1st United States Congress
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The First United States Congress was a meeting of the United States national legislature, comprised of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met at Federal Hall, 26 Wall Street in New York, New York and later at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from March 4, 1789 to March 3, 1791, during the first two years of the first administration of U.S. President George Washington.
The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the provisions of the United States Constitution. Both chambers had a Pro-Administration majority.
[edit] Dates of sessions
- First session: March 4, 1789 - September 29, 1789, New York, New York
- Second session: January 4, 1790 - August 12, 1790, New York, New York
- Third session: December 6, 1790 - March 3, 1791, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — a lame duck session
Previous congress: Continental Congress
Next congress: 2nd Congress
[edit] Major events
- Main article: Events of 1789; Events of 1790; Events of 1791
- April 30, 1789 - George Washington was inaugurated at Federal Hall in New York City, becoming the first President of the United States.
- July 14, 1789 - French Revolution began with the storming of the Bastille.
- November 21, 1789 - North Carolina ratified the United States Constitution and became the 12th U.S. state.
- May 29, 1790 - Rhode Island ratified the United States Constitution and became the 13th U.S. state.
- French Revolution (1789-1792)
- Russo-Turkish War, 1787-1792.
[edit] Major legislation
- June 1 1789 - An act to regulate the time and manner of administering certain oaths, ch. 1, 1 Stat. 23
- July 4 1789 - Hamilton Tariff, ch. 2, 1 Stat. 24
- July 27, 1789 - The United States Department of State, was established, originally named the Department of Foreign Affairs.
- August 7, 1789 - The United States War Department was established.
- September 2, 1789 - United States Department of the Treasury was established.
- September 24 1789 - The Office of the U.S. Attorney General was established, Judiciary Act of 1789, ch. 20, 1 Stat. 73
- September 24 1789 - The U.S. Judicial System was established, Judiciary Act of 1789, ch. 20, 1 Stat. 73
- September 25, 1789 - The United States Bill of Rights, twelve proposed amendments to the United States Constitution were passed by the U.S. Congress.
- March 1, 1790 - Made provisions for the first U.S. Census
- March 26 1790 - Naturalization Act of 1790, ch. 3, 1 Stat 103
- April 10, 1790 - Patent Act, ch. 7, 1 Stat 109
- May 26 1790 - Southwest Territory was created from a portion of North Carolina: Southwest Ordinance, ch. 14, 1 Stat. 123
- May 31 1790 - Copyright Act of 1790, ch. 15, 1 Stat. 124
- July 6 1790 - Residence Act, ch. 28, 1 Stat. 130, established Washington, DC as the seat of government of the United States
- February 25 1791 - First Bank of the United States, ch. 10, 1 Stat. 191
[edit] Party summary
There were no political parties in this Congress. Members are informally grouped into factions of similar interest, based on an analysis of their voting record. <ref>Martis, Kenneth C.. The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress.</ref>
The count below identifies affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress, and includes members from vacancies and newly ratifying states, when they were first seated. Subsequent changes are reflected below in the "Changes in Membership" section.
[edit] Senate
- Anti-Administration: 8
- Pro-Administration: 18 (majority)
TOTAL members: 26
[edit] House of Representatives
- Anti-Administration: 28
- Pro-Administration: 37 (majority)
TOTAL members: 65
[edit] Leadership
[edit] Senate
- Vice President of the United States (President of the Senate):
- President pro tempore of the Senate:
- John Langdon, Pro-Administration of New Hampshire, first elected April 6, 1789.
[edit] House of Representatives
- Speaker of the House
- Frederick A.C. Muhlenberg, Pro-Administration of Pennsylvania, elected April 1, 1789.
[edit] Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.
- See also: 1st United States Congress - Political Parties
- See also: 1st United States Congress - State Delegations
- See also: United States House election, 1789
[edit] Senate
At this time, Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, all Senators were newly elected, and Class 1 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1790; Class 2 meant their term ended with the next Congress, requiring reelection in 1792; and Class 3 meant their term lasted through the next two Congresses, requiring reelection in 1794.
- Connecticut
- 1. Oliver Ellsworth (Pro-Adm.)
- 3. William S. Johnson (Pro-Adm.)
- Delaware
- 2. Richard Bassett (Anti-Adm.)
