or more of your relevant,
parent, or grandparent counties.

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Figure E.
Composition of Maryland’s Congressional Districts: 1st-2nd Congresses

District Number
Composition
1
Calvert, Charleston, St. Marys
2
Caecil, Kent, Queen Annes, and Talbot
3
Anne-Arundel, Prince George’s, and City of Annapolis
4
Baltimore, Harford, and Town of Baltimore
5
Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, and Worcester
6
Frederick, Montgomery, and Washington
Source: Parsons, Beach and Hermann’s United States Congressional Districts , 1788-1841. p 8.
To use Martis’s Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts, turn
to page 234. The listing of Maryland’s congressional districts begins column 3 under
the subheading “First and Second Congresses.” The composition of Maryland’s
districts is shown as follows:
Figure F.
Composition of Maryland’s Congressional Districts: 1st-2nd Congresses
District number
Composition
1
Saint Mary’s, Charles, and Calvert
2
Kent, Talbot, Cecil, Queen Anne’s
3
Anne Arundel, Prince George’s, City of Annapolis
4
Baltimore, Hartford, Town of Baltimore
5
Somerset, Dorchester, Worcester, and Caroline
6
Frederick, Washington, and Montgomery
Source: Kenneth Martis’s Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts, 1789-1983, p. 234.
Information in the two sources is basically the same, with some variation in the
treatment of some county names (e.g., Charles and Charleston are the same county).
Of all of the counties listed, two are relevant counties in our example district
history for this time period: Washington and Frederick Counties, located in what was
then the 6th Congressional District. Consequently, we must account for the

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remaining four—Allegany, Carroll, Garrett, and Howard Counties—by looking for
the names of their parent (and if necessary grandparent) counties.
We see in Worksheet 1 (Figure A), that Allegany County was created from
another relevant county—Washington County. Thus, Washington County is also the
parent of a relevant county. Another relevant county—Carroll— was created in
part16 from Frederick County, so Frederick is also both a relevant county and a parent
of a relevant county.
Garrett was created from Allegany, which, as already noted, was created from
Washington. Thus, Washington is a parent of a relevant county and a grandparent
of another relevant county. The last of the six relevant counties— Howard—was
created from parts of Baltimore and Anne Arundel Counties.
Now, read the district descriptions again, this time looking for the parents of
Allegany, Carroll, and Howard Counties and for the grandparent of Garrett County.
In other words, look for Washington (parent of Allegany), Baltimore and Frederick
(parents of Carroll), Baltimore and Anne Arundel (parents of Howard), and Allegany
(parent of Garrett). We already know that Allegany, a relevant county, was not
specified in a state redistricting act for this time period. Consequently, we need to go
back another level to the county from which Allegany originated—to Washington,
the grandparent of Garrett.17
The following two figures G and H show how our example worksheet would
look when the congressional district number and composition columns (columns 3
and 4) have been filled in. In Figure G, only relevant counties, parent, and
grandparent counties of relevant counties are provided in the congressional district
composition column. Typographic conventions are used to distinguish relevant
counties, parent, and grandparent counties of relevant counties from each other (see
Approach 1, below). In figure H, both relevant and “non-relevant” counties within
the congressional district are shown, with the same typographic conventions used to
distinguish relevant, parent, and grandparent counties from each other (see
Approach 2, below).
16The other parent of Carroll County is Baltimore County.
17Remember the parent of Garrett is the relevant county of Allegany, which in turn, was
created from the relevant county of Washington.

CRS-17
Figure G. Step 7, Approach 1
Worksheet 2: Data Collection Form
Congressional district
Member (party)
Congress
Years
No.
Composition
residence
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
1st
1789-1791
3
[Anne Arundel]
4
[Baltimore County]
6
[Frederick]
{[Washington]}
Key to Typographic Conventions:
Relevant Counties appear in bold type (e.g., Carroll).
Relevant Counties that are also parents of other relevant counties appear in bold type enclosed in brackets (e.g.,
[Frederick]).
Relevant counties that are also grandparents of other relevant counties appear in bold type enclosed in braces (e.g.,
{Washington}).
Relevant Counties that are also parent and grandparent counties of other relevant counties appear in bold typeface
enclosed in brackets enclosed in braces (e.g., {[Washington]}).
Parent counties of relevant counties appear in normal type enclosed in brackets (e.g., [Anne Arundel]).
Figure H: Step 7, Approach 2
Worksheet 2: Data Collection Model
Congressional district
Member (party)
Congress
Years
No.
Composition
residence
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
1st
1789-1791
3
[Anne Arundel], Prince
George’s, and the City of
Annapolis
4
[Baltimore County], Harford,
and the Town of Baltimore
6
[Frederick], {[Washington]},
and Montgomery
Key to Typographic Conventions:
Relevant Counties appear in bold type (e.g., Carroll).
Relevant Counties that are also parents of other relevant counties appear in bold type enclosed in brackets
(e.g.,
[Frederick]).
Relevant counties that are also grandparents of other relevant counties appear in bold type enclosed in braces
(e.g., {Washington}).
Relevant Counties that are also parent and grandparent counties of other relevant counties appear in bold
typeface enclosed in brackets enclosed in braces (e.g., {[Washington]}.
Parent counties of relevant counties appear in normal type enclosed in brackets (e.g., [Anne Arundel]).

