7th United States Congress

Last updated

7th United States Congress
6th  
  8th
USCapitol1800.jpg

March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1803
Members34 senators
107 representatives
2 non-voting delegates
Senate majority Democratic-Republican
(Federalist during two-day
special Senate session at the start
of the Congress)
Senate President Aaron Burr (DR)
House majority Democratic-Republican
House Speaker Nathaniel Macon (DR)
Sessions
Special [a] : March 4, 1801 – March 5, 1801
1st: December 7, 1801 – May 3, 1802
2nd: December 6, 1802 – March 3, 1803

The 7th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1801, to March 4, 1803, during the first two years of Thomas Jefferson's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1790 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic-Republican majority, except when the Senate held a two-day Special Senate session in order to provide advice to the new President Thomas Jefferson, when there was still a Federalist majority in the Senate.

Contents

Major events

Major legislation

States admitted

United States Capitol with "Brick Oven" USCapitol1801.jpg
United States Capitol with "Brick Oven"

Party summary

The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress, and includes members from vacancies and newly admitted states, when they were first seated. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.

Senate

The Federalists still controlled the Senate when they held a two-day special Senate session in March 1801, which was called by outgoing President John Adams so that the Senate could provide advice to the new President Thomas Jefferson, [1] [2] but by the time Congress began its first regular session in December 1801 to start official business, the Democratic-Republicans had gained Senate control.

AffiliationParty
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Vacant
Democratic-Republican Federalist Total
End of previous Congress 1121320
Begin1418320
March 5, 1801 [b] 17311
May 6, 1801 [b] 15320
June 6, 1801 [c] 14311
June 12, 1801 [d] 16302
June 17, 1801 [d] 17311
June 30, 1801 [e] 13302
July 13, 1801 [e] 14311
September 1, 1801 [f] 16302
October 1, 1801 [f] 15311
November 19, 1801 [g] 1615311
December 15, 1801 [c] 17320
February 5, 1802 [h] 16311
February 9, 1802 [h] 17320
June 14, 1802 [i] 14311
June 17, 1802 [i] 15320
October 26, 1802 [j] 16311
November 4, 1802 [j] 17320
November 29, 1802 [k] 322
March 2, 1803 [l] 14313
Final voting share54.8%45.2%
Beginning of the next Congress 229313

House of Representatives

State shares of party representatives 7thHouse.svg
State shares of party representatives
Party
(shading shows control)
TotalVacant
Democratic-
Republican

(DR)
Federalist
(F)
End of previous congress 49 561051
Begin 67 36 103 3
End 38 1052
Final voting share63.8% 36.2%
Beginning of next congress 113 261393

Leadership

Senate

Aaron Burr.jpg
President of the Senate
Aaron Burr
Abraham Baldwin.jpg
President pro tempore of the Senate
Abraham Baldwin

House of Representatives

Members

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

Senate

Skip to House of Representatives, below

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, Class 1 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1802; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1804; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, facing re-election in 1806.

House of Representatives

The names of members of the House of Representatives elected statewide on the general ticket or otherwise at-large, are preceded by an "At-large," and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, are preceded by their district numbers.

Changes in membership

The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.

Senate

There was 1 death, 8 resignations, and 2 seats added for a new state.

Senate changes
State
(class)
Vacated byReason for changeSuccessorDate of successor's
formal installation [m]
Rhode Island
(2)
Ray Greene (F)Resigned March 5, 1801, after being nominated for a judicial position. His successor was elected. Christopher Ellery (DR)Seated May 6, 1801
South Carolina
(2)
Charles Pinckney (DR)Resigned June 6, 1801, after being appointed Minister to Spain. His successor was elected. Thomas Sumter (DR)Seated December 15, 1801
New Hampshire
(2)
Samuel Livermore (F)Resigned June 12, 1801. His successor was elected. Simeon Olcott (F)Seated June 17, 1801
Pennsylvania
(3)
Peter Muhlenberg (DR)Resigned June 30, 1801. His successor was appointed July 13, 1801, and then elected December 17, 1801. George Logan (DR)Seated July 13, 1801
Vermont
(3)
Elijah Paine (F)Resigned September 1, 1801. His successor was elected. Stephen R. Bradley (DR)Seated October 15, 1801
Maryland
(3)
William Hindman (F)Resigned November 19, 1801. His successor was elected. Robert Wright (DR)Seated November 19, 1801
Massachusetts
(3)
Dwight Foster (F)Resigned March 2, 1803. Not filled this CongressVacant
New York
(3)
John Armstrong Jr. (DR)Resigned February 5, 1802. His successor was elected. DeWitt Clinton (DR)Seated February 9, 1802
New Hampshire
(3)
James Sheafe (F)Resigned June 14, 1802. His successor was elected. William Plumer (F)Seated June 17, 1802
South Carolina
(3)
John E. Colhoun (DR)Died October 26, 1802. His successor was elected. Pierce Butler (DR)Seated November 4, 1802
Ohio
(1)
New seatsOhio was admitted to the Union on November 29, 1802.VacantNot filled this Congress
Ohio
(3)
Vacant