- 1. George Read (Pro-Adm.)
- Georgia
- 2. William Few (Anti-Adm.)
- 3. James Gunn (Anti-Adm.)
- Maryland
- 3. John Henry (Pro-Adm.)
- 1. Charles Carroll (Pro-Adm.)
- Massachusetts
- 1. Tristram Dalton (Pro-Adm.)
- 2. Caleb Strong (Pro-Adm.)
- New Hampshire
- 3. John Langdon (Pro-Adm.)
- 2. Paine Wingate (Anti-Adm.)
- New Jersey
- 1. Jonathan Elmer (Pro-Adm.)
- 2. William Paterson (Pro-Adm.) ...resigned November 13, 1790
- Philemon Dickinson (Pro-Adm.) ...elected to fill vacancy, November 13, 1790
- New York
- 3. Rufus King (Pro-Adm.) …elected July 16, 1789
- 1. Philip John Schuyler (Pro-Adm.) …elected July 15, 1789
- North Carolina
- 3. Benjamin Hawkins (Pro-Adm.) …elected November 27, 1789
- 2. Samuel Johnston (Pro-Adm.) …elected November 27, 1789
- Pennsylvania
- 1. William Maclay (Anti-Adm.)
- 3. Robert Morris (Pro-Adm.)
- Rhode Island
- 1. Theodore Foster (Pro-Adm.) …elected June 7, 1790
- 2. Joseph Stanton, Jr. (Anti-Adm.) …elected June 7, 1790
- South Carolina
- 2. Pierce Butler (Pro-Adm.)
- 3. Ralph Izard (Pro-Adm.)
- Virginia
- 1. William Grayson (Anti-Adm.) ...died March 12, 1790
- John Walker (Pro-Adm.) …appointed to fill vacancy, March 31, 1790
- James Monroe (Anti-Adm.) …elected to fill vacancy, November 9, 1790
- 2. Richard Henry Lee (Anti-Adm.)
[edit] House of Representatives
The names of members of the House of Representatives elected statewide on the general ticket or otherwise at-large, are preceded by an "A/L," and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, are preceded by their district numbers.
Many of the congressional district numbers are linked to articles describing the district itself. Since the boundaries of the districts have changed often and substantially, the linked article may only describe the district as it exists today, and not as it was at the time of this Congress.
- Connecticut <ref> all representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket</ref>
- A/L. Benjamin Huntington (Pro-Adm.)
- A/L. Roger Sherman (Pro-Adm.)
- A/L. Jonathan Sturges (Pro-Adm.)
- A/L. Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. (Pro-Adm.)
- A/L. Jeremiah Wadsworth (Pro-Adm.)
- Delaware
- Georgia <ref> all representatives elected statewide from individual districts</ref>
- Maryland <ref> all representatives elected statewide from individual districts</ref>
- 1. Michael Jenifer Stone (Anti-Adm.)
- 2. Joshua Seney (Anti-Adm.)
- 3. Benjamin Contee (Anti-Adm.)
- 4. William Smith (Anti-Adm.)
- 5. George Gale (Pro-Adm.)
- 6. Daniel Carroll (Pro-Adm.)
- Massachusetts
- 1. Fisher Ames (Pro-Adm.)
- 2. Benjamin Goodhue (Pro-Adm.)
- 3. Elbridge Gerry (Anti-Adm.)
- 4. Theodore Sedgwick (Pro-Adm.)
- 5. George Partridge (Pro-Adm.) …resigned August 14, 1790
- 6. George Thatcher (Pro-Adm.)
- 7. George Leonard (Pro-Adm.)
- 8. Jonathan Grout (Anti-Adm.)
- New Hampshire <ref> all representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket</ref>
- New Jersey <ref> all representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket</ref>
- A/L. Elias Boudinot (Pro-Adm.)
- A/L. Lambert Cadwalader (Pro-Adm.)
- A/L. James Schureman (Pro-Adm.)
- A/L. Thomas Sinnickson (Pro-Adm.)
- New York
- 1. William Floyd (Anti-Adm.)
- 2. John Laurance (Pro-Adm.)
- 3. Egbert Benson (Pro-Adm.)