CRS-18
Open Martis’s Historical Atlas of U.S. Congressional Districts to Part III, which begins
on page 217. In Part III, turn to the relevant state and scan the descriptions of each
congressional district until you see the name of any relevant county. Repeat this process
until you have accounted for all relevant counties either directly by name or indirectly
through parent or grandparent name.
Tip. Read the descriptions carefully. During periods when congressional districts
remained unchanged, consecutive Congresses are grouped together.

98th and Subsequent Congresses. Information on the 98th and subsequent Congresses
(1983-present) must be obtained from other sources. For details on sources and research,
see Step 9, below.
Step 8. Identify the relevant Representatives.
Identify the Members who have represented the congressional district(s) that have
comprised the relevant counties. The sources you will need to use depends upon the time
period you are researching.
1st-27th Congresses (1789-1840). See the discussion on using Parsons, Beach, and
Hermann’s United States Congressional Districts, under the subheading “Sources” in step
7, above. Remember, you can use this one source to complete your entire worksheet for the
1st through the 27th Congresses. It is always good however, to cross check data from one
source with data from at least one other source.
28th through the 78th Congresses (1841-1945). This time period must be done in two
phases: first, identify Members selected in the regular election cycle; second, identify
membership changes that have occurred between regular elections.
Phase 1. Use the Congressional Quarterly’s Guide to U.S. Elections (3rd ed)18 to
identify Members elected in the regular election cycle to represent the congressional
district(s) that have comprised the relevant counties. It provides House election results from
1824-1993 in a section with the heading “House Popular Vote Returns.” Data are arranged
chronologically by election year, within each election year alphabetically by state, and
within each state, chronologically by district number. Across from each congressional
district number are the names of candidates who ran for that district and their party affiliation
along with the number and percentage of votes each candidate received.
Tip: How to Identify the Correct Election Year in CQ’s Guide to U.S. Elections.
Congresses begin in odd-numbered years. In most instances, the regular election19 of House
Members occurs during the even-numbered year that precedes the year the Congress begins.
For example, House Members chosen to serve in the 105th Congress, which began in 1997,
18Earlier editions may be substituted, since they provide the same information.
19As used here, the word “regular” is meant to distinguish these House Members from
those elected in special elections to fill the vacancies caused by the death or resignation of
their predecessors.

CRS-19
were elected in the general elections of November 1996.20 Under special circumstances,
some Members are chosen in special elections at other times.
Prior to the election for the 47th Congress in 1880, the regular election cycle (i.e., except
for special elections to fill vacancies) for most states occurred in even numbered years; but
sometimes in some states21 it occurred in odd-numbered years.22 Consequently, for the 28th
through the 46th Congresses, look first for the state you are researching among those that
held their House elections during the even-numbered year before each Congress began. If
the state is not listed there, look for it among those that held their House elections during
the same odd-numbered year that the Congress began. (Before 1933, when the 20th
Amendment was ratified, regular sessions of Congress began in December of odd-numbered
years, which allowed states 11 months to hold their House elections before the Congress
began.)23
After you have located the proper election year for the state you are researching in the
Guide to U.S. Elections, look for the number of the first congressional district that included
any of your relevant counties. The total votes cast and percentage of the total votes cast for
each candidate appears in the column to the right of the candidate’s name and party
affiliation. Record the name of the winning candidate in column 5 of your worksheet 2,
followed by an abbreviation for his or her party affiliation enclosed in parenthesis.
Members Elected at Large. You may find some instances when states elected Members
at large in addition to Members who were elected to represent each of the state’s numbered
congressional districts.24 Whenever this occurs, be sure to include them all on your
worksheet. For example, see Appendix D, 88th Congress.
Multi-Member Districts. Before 1842, five states—Massachusetts, Maryland, New
York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey—had districts that were represented by more than one
Member at the same time. The practice ended in 1842, when Congress enacted
20For further explanation of the universal election day (i.e., the first Tuesday after the
first Monday in November in even numbered years) and how it came into existence, see:
“Election Day for Federal Officials,” In: U.S. Library of Congress, Congressional Research
Service, The Election Process in the United States, by Kevin Coleman, (name redacted),
and Joseph Cantor, CRS report 95-800 GOV (Washington: July 6, 1995), p. 10-11.
21For example: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland
Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
22See: “Elections in Odd-Numbered Years,” In: Congressional Quarterly’s Guide to
U.S. Elections, 3rd ed., (Washington, D.C., Congressional Quarterly, Inc., 1994), p. 916.
23CQ’s Guide to U.S. Elections, p. 916.
24 There are a few instances where states used some other means to identify their
congressional districts. In the earlier years, for example some states used proper names
(often the primary county within the district) to identify their congressional districts. For
example, between 1788 and 1841 in Massachusetts congressional districts were identified
in the session laws according to the name of the primary county within the district (e.g.,
Barnstable District) or according to a number and letter combination (e.g., 1W and 2N). In
most sources, these alternatives for identifying congressional districts have been renumbered
in order to maintain uniformity and consistency across time and among states. However,
because the basis for renumbering the districts varied among sources, the number identifying
the same geographic district may vary among sources.

