| State: | Massachusetts |
| District Number: | 12 |
| Obsolete: | yes |
| Created: | 1795 1880 |
| Eliminated: | 1840 1980 |
| Years: | 1795–1843 1883–1983 |
| Population Year: | 1830 1970 |
Massachusetts's 12th congressional district is an obsolete district that was first active 1795–1803 in the District of Maine and 1803–1843 in Eastern Massachusetts. It was later active 1883–1893 in Western Massachusetts and 1893–1983 in Eastern Massachusetts. It was most recently eliminated as a result of the redistricting cycle after the 1980 census. Its last congressman was Gerry Studds, who was redistricted into the .
Notable persons elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the 12th congressional district include John Quincy Adams, following his term as president, and James Michael Curley, four-time Mayor of Boston.
Suffolk County: Boston Wards 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 24.[1]
Boston (Wards 9, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21).
Boston (Wards 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17).
| Representative | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history | District location | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created March 4, 1795 | |||||||||
| align=left | Henry Dearborn | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1797 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1795. Lost re-election. | 1795–1803 "1st Eastern district," District of Maine | |||
| align=left | Isaac Parker | Federalist | nowrap | March 4, 1797 – March 3, 1799 | Elected in 1797 on the third ballot. Retired. | ||||
| align=left | Silas Lee | Federalist | nowrap | March 4, 1799 – August 20, 1801 | Elected in 1798. Re-elected in 1800. Resigned. | ||||
| Vacant | nowrap | August 20, 1801 – December 6, 1802 | |||||||
| align=left | Samuel Thatcher | Federalist | nowrap | December 6, 1802 – March 3, 1803 | Elected July 29, 1802 on the fifth ballot to finish Lee's term and seated December 6, 1802.[2] Redistricted to the . | ||||
| align=left | Thomson J. Skinner | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1803 – August 10, 1804 | Elected in 1802. Resigned. | 1803–1815 "Berkshire district" | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | August 10, 1804 – November 5, 1804 | |||||||
| align=left | Simon Larned | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | November 5, 1804 – March 3, 1805 | Elected September 17, 1804 to finish Skinner's term and seated November 5, 1804.[3] Retired. | ||||
| align=left | Barnabas Bidwell | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1805 – July 13, 1807 | Elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Resigned to become Massachusetts Attorney General. | ||||
| Vacant | nowrap | July 13, 1807 – November 2, 1807 | |||||||
| align=left | Ezekiel Bacon | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | November 2, 1807 – March 3, 1813 | Elected sometime in 1807 to finish Bidwell's term and seated November 2, 1807.[4] Re-elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Retired. | ||||
| align=left | Daniel Dewey | Federalist | nowrap | March 4, 1813 – February 24, 1814 | Elected in 1812. Resigned to become Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. | ||||
| Vacant | nowrap | February 24, 1814 – September 26, 1814 | |||||||
| align=left | John W. Hulbert | Federalist | nowrap | September 26, 1814 – March 3, 1815 | Elected August 4, 1814 to finish Dewey's term and seated September 26, 1814.[5] Redistricted to the . | ||||
| align=left | Solomon Strong | Federalist | nowrap | March 4, 1815 – March 3, 1819 | Elected in 1814. Re-elected in 1816. Retired. | 1815–1823 "Worcester North district" | |||
| align=left | Jonas Kendall | Federalist | nowrap | March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1821 | Elected in 1818. Lost re-election. | ||||
| align=left | Lewis Bigelow | Federalist | nowrap | March 4, 1821 – March 3, 1823 | Elected in 1820. Lost re-election. | ||||
Francis Baylies | Jackson Federalist | nowrap | March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1822. Re-elected in 1825 on the second ballot. Lost re-election. | 1823–1833 "Bristol district" | ||||
| Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1827 | |||||||
| align=left | James L. Hodges | Anti-Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1827 – March 3, 1833 | Elected in 1827 on the third ballot. Re-elected in 1828. Re-elected in 1832. Retired. | ||||
John Quincy Adams | Anti-Masonic | nowrap | March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1837 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1833. Re-elected in 1834. Re-elected in 1836. Re-elected in 1838. Re-elected in 1840. Redistricted to the . | 1833–1843 | ||||
| Whig | nowrap | March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1843 | |||||||
| District eliminated March 3, 1843 | |||||||||
| District re-created March 4, 1883 | |||||||||
| align=left | George D. Robinson | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1883 – January 7, 1884 | nowrap | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1882. Resigned to become Governor of Massachusetts. | 1883–1893 | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | January 7, 1884 – January 17, 1884 | |||||||
| align=left | Francis W. Rockwell | Republican | nowrap | January 17, 1884 – March 3, 1891 | Elected to finish Robinson's term Re-elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. Lost re-election. | ||||
| align=left | John C. Crosby | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893 | Elected in 1890. Lost re-election. | ||||
| align=left | Elijah A. Morse | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897 | nowrap | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1892. Re-elected in 1894. Retired. | 1893–1903 | ||
| align=left | William C. Lovering | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1903 | [6] | Elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | Samuel Leland Powers | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1905 | [7] | nowrap | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1902. Retired. | 1903–1913 | |
| align=left | John W. Weeks | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1905 – March 3, 1913 | [8] | Elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | James Michael Curley | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1913 – February 4, 1914 | nowrap | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1912. Resigned to become Mayor of Boston. | 1913–1933 | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | February 4, 1914 – April 7, 1914 | |||||||
| align=left | James A. Gallivan | Democratic | nowrap | April 7, 1914 – April 3, 1928 | Elected to finish Curley's term. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Died. | ||||
| Vacant | nowrap | April 3, 1928 – November 6, 1928 | |||||||
John W. McCormack | Democratic | November 6, 1928 – January 3, 1963 | Elected to finish Gallivan's term. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Redistricted to the . | ||||||
| 1933–1943 | |||||||||
| 1943–1953 | |||||||||
| 1953–1963 | |||||||||
| align=left | Hastings Keith | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1973 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. | 1963–1973 | |||
| align=left | Gerry Studds | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1983 | Elected in 1972 Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Redistricted to the . | 1973–1983 | |||
| District eliminated January 3, 1983 | |||||||||