- 4. John Hathorn (Anti-Adm.) …seated April 23, 1789
- 5. Peter Silvester (Pro-Adm.) …seated April 22, 1789
- 6. Jeremiah Van Rensselaer (Anti-Adm.) …seated May 9, 1789
- North Carolina
- 1. John Baptista Ashe (Anti-Adm.) ...seated March 24, 1790
- 2. Hugh Williamson (Anti-Adm.) ...seated March 19, 1790
- 3. Timothy Bloodworth (Anti-Adm.) ...seated April 6, 1790
- 4. John Steele (Pro-Adm.) ...seated April 19, 1790
- 5. John Sevier (Pro-Adm.) ...seated June 16, 1790
- Pennsylvania <ref> all representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket</ref>
- A/L. Thomas Fitzsimons (Pro-Adm.)
- A/L. Frederick A.C. Muhlenberg (Pro-Adm.)
- A/L. John Peter G. Muhlenberg (Anti-Adm.)
- A/L. Daniel Hiester (Anti-Adm.)
- A/L. George Clymer (Pro-Adm.)
- A/L. Henry Wynkoop (Pro-Adm.)
- A/L. Thomas Hartley (Pro-Adm.)
- A/L. Thomas Scott (Pro-Adm.)
- Rhode Island
- A/L. Benjamin Bourne (Pro-Adm.) ...seated December 17, 1790
- South Carolina
- 1. William L. Smith (Pro-Adm.)
- 2. Aedanus Burke (Anti-Adm.)
- 3. Daniel Huger (Pro-Adm.)
- 4. Thomas Sumter (Anti-Adm.)
- 5. Thomas Tudor Tucker (Anti-Adm.)
- Virginia
- 1. Alexander White (Pro-Adm.)
- 2. John Brown (Anti-Adm.)
- 3. Andrew Moore (Anti-Adm.)
- 4. Richard Bland Lee (Pro-Adm.)
- 5. James Madison (Anti-Adm.)
- 6. Isaac Coles (Anti-Adm.)
- 7. John Page (Anti-Adm.)
- 8. Josiah Parker (Anti-Adm.)
- 9. Theodorick Bland (Anti-Adm.) …died June 1, 1790
- William B. Giles (Anti-Adm.) …elected to fill vacancy, seated December 7, 1790
- 10. Samuel Griffin (Pro-Adm.)
[edit] Changes in Membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island, were the last states to ratify the U.S. Constitution, and because of their late ratification, were unable to send full representation at the beginning of this Congress. Five Senators and nine Representatives were subsequently seated from these states during the sessions as noted.
[edit] Senate
- replacements: 2
- Anti-Administration: 1 seat net loss
- Pro-Administration: 1 seat net gain
- deaths: 1
- resignations: 1
- interim appointments: 1
- seats of newly ratifying states: 5
- Total seats with changes: 7
[edit] House of Representatives
- replacements: 1
- Anti-Administration: no net change
- Pro-Administration: no net change
- deaths: 1
- resignations: 1
- seats of newly ratifying states: 9
- Total seats with changes: 11
[edit] Officers
[edit] Senate
- Secretary of the Senate:
- Doorkeeper of the Senate:
- James Mathers of New York, elected April 7, 1789.
- Chaplain of the Senate
- The Rev. Samuel Provoost, Episcopalian, elected April 25, 1789.
- The Rev. William White, Episcopalian, elected December 9, 1790.
[edit] House of Representatives
- Clerk of the House:
- John Beckley of Virginia, elected April 1, 1789.
- Sergeant at Arms of the House:
- Joseph Wheaton of Rhode Island, elected May 12, 1789.
- Doorkeeper of the House:
- Gifford Dalley, elected April 4, 1789.
- Chaplain of the House
- The Rev. William Linn, Presbyterian, elected May 1, 1789.
- The Rev. Samuel Blair, Presbyterian, elected January 4, 1790.
[edit] Notes
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[edit] References
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
[edit] External links
- 1st Federal Congress Project [1]
- Statutes at Large, 1789-1875 [2]
- Senate Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress [3]
- House Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress [4]
- Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress [5]
- U.S. House of Representatives: Congressional History [6]
- U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists [7]
 | United States Congress Senate • Senators • Senate Leadership • Senate Committees • Senate elections House • Representatives • House Leadership • House Committees • House elections • Districts |  |
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