CRS-20
reapportionment legislation to prohibit individual congressional districts from being
represented by more than one U.S. Representative. If your history includes a multi-Member
district, list the names of all Members and note that the district is a multi-Member district
on your worksheet. (For example, see Appendix D, notes 2 and 12) .
Phase 2: Changes in Membership. The Guide to U.S. Elections provides data on
candidates who won election to represent congressional districts. However, it does not
reflect all of the changes in membership that may have occurred after the general election
and during the Congress. For example, some of the candidates who were elected died or
resigned before the opening of the Congress to which they had been elected; others may have
died or resigned during the Congress to which they were elected, leaving a vacancy that may
or may not have been filled for the remainder of the Congress. Some Members may have
served until they were replaced by candidates who successfully contested their election. In
order to ensure that you have identified all of the Members who served and not just those
who were elected to serve, you will need to consult additional sources that reflect such
membership changes. Further, you will need to consult these sources in order to identify the
city or town in which the Members resided when they served.
Either the Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1996, (BDAC) or the
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-1989, (BDUSC) is helpful for
these and other purposes. Members who did not serve a full term, Members who were
elected to fill vacancies, and Members who successfully contested their predecessors’
elections are listed after their predecessors. Footnotes give the circumstances surrounding
vacancies and the relevant dates of service for the Members. For years subsequent to those
covered in these sources see step 9.
79th Congress through the 104th Congress (1945-1996). All of the data for phases 1
and 2 can be obtained from CQ’s Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-
1996. In this one source, you can find for each district: the district number; the name of the
Member who represented it; his or her party affiliation; the city or town in which the
Member resided, as well as instances of death, resignation, and interim election.25 Be sure
to read the footnotes so that your data include Members who died, resigned, and filled
vacancies.
25See for example, page 389, where the list of Members of the 79th Congress begins. To
the left of each House Member’s name is the number of the congressional district he or she
represented, then the Member’s name, followed by an abbreviation for his or her party
affiliation (enclosed in parentheses), and the city or town in which the Member resided.
(Prior to the 79th Congress, neither the district number nor the Member’s party affiliation
is provided beside his or her name. Further, in some instances prior to the 79th Congress,
within each state, Members are listed alphabetically according to the surnames, rather than
sequentially by district number.)

CRS-21
Figure I. Step 7, approach 2
Worksheet 2: Data Collection Form
Congressional district
Member (party)
Congress
Years
No.
Composition
residence
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
1st
1789-1791
3
[Anne Arundel], Prince
Benjamin Contee (Ad)
George’s, and the City of
Brookefield
Annapolis
4
[Baltimore County],
William Smith (Ad)
Harford, and the Town of
Town of Baltimore
Baltimore
6
[Frederick],
Daniel Carroll (Ad)
{[Washington]}, and
Forest Glenn
Montgomery
Key to Typographic Conventions:
Relevant Counties appear in bold type (e.g., Carroll).
Relevant Counties that are also parents of other relevant counties appear in bold type enclosed in brackets
(e.g., [Frederick]).
Relevant counties that are also grandparents of other relevant counties appear in bold type enclosed in braces
(e.g., {Washington}).
Relevant Counties that are also parent and grandparent counties of other relevant counties appear in bold
typeface enclosed in brackets enclosed in braces (e.g., {[Washington]}.
Parent counties of relevant counties appear in normal type enclosed in brackets (e.g., [Anne Arundel]).
Both Biographical Directories have two major sections:
! “The Congress of the United States”; and
! “Biographies.”
The “Congress” section provides for each Congress, an alphabetical listing by state
of each state’s congressional delegation. Senators are listed first, followed by
Representatives. Except for the 1st through the 9th Congresses (1789-1809), the
hometown or city in which the Member resided is provided beside each Member’s
name.26 For the 1st through the 23rd Congresses, Members are listed first by state
and then alphabetically by name; thereafter they are apparently listed by
congressional district number. No district number is shown in either source prior to
the 79th Congress; however, beginning with the 79th Congress (1945-1947), the
Biographical Directory of the American Congress provides the congressional
district number and an abbreviation for party affiliation for each Member. Neither
source provides details on the geographic composition of the individual
26 The city or town in which the Member resided during these earliest congresses can
be obtained from Parsons, Beach and Hermann’s United States Congressional Districts,
1788-1841.

