1st United States Congress
| 1st United States Congress | |||
 Federal Hall, site of the first two sessions of this Congress (1789) |
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| Duration: March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1791 | |||
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| Senate President: | John Adams | ||
| Senate Pres. pro tem: | John Langdon | ||
| House Speaker: | Frederick Muhlenberg | ||
| Members: | 21–26 Senators 59–65 Representatives 0 Non-voting members |
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| Senate Majority: | Pro-Administration | ||
| House Majority: | Pro-Administration | ||
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| Sessions | |||
| 1st: March 4, 1789 – September 29, 1789 2nd: January 4, 1790 – August 12, 1790 3rd: December 6, 1790 – March 3, 1791 |
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The 1st United States Congress, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met from March 4, 1789 to March 3, 1791, during the first two years of George Washington's presidency, first at Federal Hall in New York City and later at Congress Hall in Philadelphia. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the provisions of Article I, Section 2, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution. Both chambers had a Pro-Administration majority.
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[edit] Major events
- April 1, 1789: House of Representatives first achieved a quorum and elected its officers
- April 6, 1789: Senate first achieved a quorum and elected its officers; the Electoral College ballots were counted and George Washington was unanimously elected President of the United States[1]
- April 30, 1789: George Washington was inaugurated at Federal Hall in New York City
- January 8, 1790: President Washington gave the first State of the Union Address
- March 1, 1790: First United States census was authorized
- April 10, 1790: Patent system was established
- April 17, 1790: Benjamin Franklin died
- June 20, 1790: Compromise of 1790: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton come to an agreement: Madison agrees to not be "strenuous" in opposition for the assumption of state debts by the federal government; Hamilton agrees to support the capital site being above the Potomac River.
[edit] Major legislation
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Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
[edit] Session 1
- 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: United States Department of State, was established, originally named the Department of Foreign Affairs, ch. 4, 1 Stat. 28.
- July 31, 1789. Regulation of the Collection of Duties on Tonnage and Merchandise, ch.5, 1 Stat. 29.
- August 7, 1789: Department of War was established, ch. 7, 1 Stat. 49.
- September 2, 1789: United States Department of the Treasury was established, ch. 12, 1 Stat. 65
- September 24, 1789: Judiciary Act of 1789, ch. 20, which created:
- § 1: Supreme Court, 1 Stat. 73
- § 3: District courts, 1 Stat. 73
- § 4: Circuit courts, 1 Stat. 73
- § 35: District attorneys, 1 Stat. 92 and Attorney General, 1 Stat. 93
[edit] Session 2
- March 1, 1790: Made provisions for the first Census, ch. 2, 1 Stat. 101
- March 26, 1790: Naturalization Act of 1790, ch. 3, 1 Stat. 103
- April 10, 1790: Patent Act of 1790, ch. 7, 1 Stat. 109
- May 31, 1790: Copyright Act of 1790, ch. 15, 1 Stat. 124
- July 6, 1790: Residence Act, ch. 28, 1 Stat. 130, established Washington, D.C. as the seat of government of the United States.
- July 22, 1790: Indian Intercourse Act of 1790, ch. 33, 1 Stat. 137, regulated commerce with the Indian tribes.
[edit] Session 3
- February 25, 1791: First Bank of the United States, ch. 10, 1 Stat. 191
- March 3, 1791: Whiskey Act, ch. 15, 1 Stat. 199, which triggered the Whiskey Rebellion
[edit] Constitutional amendments
- September 25, 1789: Twelve proposed amendments to the U.S. Constitution were passed and sent to the states for ratification. 1 Stat. 97. Ten were ratified as "The Bill of Rights," and one was ratified two centuries later as the 27th Amendment.
[edit] States admitted and territories organized
- November 21, 1789: North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the United States Constitution and thereby joined the Union
- May 26, 1790: Territory South of the River Ohio organized from land ceded by North Carolina
- May 29, 1790: Rhode Island became the 13th state to ratify the United States Constitution and thereby joined the Union
[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.[2]
Details on changes are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.
[edit] Senate
During this congress, two Senate seats were added for North Carolina and Rhode Island when each ratified the Constitution.
| Party (Shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | ||
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| Anti- Administration (A) |
Pro- Administration (P) |
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| End of the previous congress | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Begin | 7 | 13 | 20 | 2 |
| End | 8 | 18 | 26 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 30.8% | 69.2% | ||
| Beginning of the next congress | 9 | 16 | 25 | 1 |
[edit] House of Representatives
During this congress, five House seats were added for North Carolina and one House seat was added for Rhode Island when they ratified the Constitution.
| Party (Shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti- Administration (A) |
Pro- Administration (P) |
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| End of the previous congress | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Begin | 25 | 34 | 59 | 0 |
| End | 28 | 36 | 64 | 1 |
| Final voting share | 43.8% | 56.3% | ||
| Beginning of the next congress | 29 | 39 | 68 | 1 |
[edit] Leadership
[edit] Senate
- President: John Adams (P)
- President pro tempore: John Langdon (P)
[edit] House of Representatives
[edit] Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.
