Messmates' Union: Friendship, Politics, and Living Arrangements in the Capital City, 1845-1861

For generations, political historians and other scholars have considered antebellum Washington a place of division and violence. Reading through the annals of the Congressional Globe, one can find it difficult to see how federal politicians from the two sections or parties could come together on any major issue, let alone solve problems involving slavery and race. The language is frequently combative, insulting, even threatening. When combined with the images of Preston Brooks's caning of Charles Sumner in 1856 or the heated speakership battle of 1859, when members carried guns and bowie knives in their pockets on the floor of the House, our picture of Washington in the mid-nineteenth century has been of a downright vicious place.¹

Yet, in a substantial way, this picture of Washington has obscured our understanding of federal politics in the mid-nineteenth century. Digging deeper into the social environment in which congressmen operated illustrates that intersectional sociability in the capital was actually a critical element of the normal political process. Ultimately, the key to understanding this normal political process is to look beyond the debates in the Senate and House of Representatives and toward the day-to-day activities of men who lived in the capital.²

Significant changes in American political history over the past fifty years have made a new examination of Washington politics possible. Scholars such as Joanne Freeman, Steven Hahn, and Stephanie McCurry have expanded the boundaries and definitions of American politics, creating an entirely new arena for political study. Scholars such as Lori Ginzburg, Jean Baker, and Catherine Allgor have used social and cultural history to better understand the context of political engagement. Together they demonstrate that the social and cultural environments (cities, towns, neighborhoods, or other small communities) in which Americans operated helped shape the ways political actors—men, women, and even children— behaved. These studies help provide a roadmap for rethinking the normal political atmosphere of Washington.³

This essay reexamines Washington politics from the perspective of the social and cultural environment in which legislators operated. While in Washington, politicians from different sections of the country could hardly avoid interacting in a variety of day-to-day activities outside the halls of Congress. Some met each other for religious worship. Others met in local philanthropic organizations, clubs, or chapters like the Washington, D.C. Freemasons. Fancy parties, state dinners, and especially more intimate parties, like those given by local banker William Corcoran, provided other opportunities for cross-sectional interaction. At taverns and temperance meetings, concert halls and gambling houses, federal politicians found themselves interacting with men who hailed from states all over the Union.⁴

Perhaps the most intimate setting in which politicians formed cross-sectional relationships was their living arrangements. Congressmen came to Washington as temporary residents and therefore typically found temporary housing. Their living quarters generally fell into three categories: boardinghouses, hotels, and private residences. Each of these options offered numerous opportunities to actively engage with fellow boarders and neighbors.

A large number chose to spend the session at one of the city's many boardinghouses. Run by local proprietors, these houses typically consisted of a smaller number of congressmen and occasionally other federal employees, providing a more intimate experience. Politicians who brought their families with them to Washington, or who wanted live a more public lifestyle in the city, often chose to live in hotels instead. Generally situated along Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the Capitol, many hotels held up to fifty or sixty members, in addition to the city's numerous lobbyists, office-seekers, and other visitors. Congressmen who had means or job security might choose to rent or buy a private house situated in one of the city's fashionable neighborhoods. Members who lived in these small communities made frequent visits to their neighbors' houses for dinners (both formal and informal) as well as for evening entertainments such as the popular card game whist or friendly political discussion over a glass of Madeira.

Although each of these arrangements offered a slightly different experience, congressmen could find one thing in...