CRS-22
congressional districts. Both sources provide additional data in the “Biographies”
section which follows the “Members” section.
Step 9. Add Data on Recent Congresses
If you a researching years 1983 and beyond, you may need to add data, using the
Congressional Directories.27

Source. The Congressional Directories are a good source to supplement the
Guide to U.S. Elections, the two biographical directories, and the Census Bureau’s
reports . In the Congressional Directories, the biographical section is arranged by
state. Within each state, Senators are listed first, then Representatives are listed by
congressional district, along with a description of the district he or she represents.
In order to capture deaths, resignations, and special elections, see the “Notes”
section which follows the title page in the Congressional Directory for each
Congress. Information on changes in membership for that particular Congress and
for the previous Congress is provided in two separate tables. (Remember however,
that such membership changes through the year 1996 are reflected in CQ’s
Biographical Directory of the American Congress).
Step 10. Cross-check for Errors and Discrepancies
There is more than one source for virtually every data element needed to compile
a congressional district history. The use of different sources, may produce different
results. In most instances however, thorough researchers will be able to account for
the difference by understanding what methods and sources were used.
Devise your own systems within sources and across different ones to check for
errors as you compile your list. Then, spot check at random points to help ensure
accuracy.
Step 11. Repeat the Steps of this Process as Appropriate
Congratulations! You have completed the first round of the basic steps in the
research process. Before you repeat the process as many times as is necessary to
compile a district history that covers the entire time period and counties you desire,
look at Appendix D. It provides a more comprehensive illustration of the example
district history (i.e., the six counties that currently constitute the 6th Congressional
District of Maryland). Then read the section below for additional details and
suggestions on how you might construct a smooth table showing the results of your
research.
27The Congressional Directories could be used to prepare most congressional district
histories in their entirety. However, the process would be cumbersome and time consuming.
Further, from the 1st through the 24th Congresses, information on Members’ hometowns (i.e.,
entries under “post offices” are inconsistent and confusing). Also, the two biographical
directories provide information on Members through 1988 and 1996 respectively, but they
do not provide information on the composition of congressional districts.

CRS-23
Presentation
Many researchers may find that the Worksheet 2 provides an adequate format for
presenting their findings. Some may want to place an introduction in front of the
worksheet. The “Introduction” could include a title, which clearly identifies the
current congressional district number and counties within it; background and
explanatory notes; the origin and year created for each relevant county; a key to
abbreviations for party affiliations and an explanation of typographic conventions
used to distinguish relevant, parent, and grandparent counties (see Appendix D,
Example District History, “Introduction”).
You may decide to use the five columns in the order shown in the data collection
worksheet (worksheet 2) or you may choose to rearrange them.28 You may wish add
or delete some data elements, or to group some data elements together in a separate
and final version of your compilation. Depending upon the number of relevant
counties, you may also wish to make your county origin worksheet part of your
introduction.
28For example, in the data collection worksheet, the congressional district number and
composition are columns 3 and 4 while, the Member’s name, party affiliation and hometown
appear in the last column. This is because columns have been arranged sequentially,
according to steps to complete the research. In the final presentation, researchers may prefer
to place the column with the Members’ names , party, and hometown in column three and
to make the district number and composition the last two columns.

