Congressional Vote Maps: War and Foreign Policy

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I've decided to start a map series representing congressional votes on declarations of war, military engagements, and other issues of defense and foreign intervention.

Red will be used to represent a more "hawkish" position supporting use of military force whether in defense or interventionism. Green will be used to represent a more "dovish" position opposing a particular war or military engagement, or placing limits on military force.  Yellow represents a tie in the vote for that state, and gray represents no members voting from that state.   


The Quasi-War  1798
"An Act further to protect the commerce of the United States"

passed by the House on voice vote.
passed by the Senate 18-4 on Jul 06 1798

This vote demonstrates in part the more francophile sympathies of the Republican minority.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Awesome thread! Would love to see who supported what wars throughout the ages.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Awesome thread! Would love to see who supported what wars throughout the ages.

thanks - glad someone's interested!  War of 1812 is next.

[dead0man]

<liked>

[SPC]

Looking forward to yellow Montana in a sea of red.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

War of 1812

House vote for Declaration of War: 79 Aye - 41 Nay

(numbers on map refer to total number of representatives voting Aye or Nay in each state)

All Federalists in Congress voted against the declaration of war.  A number of Republicans were also opposed, including the Clintonian Republicans of NY and much of the Old Republican faction in the South.

Senate vote: 19 Aye - 13 Nay

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Mexican-American War



Declaration of War on Mexico, House vote, May 11, 1846: 174-14

Congress voted overwhelmingly to support the declaration of war on Mexico.  Of the 14 who voted Nay, all were Whigs from the North, and 5 each were from MA and OH.  In the Senate, the vote was 40-2; the Nay votes were Whigs Thomas Clayton of DE and John Davis of MA.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Can't see the first map, assuming that is a map.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Can't see the first map, assuming that is a map.

It's an image of the Battle of Chapaltepec. 

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Here's what's likely the same image from a site that does allow hotlinking.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

bump - just remembered this project.  I'll be doing the Spanish American War, then WW1. Later I may go back and do some more votes from the 19th century if I can find them.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Spanish-American War 1898: Resolution for Cuban Independence from Spain and Authorization of Force


first, the initial vote in the House on Resolution 233, in response to the McKinley administration's April 11 request: April 12, 1898. 324-19

[compson III]

On War of 1812, interesting that the Clinton's Republicans were solidly against it but the Massachusetts Republicans (actually not a small group) were solidly for it.

Also the "Old Republicans" in the South were actually a very small group it looks like.  John Randolph (of course) and just one other Nay.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

On War of 1812, interesting that the Clinton's Republicans were solidly against it but the Massachusetts Republicans (actually not a small group) were solidly for it.

Also the "Old Republicans" in the South were actually a very small group it looks like.  John Randolph (of course) and just one other Nay.

Yes, New York always seems to have had factions that were distinct from the national party and  influential when it came to the (Democratic-)Republicans and the Democrats.

You are right, Old Republican Nathaniel Macon actually voted for the war, which became a cause of friction between him and Randolph.  The other House Old Republican Nay from the South was Richard Stanford - there's an interesting biography of him here.  I haven't seen anything suggesting one-armed Senator John Pope of KY who voted against it was part of the Old Republican faction.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

back to the Spanish American War:

When the Senate took up the resolution, there was an amendment to limit U.S. long term involvement in Cuba by "disclaiming any United States disposition or intention of sovereignty, except for pacification and the ultimate independence of Cuba." This amendment was in the form of a substitute, and passed the Senate, but would eventually just become tacked down in modified form to the end of the conference committee report. It is known as the Teller Amendment after it's sponsor, Sen Teller of Colorado.

Senate vote, April 16, 1898: 60 - 28

After much back and forth the House and Senate went to conference committee and produced a resolution. Here are the final votes on the resolution, April 18, 1898:
House vote 316 - 6 (34 nv)

Senate vote 46 -37 (6 nv)

This mostly partisan Senate vote came after a battle in the Senate over the roles of Congress and the Executive in the aims and conduct of the war.