# 1814 Midterm Elections Second-term [[James Madison]] administration midterm, held during the **[[War of 1812]]** — the British burning of Washington occurred August 24, 1814, weeks before voting began. The wartime context combined with regional opposition to the war in Federalist New England produced significant Federalist gains, but Democratic-Republican control held nationally. ## Result - **House:** Democratic-Republicans held majority but Federalists made significant gains (Federalists ~64 of 184 seats in the 14th Congress, the high-water mark of post-1798 Federalist congressional strength) - **Senate:** Democratic-Republicans held majority (~26 of 38 seats) - **Chambers flipped:** None - **Net change:** Federalist gains in the House — wartime backlash against the Madison administration ## Notable - The **Hartford Convention** (December 1814 - January 1815) brought New England Federalist delegates together to discuss grievances against the war and the Madison administration; the Convention discussed but rejected secession; the war ended (Treaty of Ghent, December 24, 1814) before the Convention's report had political effect - The Hartford Convention substantially destroyed the Federalist Party's national reputation by associating it with regional secession-flavored politics during wartime - General [[Andrew Jackson]]'s January 1815 Battle of New Orleans victory (technically after the war ended) produced enormous patriotic mobilization that boosted Democratic-Republican fortunes ## Connections - [[James Madison]] — Sitting president during the War of 1812.