Appendix A. Information on Congressional Districts:
A Quick Reference Guide to Selected Sources
Information needed
Congresses
Years
Selected Source(s)
Congress numbers/
1st - 105th
1789-1998
Congressional Directory, 104th Congress, 1995-1996, “Statistical
corresponding years
Information,” table entitled “Sessions of Congress.” p. 505-516.1
Congressional Quarterly’s Guide to U.S. Elections, 3rd ed., Appendix,
table entitled “Sessions of the U.S. Congress, 1789-1991.” p. 1331-
1338.2
Congressional district numbers and
1st - 27th
1789-1841
Parsons, Beach and Hermann, United States Congressional Districts,
composition
1788-1841.3
1st - 97th
1789-1982
Kenneth C. Martis, The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional
Districts, 1789-1983, part III, “Legal District Descriptions.” p. 217-278.
1983-Present
Congressional districts of the 98th Congress. 1980 Census of Population
and Housing.4 Washington, U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1983. 52 vols.
Congressional districts of the 99th Congress. 1980 Census of Population
and Housing.4 Washington, U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1984. 10vols.
Congressional districts of the 100th Congress. Ohio.4 1980 Census of
Population and Housing. Washington, U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1986.
52 vols.
Congressional districts of the 103rd Congress.4 1990 Census of
Population and Housing. Washington, U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1993.
52 vols.
Congressional Directories, 98th and subsequent Congresses.5
Member representing each congressional
1st - 27th
1789-1841
Parsons, Bach and Herman, United States Congressional Districts, 1788-
district identified
1841.
28th - 102nd
1842-1992
CQ’s Guide to U.S. Elections, 3rd ed., p. 942-1325.
Congressional Directories, 102nd-105th Congresses, “Biographical
sketches of Members.”
79th-104th
1945-1996
CQ’s Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1996.
Member’s party affiliation6 & 7
1st - 27th
1789-1841
Parsons, Beach and Hermann, United States Congressional Districts,
1788-1841.8

CRS-25
Information needed
Congresses
Years
Selected Source(s)
19th - 102nd
1823-1992
CQ’s Guide to U.S. Elections, 3rd ed., p. 942-1325.
1823-1996
Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1996.
“Biographies,” p. 551-2108.
1823-1989
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-1996.
“Biographies,” p. 507-2104.
Congressional Directories.
Member’s residence (city or town)9
1st - 27th
1789-1841
Parsons, Beach and Hermann, United States Congressional District,
1788-1841.10
10th - 104th
1807-1996
Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1996.
10th - 100th
1807-1989
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-1989.
1.The table appears in Congressional Directories for each Congress as far back as the 59th Congress (1905-1907).
2. The table also appears in the two earlier editions.
3. Be sure to read the “Methodology” section which begins on page xiii. See in particular, these subsections: “Identification of Districts,” “Identification
of District and County Boundaries,” “Correlation of Representatives With Districts,” and “District and Congressional Dating.” The key to abbreviations
for party affiliation appears in page xvi.
4. Tables in this source list the districts and the counties within them, without further description. Hence, this is a good source for states with many
congressional districts or for states where the district descriptions are lengthy and detailed.
5. The Congressional Directories for each Congress provide the congressional district numbers for each year. While, more accessible, they can be more
cumbersome to use, depending upon the state and congressional districts involved.
Locate the “Member biographies” section. It is arranged alphabetically by state and it provides congressional district descriptions. (For example, in the
Congressional Directory, 105th Congress, this section begins on page 17.)
6. For some of the earlier congresses, the party affiliation for a Member could not be determined from the sources consulted or it may have varied among
the sources consulted.
7. The author uses the symbol R* to distinguish certain Representatives identified in some sources as “Republicans” prior to 1856 in some sources. The
term “Republican”, as currently understood, cannot accurately be applied to a Member who served before the year 1856, when the modern Republican
Party was founded. These “Republican” Members are more accurately identified as being affiliated with the Democratic Republicans or one of the other
early groupings which evolved into the Democratic Party after 1828.

CRS-26
8. See the third column from the left under the heading “Representative” for each state. See also the notes on party affiliation and the key to symbols
and abbreviations on pages xv-xvi.
9. You may decide to delete this data element altogether. It can however, be of particular significance, when counties are divided among more than one
congressional district. In absence of a more descriptive description of the district than “part of”, the Member’s hometown or city can help to indicate which
part of the county the Member represented.
10. See the fourth column from the left entitled “Address” under the heading “Representatives.”

Appendix B: Worksheets

Worksheet 1: Relevant Counties and Their Origin
State:
Current Congress:

District:
Years:

County
Parent county/
Year
(alphabetically)
All
Part
territory
created

CRS-29
Worksheet 2: Data Collection Form
Congressional district
Member (party)
Congress
Years
No.
Composition
residence
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)

