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.

Dates of Sessions

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March 4, 1789–March 3, 1791

• 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

Major events

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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, beginning his term as 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

Major legislation

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''Main article : List of United States federal legislation in the 1st Congress

• 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 organized. It was formerly 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

Party summary

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There were no political parties in this Congress. However, the members were informally grouped into factions of similar interest, as shown.

Senate

• Anti-Administration'' 8
• Pro-Adminstration: 18

TOTAL members: 26

House of Representatives

• Anti-Administration'' 28
• Pro-Adminstration: 37

TOTAL members: 65

Leadership

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Senate

• Vice President of the United States (President of the Senate):
  • John Adams, of Massachusetts.
• President pro tempore of the Senate:
  • John Langdon, of New Hampshire, first elected April 6, 1789.

House of Representatives

• Speaker of the House
  • Frederick A.C. Muhlenberg, of Pennsylvania, elected April 1, 1789.

Members

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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

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. The Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election, precede the names in the list below. 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 (Pro-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, seated December 6, 1790

New York

• 2. Rufus King (Pro-Adm.) …seated July 25, 1789
• 1. Philip John Schuyler (Pro-Adm.) …seated July 27, 1789

North Carolina

• 3. Benjamin Hawkins (Pro-Adm.) ...seated January 13, 1790
• 2. Samuel Johnston (Pro-Adm.) ...seated January 29, 1790

Pennsylvania

• 1. William Maclay (Anti-Adm.)
• 3. Robert Morris (Pro-Adm.)

Rhode Island

• 1. Theodore Foster (Pro-Adm.) ...seated June 25, 1790
• 2. Joseph Stanton, Jr. (Anti-Adm.) ...seated June 25, 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, seated April 26, 1790

  James Monroe (Anti-Adm.) …elected to fill vacancy, seated December 6, 1790

• 2. Richard Henry Lee (Anti-Adm.)

House of Representatives

The names of members of the House of Representatives known to have been elected statewide at-large, are preceded by an "A/L," and the names of those known to have been elected from single member districts, are preceded by their district numbers. A district number with an "A/L" indicates more than one member may be elected from that district. The methodology used for the election of the others is undetermined. 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

• 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

• John Vining (Pro-Adm.)

Georgia

• Abraham Baldwin (Anti-Adm.)
• James Jackson (Anti-Adm.)
• George Mathews (Anti-Adm.)

Maryland

• Michael Jenifer Stone (Pro-Adm.)
• Joshua Seney (Anti-Adm.)
• Benjamin Contee (Anti-Adm.)
• William Smith (Pro-Adm.)
• George Gale (Pro-Adm.)
• Daniel Carroll (Pro-Adm.)

Massachusetts

• Fisher Ames (Pro-Adm.)
• Benjamin Goodhue (Pro-Adm.)
• Elbridge Gerry (Pro-Adm.)
• Theodore Sedgwick (Pro-Adm.)
• George Partridge (Pro-Adm.) …resigned August 14, 1790
• George Thatcher (Pro-Adm.)
• George Leonard (Pro-Adm.)
• Jonathan Grout (Anti-Adm.)

New Hampshire

• A/L. Abiel Foster (Pro-Adm.)
• A/L. Nicholas Gilman (Anti-Adm.)
• A/L. Samuel Livermore (Anti-Adm.)

New Jersey

• 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

• William Floyd (Anti-Adm.)
• John Laurance (Pro-Adm.)
• Egbert Benson (Pro-Adm.)
• John Hathorn (Anti-Adm.) …seated April 23, 1789
• Peter Silvester (Pro-Adm.) …seated April 22, 1789
• Jeremiah Van Rensselaer (Anti-Adm.) …seated May 9, 1789

North Carolina

• John Baptista Ashe (Anti-Adm.) ...seated March 24, 1790
• John Steele (Pro-Adm.) ...seated April 19, 1790
• Hugh Williamson (Pro-Adm.) ...seated March 19, 1790
• Timothy Bloodworth (Anti-Adm.) ...seated April 6, 1790
• John Sevier (Anti-Adm.) ...seated June 16, 1790

Pennsylvania

• A/L. George Clymer (Pro-Adm.)
• A/L. Thomas Fitzsimons (Pro-Adm.)
• A/L. Thomas Hartley (Pro-Adm.)
• A/L. Daniel Hiester (Anti-Adm.)
• A/L. Frederick A.C. Muhlenberg (Pro-Adm.)
• A/L. John Peter G. Muhlenberg (Anti-Adm.)
• A/L. Thomas Scott (Pro-Adm.)
• A/L. Henry Wynkoop (Pro-Adm.)

Rhode Island

• Benjamin Bourne (Pro-Adm.) ...seated December 17, 1790

South Carolina

• Aedanus Burke (Anti-Adm.)
• Daniel Huger (Pro-Adm.)
• William L. Smith (Pro-Adm.)
• Thomas Sumter (Anti-Adm.)
• Thomas Tudor Tucker (Anti-Adm.)

Virginia

• Theodorick Bland (Anti-Adm.) …died June 1, 1790
• William B. Giles (Anti-Adm.) …elected to fill vacancy, seated December 7, 1790
• John Brown (Anti-Adm.)
• Isaac Coles (Anti-Adm.)
• Samuel Griffin (Pro-Adm.)
• Richard Bland Lee (Pro-Adm.)
• James Madison (Anti-Adm.)
• Andrew Moore (Anti-Adm.)
• John Page (Anti-Adm.)
• Josiah Parker (Pro-Adm.)
• Alexander White (Anti-Adm.)

Changes in Membership

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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. Six Senators and nine Representatives were subsequently seated from these states during the sessions as noted.

See also: 1st United States Congress - Membership Changes

Senate

• Anti-Administration: 1 seat net gain
• Pro-Administration: 5 seat net gain

• deaths: 1
• resignations: 1
• interim appointments: 1
• new seats: 6
• Total seats with changes: 8

House of Representatives

• Anti-Administration: 5 seat net gain
• Pro-Administration: 3 seat net gain

• deaths: 1
• resignations: 1
• new seats: 9
• Total seats with changes: 11

Officers

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Senate

• Secretary of the Senate:
  • Samuel A. Otis of Massachusetts, April 8, 1789.
• 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.

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.

References

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United States Congresses