1st United States Congress | |
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→ 2nd | |
![]() Federal Hall (1789) | |
March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1791 | |
Members | 22–26 senators 59–65 representatives |
Senate majority | Pro-Administration |
Senate President | John Adams (P) |
House majority | Pro-Administration |
House Speaker | Frederick Muhlenberg (P) |
Sessions | |
1st: March 4, 1789 – September 29, 1789 2nd: January 4, 1790 – August 12, 1790 3rd: December 6, 1790 – March 3, 1791 |
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.
Held March 4, 1789, through September 29, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City
Held January 4, 1790, through August 12, 1790, at Federal Hall in New York City
Held December 6, 1790, through March 3, 1791, at Congress Hall in Philadelphia
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.
During this congress, two Senate seats were added for North Carolina and Rhode Island when each ratified the Constitution.
Faction (Shading indicates faction control) | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anti-Administration (A) | Pro-Administration (P) | Vacant | |||
Begin March 4, 1789 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 2 | |
July 25, 1789 [lower-alpha 1] | 14 | 21 | 1 | ||
July 27, 1789 [lower-alpha 1] | 15 | 22 | 0 | ||
November 27, 1789 [lower-alpha 2] | 17 | 24 | |||
March 12, 1790 [lower-alpha 3] | 6 | 23 | 1 | ||
March 31, 1790 [lower-alpha 4] | 18 | 24 | 0 | ||
June 7, 1790 [lower-alpha 5] | 7 | 19 | 26 | ||
November 9, 1790 [lower-alpha 6] | 8 | 18 | |||
November 13, 1790 [lower-alpha 7] | 17 | 25 | 1 | ||
November 23, 1790 [lower-alpha 8] | 18 | 26 | 0 | ||
Final voting share | 30.8% | 69.2% | |||
Beginning of the next Congress | 8 | 17 | 25 | 1 |
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.
Faction (Shading indicates faction control) | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anti-Administration (A) | Pro-Administration (P) | Vacant | |||
Begin March 4, 1789 | 23 | 31 | 54 | 5 | |
April 13, 1789 [lower-alpha 9] | 32 | 55 | 4 | ||
April 22, 1789 [lower-alpha 10] | 33 | 56 | 3 | ||
April 23, 1789 [lower-alpha 11] | 24 | 57 | 2 | ||
May 9, 1789 [lower-alpha 12] | 25 | 58 | 1 | ||
June 23, 1789 [lower-alpha 13] | 34 | 59 | 0 | ||
March 19, 1790 [lower-alpha 14] | 26 | 60 | |||
March 24, 1790 [lower-alpha 14] | 27 | 61 | |||
April 6, 1790 [lower-alpha 14] | 28 | 62 | |||
April 19, 1790 [lower-alpha 14] | 35 | 63 | |||
June 1, 1790 [lower-alpha 15] | 27 | 62 | 1 | ||
June 16, 1790 [lower-alpha 14] | 36 | 63 | |||
August 14, 1790 [lower-alpha 16] | 35 | 62 | 2 | ||
December 7, 1790 [lower-alpha 17] | 28 | 63 | 1 | ||
December 17, 1790 [lower-alpha 18] | 36 | 64 | |||
Final voting share | 43.7% | 56.3% | |||
Beginning of the next Congress | 25 | 37 | 62 | 3 |
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.
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.
Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
| New York
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Virginia
| ![]() 2 Anti-Administration 1 Anti-Administration and 1 Pro-Administration 2 Pro-Administration | ![]() John Adams ![]() John Langdon |
The names of members of the House of Representatives are listed by their districts.
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 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.
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.
State (class) | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation [lower-alpha 19] |
---|---|---|---|---|
New York (3) | New seats | State legislature failed to choose 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 |
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.
District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation [lower-alpha 19] |
---|---|---|---|---|
New Hampshire at-large | Benjamin West (P) | Member-elect declined to serve and a new member was elected in the first congressional special election. | Abiel Foster (P) | June 23, 1789 |
North Carolina 1 | New seats | North Carolina ratified the constitution November 21, 1789. | John Baptista Ashe (A) | March 24, 1790 |
North Carolina 2 | Hugh Williamson (A) | March 19, 1790 | ||
North Carolina 3 | Timothy Bloodworth (A) | April 6, 1790 | ||
North Carolina 4 | John Steele (P) | April 19, 1790 | ||
North Carolina 5 | John Sevier (P) | June 16, 1790 | ||
Rhode Island at-large | New seat | Rhode Island ratified the constitution May 29, 1790. | Benjamin Bourne (P) | December 17, 1790 |
Virginia 9 | Theodorick Bland (A) | Died June 1, 1790. | William B. Giles (A) | December 7, 1790 |
Massachusetts 5 | George Partridge (P) | Resigned August 14, 1790. | Remained vacant until next Congress |
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
The Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress from taking effect until after the next election of the House of Representatives has occurred. It is the most recently adopted amendment but was one of the first proposed.
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john adams new york city vice president inauguration April 20.