CRS-30
Appendix C: Sessions of Congress1
Congress
Years
Congress
Years
1st
1789-1791
29th 1845-1847
2nd
1791-1793
30th
1947-1849
3rd
1793-1795
31st
1849-1851
4th
1795-1797
32nd
1851-1853
5th
1797-1799
33rd
1853-1855
6th
1799-1801
34th
1855-1857
7th
1801-1803
35th
1857-1859
8th
1803-1805
36th
1859-1861
9th
1805-1807
37th
1861-1863
10th
1807-1809
38th
1863-1865
11th
1809-1811
39th
1865-1867
12th
1811-1813
40th
1867-1869
13th
1813-1815
41st
1869-1871
14th
1815-1817
42nd
1871-1873
15th
1817-1819
43rd
1873-1875
16th
1819-1821
44th
1875-1877
17th
1821-1823
45th
1877-1879
18th
1823-1825
46th
1879-1881
19th
1825-1827
47th
1881-1883
20th
1827-1829
48th
1883-1885
21th
1829-1831
49th
1885-1887
22nd
1831-1833
50th
1887-1889
23rd
1833-1835
51st
1889-1891
24th
1835-1837
52nd
1891-1893
25th
1837-1839
53rd
1893-1895
26th
1839-1841
54th
1895-1897
27th
1841-1843
55th
1897-1899
28th
1843-1845
56th
1899-1901

CRS-31
Congress
Years
Congress
Years
57th
1901-1903
82nd
1951-1953
58th
1903-1905
83rd
1953-1955
59th
1905-1907
84th
1955-1957
60th
1907-1909
85th
1957-1959
61st
1909-1911
86th
1959-1961
62nd
1911-1913
87th
1916-1963
63rd
1913-1915
88th
1963-1965
64th
1915-1917
89th
1965-1967
65th
1917-1919
90th
1967-1969
66th
1919-1921
91st
1969-1971
67th
1921-1923
92nd
1971-1973
68th
1923-1925
93rd
1973-1975
69th
1925-1927
94th
1975-1977
70th
1927-1929
95th
1977-1979
71st
1929-1931
96th
1979-1981
72nd
1931-1933
97th
1981-1983
73rd
19332-1935
98th
1983-1985
74th
1935-1937
99th
1985-1987
75th
1937-1939
100th
1987-1989
76th
1939-1941
101st
1989-1991
77th
1941-1943
102nd
1991-1993
78th
1943-1945
103rd
1993-1995
79th
1945-1947
104th
1995-1997
80th
1947-1949
105th
1997-1999
81st
1949-1951
1. For the purposes of our district histories, the dates shown in this table are sufficient. For
the precise beginning and adjournment dates of each Congress, see the sources cited earlier
in this guide.
2. Pursuant to the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, the regular sessions of Congress
hereafter begin on January 3 of each year, unless Congress by law establishes a different
date.

CRS-32
Appendix D: Example District History
House Members Who Have Represented the Six Counties
Currently Constituting
the 6th Congressional District of Maryland, 1789-1997
(Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Washington, and Part of Howard)
This compilation lists Members of the U.S. House of Representatives who have
represented six counties in the state of Maryland: Allegany, Carroll, Frederick,
Garrett, Howard, and Washington. The compilation begins with the 1st Congress
(1789-1791) and is current through 105th Congress, as of December 5, 1997. Data
provided are: the Congress, years, Representative and his or her party affiliation, and
the number and composition of the district in which the relevant counties are (were)
located.

The origin of the counties is as follows: Allegany was created from part of
Washington in 1789; Carroll was created from parts of Baltimore and Frederick in
1873; Frederick was created from part of Prince George’s in 1748; Garrett was
created from part of Allegany in 1872; Howard was created from parts of Anne
Arundel and Baltimore in 1851; and Washington was created from Frederick in
1776.
Instances of death, resignation and interim election are noted. Two keys—one
to symbols and symbols and party abbreviations, the other to typographic devices—
appear at the end of the table.

CRS-33
House Members Who Have Represented the Six Counties
Currently Constituting
the 6th Congressional District of Maryland, 1789-1997
(Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Washington, and part of Howard)1
Congressional district2
Member (party)3
Cong.
Years
No.
Composition
residence
1st
1789-1791
3
[Anne Arundel], Prince
Benjamin Contee (Ad)
George’s and the City of
Brookefield
Annapolis
4
[Baltimore County],
William Smith (Ad)
Harford, and the Town of
Town of Baltimore
Baltimore
6
[Frederick],
Daniel Carroll (Ad)
[Washington], and
Forest Glen
Montgomery
2nd
1791-1793
3
Same as 1st Congress
Samuel Sterett (A-Ad)
Unknown4
4
Same as 1st Congress
William Pinkney (Ad)5
Unknown4
John F. Mercer (A-Ad)5
Unknown4
6
Same as 1st Congress
Upton Sheridine (A-Ad)
Liberty