House of Representatives

House changes
DistrictVacated byReason for changeSuccessorDate of successor's
formal installation [m]
Connecticut at-large Vacant Elizur Goodrich (F) resigned before the beginning of this Congress. Calvin Goddard (F)May 14, 1801
Connecticut at-large Vacant William Edmond (F) resigned before the beginning of this Congress. Benjamin Tallmadge (F)September 21, 1801
Massachusetts 14th VacantRepresentative-elect George Thatcher declined to serve.
Successor elected June 22, 1801.
Richard Cutts (DR)December 7, 1801 [5]
Massachusetts 4th Levi Lincoln (DR)Resigned March 5, 1801, after being appointed US Attorney General. Seth Hastings (F)January 11, 1802
New York 6th John Bird (F)Resigned July 25, 1801. John Peter Van Ness (DR)December 7, 1801
New York 5th Thomas Tillotson (DR)Resigned August 10, 1801, upon appointment as NY Secretary of State. Theodorus Bailey (DR)December 7, 1801
Massachusetts 12th Silas Lee (F)Resigned August 20, 1801. Samuel Thatcher (F)December 6, 1802
South Carolina 4th Thomas Sumter (DR)Resigned December 15, 1801, after being elected to the US Senate. Richard Winn (DR)January 24, 1802
Georgia at-large Benjamin Taliaferro (DR)Resigned sometime in 1802. David Meriwether (DR)December 6, 1802
New Hampshire at-large Joseph Peirce (F)Resigned sometime in 1802. Samuel Hunt (F)December 6, 1802
Maryland 2nd Richard Sprigg Jr. (DR)Resigned February 11, 1802. Walter Bowie (DR)March 24, 1802
Mississippi Territory at-large Narsworthy Hunter (DR)Died March 11, 1802. Thomas M. Green Jr. (DR)December 6, 1802
Georgia at-large John Milledge (DR)Resigned May 1802 after being elected Governor. Peter Early (DR)January 10, 1803
North Carolina 8th Charles Johnson (DR)Died July 23, 1802. Thomas Wynns (DR)December 7, 1802
Ohio at-large New seatOhio was admitted to the Union on November 29, 1802.VacantNot filled until next Congress
New York 6th John Peter Van Ness (DR)Seat declared forfeited January 17, 1803.Vacant

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

House of Representatives

Joint committees

Officers

Legislative branch agency directors

Senate

House of Representatives

See also

Notes

  1. Special session of the Senate.
  2. 1 2 Class 2 Rhode Island senator Ray Greene (F) resigned March 5, 1801, and Christopher Ellery (DR) was elected, then was seated on May 6, 1801 to continue that term.
  3. 1 2 Charles Pinckney (DR) resigned June 6, 1801, after being appointed Minister to Spain. His successor Thomas Sumter (DR) was elected, then was seated on December 15, 1801.
  4. 1 2 Samuel Livermore(F) resigned June 12, 1801. His successor Simeon Olcott (F) was elected, then was seated on June 17, 1801.
  5. 1 2 Peter Muhlenberg (DR) resigned June 30, 1801. His successor George Logan (DR) was appointed July 13, 1801, and then elected December 17, 1801.
  6. 1 2 Elijah Paine (F) resigned September 1, 1801. His successor Stephen R. Bradley (DR) was elected, and then was seated on October 1, 1801.
  7. William Hindman (F) resigned November 19, 1801. His successor Robert Wright (DR) was elected and seated that same day.
  8. 1 2 John Armstrong Jr. (DR) resigned February 5, 1802. His successor Dewitt Clinton (DR) was elected, then was seated February 9, 1802.
  9. 1 2 James Sheafe (F) resigned June 14, 1802. His successor William Plumer (F) was elected, then was seated June 17, 1802.
  10. 1 2 John E. Colhoun (DR) died October 26, 1802. His successor Pierce Butler (DR) was elected, then was seated November 4, 1802.
  11. Ohio was admitted to the Union on November 29, 1802. These two Ohio senate seats would remain vacant for the remainder of this Congress and for the beginning part of the next Congress.
  12. Dwight Foster (F) resigned March 2, 1803. His seat remained vacant for the remainder of Congress.
  13. 1 2 When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

  1. "Congressional Record, March 1801" (PDF). Congressional Record: 147–151. March 1801.
  2. "Explanation of the Types of Sessions of Congress". The Green Papers. June 2001.
  3. The official date when Ohio became a state was not set until 1953, when the 83rd U.S. Congress passed legislation retrospectively designating the date of the first meeting of the Ohio state legislature, March 1, 1803, as that date. However, on April 30, 1802, the 7th U.S. Congress had passed an act "authorizing the inhabitants of Ohio to form a Constitution and state government, and admission of Ohio into the Union." (Sess. 1, ch. 40, 2  Stat.   173) On February 19, 1803, the same Congress passed an act "providing for the execution of the laws of the United States in the State of Ohio." (Sess. 2, ch. 7, 2  Stat.   201) The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress states that Ohio was admitted to the Union on November 29, 1802, and counts its seats as vacant from that date.
  4. 1 2 Pennsylvania's 4th district was a plural district with two representatives.
  5. "Seventh Congress March 4, 1801 to March 3, 1803". Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 11, 2019 via History.house.gov.