Birthdays
James Jay Archer
Turns 42 on this date
John Carpenter Carter
Turns 22 on this date
Mary Ashton Rice Livermore
Turns 39 on this date
Nathaniel Thomas Lupton
Turns 29 on this date
Edwin McMasters Stanton
Turns 45 on this date
Events
| Lawmaking/Litigating | In the hotly contested election for Speaker of the House, Thomas Bocock withdraws | 12/19/1859 |
| Personal | Mirabeau Lamar, the second President of the Texas Republic, dies in Richmond, Texas | 12/19/1859 |
| Lawmaking/Litigating | The 36th U.S. Congress is in session in Washington, D.C. |
12/06/1859 to 06/24/1860 |
Documents
| Newspaper | Charleston (SC) Mercury, “Northern Sentiment,” December 19, 1859 | 12/19/1859 |