CRS-34
Congressional district2
Member (party)3
Cong.
Years
No.
Composition
residence
3rd
1793-1795
2
[Anne Arundel], Prince
John F. Mercer (A-Ad)6
George’s, and the City of
West River
Annapolis
Gabriel Duvall (A-Ad)6
Glenn Dale
3
Montgomery and part of
Uriah Forest (Ad)7
[Frederick]
Unknown4
Benjamin Edwards (Ad)7
Unknown4
4
Washington, [Allegany],
Thomas Sprigg (Ad)8
and [part of Frederick]
Unknown4
[Baltimore County] and
5
the Town of Baltimore
Samuel Smith (A-Ad)
City of Baltimore
4th
1795-1797
2
Same as 3rd Congress
Gabriel Duvall (A-Ad)9
Glenn Dale
Richard Sprigg, Jr. (R*)
9 & 10
Unknown
3
Same as 3rd Congress
Jeremiah Crabb (Ad)11
Rockville
William Craik (F)11
Frederick
4
Same as 3rd Congress
Thomas Sprigg (A-Ad)8
Unknown4
5
Same as 3rd Congress
Samuel Smith (A-Ad)
City of Baltimore

CRS-35
Congressional district2
Member (party)3
Cong.
Years
No.
Composition
residence
5th
1797-1799
2
Same as 3rd Congress
Richard Sprigg, Jr. (R*)9
Unknown4
3
Same as 3rd Congress
William Craik (F)
Frederick
4
Same as 3rd Congress
George Baer, Jr. (F)
Frederick
5
Same as 3rd Congress
Samuel Smith (R*)
City of Baltimore
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
8th
1803-1805
2
Same as 3rd Congress
Walter Bowie (R*)
Nottingham
3
Same as 3rd Congress
Thomas Plater (F)
Georgetown
4
Same as 3rd Congress
Daniel Hiester (R)13
Hagerstown
Roger Nelson (R*)13
Frederick
512
[Baltimore County] and
William McCreery (R*)
the City of Baltimore
Riestertown
Nicholas R. Moore (R*)
Ruxton
43rd
2
Carroll, Cecil, Harford,
Stevenson Archer (LR)
and part of Baltimore
Bel Air
County
5
Howard, St. Mary’s,
William J. Albert (R)
Charles, Prince George’s,
Baltimore
Anne Arundel, the City
of Annapolis, and parts of
Baltimore County and the
City of Baltimore
6
Allegany, Washington,
Lloyd Lowndes, Jr. (R)
Frederick, Garrett, and
Cumberland
Montgomery

CRS-36
Congressional district2
Member (party)3
Cong.
Years
No.
Composition
residence
88th14
1963-1965
2
Carroll, Harford, and
Clarence D. Long (D)
Baltimore County
Ruxton
5
Howard, St. Mary’s,
Richard E. Lankford (D)
Charles, Calvert, Prince
Annapolis
George’s, Anne Arundel,
and part of the City of
Baltimore
6
Allegany, Garrett,
Charles McC. Mathias, Jr.
Washington, Frederick,
(R)
and Montgomery
Frederick
AL
At large
Carlton R. Sickles (D)
Lanham
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
105th
1995-1997
6
Allegany, Carroll,
Roscoe G. Bartlett (R)
Frederick, Garrett,
Frederick
Washington and part of
Howard
Parts of Howard, Anne
Benjamin L. Cardin (D)
Arundel, and Baltimore
Baltimore
County, and part of the
City of Baltimore
Key to Symbols and Party Abbreviations
Ad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Administration
A-Ad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anti-Administration
D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Democrat
F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Federalist
R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Republican
R* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Predecessor group of the Democratic
Party (e.g., Democratic Republican)
Key to Typographic Devices
Relevant county . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carroll.
Parent county of relevant county . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Anne Arundel].
Relevant county and parent county of another relevant county . . [Washington].
1.The origin of the relevant counties is as follows: Allegany was created from part of Washington in
1798; Carroll was created from parts of Baltimore and Frederick in 1837; Frederick was created from
part of Prince George’s in 1748; Garrett was created from part of Allegany in 1872; Washington was
created from part of Frederick in 1776; and Howard was created from parts of Baltimore and Anne
Arundel in 1851.
The names of the relevant counties appear in bold typeface (e.g., Carroll); the names of parent and

