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1st United States Congress

1st United States Congress
10th Confederation Congress ← → 2nd

Federal Hall, site of the first two sessions of this Congress (1789)
Duration: March 4, 1789 – March 4, 1791
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
Senate Majority: Pro-Administration
House Majority: Pro-Administration
Sessions
1st: March 4, 1789 – September 29, 1789
2nd: January 4, 1790 – August 12, 1790
3rd: December 6, 1790 – March 3, 1791

The First United States Congress, consisting of the 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. This Congress passed the ten amendments now called the Bill of Rights.

Contents

  • Major events 1
  • Major legislation 2
    • Session 1 2.1
    • Session 2 2.2
    • Session 3 2.3
  • Constitutional amendments 3
  • States admitted and territories organized 4
  • Party summary 5
    • Senate 5.1
    • House of Representatives 5.2
  • Leadership 6
    • Senate 6.1
    • House of Representatives 6.2
  • Members 7
    • Senate 7.1
      • Connecticut 7.1.1
      • Delaware 7.1.2
      • Georgia 7.1.3
      • Maryland 7.1.4
      • Massachusetts 7.1.5
      • New Hampshire 7.1.6
      • New Jersey 7.1.7
      • New York 7.1.8
      • North Carolina 7.1.9
      • Pennsylvania 7.1.10
      • Rhode Island 7.1.11
      • South Carolina 7.1.12
      • Virginia 7.1.13
    • House of Representatives 7.2
      • Connecticut 7.2.1
      • Delaware 7.2.2
      • Georgia 7.2.3
      • Maryland 7.2.4
      • Massachusetts 7.2.5
      • New Hampshire 7.2.6
      • New Jersey 7.2.7
      • New York 7.2.8
      • North Carolina 7.2.9
      • Pennsylvania 7.2.10
      • Rhode Island 7.2.11
      • South Carolina 7.2.12
      • Virginia 7.2.13
  • Changes in membership 8
    • Senate 8.1
    • House of Representatives 8.2
  • Employees 9
    • Senate 9.1
    • House of Representatives 9.2
  • See also 10
  • References 11
  • External links 12

Major events

Congress Hall in Philadelphia, meeting place of this Congress's third session.
  • 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.
  • April 6, 1789: The [1]
  • April 30, 1789: inaugurated at Federal Hall in New York City
  • January 8, 1790: President Washington gave the first State of the Union Address
  • June 20, 1790: Compromise of 1790: James Madison agreed to not be "strenuous" in opposition for the assumption of state debts by the federal government; Alexander Hamilton agreed to support the capital site being above the Potomac River.

Major legislation

Session 1

Held March 4, 1789, through September 29, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City

Session 2

Held January 4, 1790, through August 12, 1790, at Federal Hall in New York City

Session 3

Held December 6, 1790, through March 3, 1791, at Congress Hall in Philadelphia

Constitutional amendments

  • September 25, 1789: Twelve proposed amendments to the U.S. Constitution were passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. 1 Stat. 97. Ten were later ratified as "The Bill of Rights," one was ratified two centuries later as the 27th Amendment, and one still awaits ratification.

States admitted and territories organized

Party summary

Statue of Federal Hall, where he was first inaugurated as President.

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.

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
Anti-
Administration
(A) 		Pro-
Administration
(P)
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

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)
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

Leadership

Senate

House of Representatives

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.

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.

House of Representatives

The names of members of the House of Representatives are listed by their districts.

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.

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) 		Vacator Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal 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

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 successor
seated
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

Employees

Senate

House of Representatives

See also

References

  1. ^ "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. 
  2. ^ 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. 

External links

  • 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
United States Congresses by year convened
   
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