1st United States Congress

1789–91 meeting of the U.S. Congress

The 1st United States Congress, comprising the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met from March 4, 1789, to March 4, 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. With the initial meeting of the First Congress, the United States federal government officially began operations under the new (and current) frame of government established by the 1787 Constitution. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the provisions of Article I, Section 2, Clause 3, of the Constitution. Both chambers had a Pro-Administration majority. Twelve articles of amendment to the Constitution were passed by this Congress and sent to the states for ratification; the ten ratified as additions to the Constitution on December 15, 1791, are collectively known as the Bill of Rights, with an additional amendment ratified more than two centuries later to become the Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution.

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 House and Senate, meeting in joint session, counted the Electoral College ballots, then certified that George Washington was unanimously elected President of the United States and John Adams (having received 34 of 69 votes) was elected as Vice President.^[1]
• April 21, 1789: John Adams was inaugurated as the nation's first vice president.^[2][3]
• April 30, 1789: George Washington was inaugurated as the nation's first president 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 to the assumption of state debts by the federal government; Alexander Hamilton agreed to support a national capital site in the South.

Major legislation

Statue of George Washington in front of Federal Hall, where he was first inaugurated as president.

Session 1

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

• June 1, 1789: An act to regulate the time and manner of administering certain oaths, ch. 1, 1 Stat. 23
• July 4, 1789: Tariff of 1789, 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, which established the United States Customs Service and its ports of entry.
• 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, 1 Stat. 73, which established the federal judiciary and the office of Attorney General

Session 2

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

• 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
• April 30, 1790: Crimes Act of 1790, ch. 9, 1 Stat. 112
• May 31, 1790: Copyright Act of 1790, ch. 15, 1 Stat. 124
• July 16, 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.
• August 4, 1790: Funding Act of 1790, ch. 34, 1 Stat. 138, authorized the "full assumption" of state debts by the federal government.
• August 4, 1790: Collection of Duties Act, ch.35, 1 Stat. 145, among its provisions is Sec. 62, 1 Stat. 175, authorizing establishment of the Revenue-Marine, since 1915 the United States Coast Guard.
• August 10, 1790: Tariff of 1790, ch. 39, 1 Stat. 180

Session 3

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

• February 18, 1791: Admission of Vermont postdated to March 4, ch. 10, 1 Stat. 191
• February 25, 1791: First Bank of the United States, ch. 10, 1 Stat. 191
• March 3, 1791: Tariff of 1791, ch. 15, 1 Stat. 199, which triggered the Whiskey Rebellion

Constitutional amendments

• September 25, 1789: Approved 12 amendments to the United States Constitution establishing specific guarantees of personal freedoms and rights, clear limitations on government power, and submitted them to the state legislatures for ratification. 1 Stat. 97:
  • Article one has not been ratified and is still pending before the states.
  • Article two was much later ratified on May 7, 1992, as the Twenty-seventh Amendment.
  • Articles three through twelve, known as the "Bill of Rights," were later ratified on December 15, 1791.

States ratifying Constitution

• November 21, 1789: North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution and thereby joined the Union.
• May 29, 1790: Rhode Island became the 13th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution and thereby joined the Union.

Territories organized

• May 26, 1790: Territory South of the River Ohio organized from land ceded by North Carolina. 1 Stat. 123

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.^[4]

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.

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.

Leadership

Senate

• President: John Adams (P)
• President pro tempore: John Langdon (P)

House of Representatives

• Speaker: Frederick Muhlenberg (P)

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.

Skip to House of Representatives, below

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 re-election in 1790; Class 2 meant their term ended with the next Congress, requiring re-election in 1792; and Class 3 meant their term lasted through the next two Congresses, requiring re-election 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.^[4]

New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island were the last states to ratify the U.S. Constitution and, due to 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.