[edit] Senate
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.
[edit] Connecticut
[edit] Delaware
[edit] Georgia
[edit] Maryland
[edit] Massachusetts
[edit] New Hampshire
[edit] New Jersey
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[edit] New York
[edit] North Carolina
[edit] Pennsylvania
[edit] Rhode Island
[edit] South Carolina
[edit] Virginia
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[edit] House of Representatives
The names of members of the House of Representatives are listed by their districts.
[edit] Changes in membership
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.[2]
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
There was 1 resignation, 1 death, 1 replacement of a temporary appointee, and 6 new seats. The Anti-Administration Senators picked up a 1 seat net gain and the Pro-Administration Senators picked up 4 seats.
| State (class) |
Former senator | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's installation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (3) | New seats | State legislature failed to pick Senator until after Congress began. | Rufus King (P) | July 25, 1789 |
| New York (1) | Philip John Schuyler (P) | July 27, 1789 | ||
| North Carolina (3) | North Carolina ratified the constitution on November 21, 1789. | Benjamin Hawkins (P) | Elected November 27, 1789 | |
| North Carolina (2) | Samuel Johnston (P) | |||
| Virginia (1) |
William Grayson (A) | Died March 12, 1790. | John Walker (P) | Appointed March 31, 1790 |
| Rhode Island (1) | New seats | Rhode Island ratified the constitution on May 29, 1790. | Theodore Foster (P) | Elected June 7, 1790 |
| Rhode Island (2) | Joseph Stanton, Jr. (A) | |||
| Virginia (1) |
John Walker (P) | James Monroe was elected to the seat of Senator William Grayson. | James Monroe (A) | Elected November 9, 1790 |
| New Jersey (2) | William Paterson (P) | Resigned November 13, 1790, having been elected Governor of New Jersey. |
Philemon Dickinson (P) | Elected November 23, 1790 |
[edit] House of Representatives
There was 1 resignation, 1 death, and 6 new seats. Anti-Administration members picked up 3 seats and Pro-Administration members picked up 2 seats.
| District | Vacator | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's installation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina 1st | New seats | North Carolina ratified the constitution on November 21, 1789. | John Baptista Ashe (A) | March 24, 1790 |
| North Carolina 2nd | Hugh Williamson (A) | March 19, 1790 | ||
| North Carolina 3rd | Timothy Bloodworth (A) | April 6, 1790 | ||
| North Carolina 4th | John Steele (P) | April 19, 1790 | ||
| North Carolina 5th | John Sevier (P) | June 16, 1790 | ||
| Rhode Island At-large | New seat | Rhode Island ratified the constitution on May 29, 1790. | Benjamin Bourne (P) | December 17, 1790 |
| Virginia 9th |
Theodorick Bland (A) | Died June 1, 1790. | William B. Giles (A) | December 7, 1790 |
| Massachusetts 5th | George Partridge (P) | Resigned August 14, 1790. | Remained vacant until next Congress | |
[edit] Employees
[edit] Senate
- Secretary: Samuel A. Otis, elected April 8, 1789
- Doorkeeper: James Mathers, elected April 7, 1789
- Chaplain:
- Samuel Provoost (Episcopalian), elected April 25, 1789
- William White (Episcopalian), elected December 9, 1790
[edit] House of Representatives
- Clerk: John J. Beckley
- Sergeant at Arms: Joseph Wheaton
- Doorkeeper: Gifford Dalley
- Chaplain:
- William Linn (Presbyterian), elected May 1, 1789
- Samuel Blair (Presbyterian), elected January 4, 1790
[edit] See also
- Elections to this Congress:
- Elections during this Congress:
[edit] References
- ^ "Journal of the First Session of the Senate of The United States of America, Begun and Held at the City of New York, March 4, 1789, And In The Thirteenth Year of the Independence of the Said States". Senate Journal. Gales & Seaton. 1820. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsj&fileName=001/llsj001.db&recNum=4.
- ^ a b Martis, Kenneth C.. The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress.
- 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
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Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
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Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
- 1st Federal Congress Project
- Statutes at Large, 1789–1875
- Senate Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
- House Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
- Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- House History from the U.S. House of Representatives
- Statistics & Lists from the U.S. Senate
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