CRS-37
grandparent counties from which the relevant counties were created are enclosed in brackets until the
relevant counties derived from them are specified in a state (re)districting act (e.g., [Anne Arundel]; and
the names of relevant counties that are also parents of relevant counties appear
2.In earlier Congresses, Maryland was among those states that sometim in bold typeface
es elected mo
enclosed
re than one
in brackets (e.g., [Washington]
Representative for the same
) until the relevant counties derived from
district. This practice of electing two or mo them are specified in a state
re Representatives in the same
(re)districting act.
district (multi-Member district) was discontinued in Maryland during the 1830s.
3.In most instances, party affiliations for the 1st through the 21st Congresses were obtained from Parsons,
Beach, and Hermans’s United States Congressional Districts, 1788-1841. Thereafter and in a few
instances where information was unclear or unavailable from that source, party affiliations were obtained
from the Guide to U.S. Elections, 3rd ed., the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-
1989, and the Congressional Directories (various Congresses).
4.The city or town in which the Member resided was not identified in the sources consulted.
5. William Pinkney resigned in November, 1791; John Mercer was elected to fill the vacancy caused by
Pinkney’s resignation and took his seat on February 6, 1792.
6.John Mercer resigned on April 13, 1794; Gabriel Duvall was elected to fill the vacancy caused by
Mercer’s resignation and took his seat on November 11, 1794.
7. Uriah Edwards resigned on November 8, 1794; Benjamin Edwards was elected to fill the vacancy
caused by Edwards’s resignation and took his seat on January 2, 1795.
8.Thomas Sprigg is the uncle of Richard Sprigg, Jr., a Representative from Maryland who also represented
some of the relevant counties during the 4th, 5th, and 7th Congresses (when he served from May 5, 1796-
March 3, 1799; and from March 4, 1801 until his resignation on February 11, 1802).
9. Gabriel Duvall resigned on March 28, 1796; Richard Sprigg, Jr., was elected to fill the vacancy caused
by Duvall’s resignation and took his seat on May 5, 1796.
10. Richard Sprigg, Jr., is the nephew of Thomas Sprigg, a Representative from Maryland who represented
some of the relevant counties during the 3rd and 4th Congresses (when he served from March 4, 1793-
March 3, 1797).
11. Jeremiah Crabb resigned in 1796; William Craik was elected to fill the vacancy caused by Crabb’s
resignation and took his seat on December 5, 1796.
12.Multi-Member district represented by two Members at the same time. (See note 2.)
13.Daniel Hiester died on March 7, 1804; Roger Nelson was elected to fill the vacancy caused by
Hiester’s death and took his seat on November 6, 1804.
14.During the Congress(es) indicated, Maryland had one Member elected at large in addition to one
Member for each of its numbered congressional districts.

CRS-38
Bibliography
Biographical directory of the American Congress, 1774-1996, (Alexandria, VA: CQ Staff
Directories, Inc., 1997), 2108p.
JK1010 .A5 1997
Biographical directory of the United States Congress, 1774-1989, (Washington, DC: GPO,
1989), 2104p.
JK1010 .A5 1989
Congressional directories, 98th and subsequent Congresses, (Washington, DC: GPO, 1983
and later).
JK1011. U53
Congressional districts of the 98th Congress: 1980 Census of Population and Housing,
(Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of Census, 1984), 52 vols. (PHC80-4-1— PHC80-4-52)
[1 volume for each state, the District of Columbia, and a summary report].
Congressional districts of the 99th Congress: 1980 Census of Population and Housing,
(Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of Census, 1984), 10 vols. (PHC80-4-6, 13, 20, 21, 26,
28, 32, 34, 45, 49) [1 volume each for the states of: California, Hawaii, Louisiana,
Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington].
Congressional districts of the 100th Congress. Ohio 1980 Census of Population and Housing,
(Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1986), 1 vol. (PHC80-4-37) [for state of
Ohio].
Congressional districts of the 103rd Congress: 1990 Census of Population and Housing.
See : Population and Housing Characteristics for Congressional districts of the 103rd
Congress.
Congressional Quarterly’s Guide to U.S. elections, 3rd ed., (Washington, DC: Congressional
Quarterly Inc., 1994), 1543p.
JK1967 .C662 1994
Everton, George B. Handy book for genealogists: United States of America, 8th ed.. Logan,
UT: Everton Publishers, 1991. 326p..
CS47 .E9 1991
Martis, Kenneth C. Historical atlas of United States congressional districts, 1789-1983.
New York: Free Press, 1982. 302p.
G1201 .F9 M3 1982

CRS-39
Parsons, Stanley B., William W. Beach, and Dan Hermann. United States congressional
districts, 1788-1841. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1978. 416p.
G1201 .F7 P3 1978.
Population and Housing Characteristics for Congressional districts of the 103rd Congress:
1990 Census of Population and Housing, (Washington, DC: Bureau of the Census,
1993), 52 vols. (CPH-4-1— CPH-4-52) [1 volume for each state, the District of
Columbia, and a summary report]

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