Senate

There was 1 resignation, 1 death, 1 replacement of a temporary appointee, and 6 new seats. The Anti-Administration Senators picked up 1 new seat and the Pro-Administration Senators picked up 5 new seats.

House of Representatives

There was 2 resignations, 1 death, and 6 new seats. Anti-Administration members picked up 3 seats and Pro-Administration members picked up 2 seats.

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

• Whole

House of Representatives

• Elections (Chairman: N/A)
• Rules (Select)
• Ways and Means (Chairman: Thomas Fitzsimons)
• Whole

Joint committees

• Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Paine Wingate)

Employees

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

House of Representatives

• Clerk: John J. Beckley
• Sergeant at Arms: Joseph Wheaton, elected May 12, 1789
• Doorkeeper: Gifford Dalley
• Chaplain:
  • William Linn (Presbyterian), elected May 1, 1789
  • Samuel Blair (Presbyterian), elected December 10, 1790
• Reading Clerks: John Beckley.^[5]

See also

• 1788–89 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress)
  • 1788–89 United States presidential election
  • 1788–89 United States Senate elections
  • 1788–89 United States House of Representatives elections
• 1790 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
  • 1790–91 United States Senate elections
  • 1790–91 United States House of Representatives elections

Notes

1. In New York: the state legislature failed to choose Senators until after Congress began.
2. In North Carolina, the state ratified the Constitution and elected two Senators.
3. In Virginia, William Grayson died.
4. In Virginia, John Walker was appointed to fill the vacancy created when William Grayson died.
5. In Rhode Island, the state ratified the Constitution and elected two Senators.
6. In Virginia, James Monroe was elected to fill the vacancy created when William Grayson died.
7. In New Jersey, William Paterson resigned, having been elected Governor of New Jersey.
8. In New Jersey, Philemon Dickinson was elected to fill the vacancy created when William Paterson resigned.
9. In South Carolina's 1st district, William Loughton Smith was seated late after a contested election.
10. In New York's 5th district, Peter Silvester arrived late.
11. In New York's 4th district, John Hathorn arrived late.
12. In New York's 6th district, Jeremiah Van Rensselaer arrived late.
13. In New Hampshire's at-large district, Abiel Foster was elected after Benjamin West refused to take his seat.
14. North Carolina ratified the Constitution on November 21, 1789, and elected five members.
15. In Virginia's 9th district, Theodorick Bland died.
16. In Massachusetts's 5th district, George Partridge resigned.
17. In Virginia's 9th district, William Branch Giles was elected to fill the vacancy created when Theodorick Bland died.
18. Rhode Island ratified the constitution May 29, 1790 and elected one member.
19. When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

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. Unger, Harlow Giles (September 4, 2012). John Quincy Adams. Da Capo Press. pp. 71. ISBN 9780306821301. john adams new york city vice president inauguration April 20.
3. "Vice Presidential Inaugurations". Washington, D.C.: Architect of the Capitol. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
4. Martis, Kenneth C. The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress.
5. "American Memory: Remaining Collections". memory.loc.gov. Retrieved February 13, 2018.

Further reading

• Bickford, Charlene Bangs, and Kenneth R. Bowling. Birth of the nation: the First Federal Congress, 1789–1791 (Rowman & Littlefield, 1989)
• Bordewich, Fergus M. The First Congress: How James Madison, George Washington, and a Group of Extraordinary Men Invented the Government (2016)
• Bowling, Kenneth R. Politics in the first Congress, 1789–1791 (Taylor & Francis, 1990)
• Christman, Margaret C.S. The first federal congress, 1789–1791 (Smithsonian Inst Pr, 1989.)
• Currie, David P. "The Constitution in Congress: Substantive Issues in the First Congress, 1789–1791." The University of Chicago Law Review 61 (1994): 775–865. online
• Jillson, Calvin C., and Rick K. Wilson. Congressional Dynamics: Structure, Coordination, and Choice in the First American Congress, 1774–1789 (Stanford University Press, 1994)
• 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