United States Senate elections, 1790 and 1791

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United States Senate elections, 1790 and 1791
Flag of the United States (1777-1795).svg
←  1788/89 Dates vary by state 1792/93  →
9 of the 26 seats in the United States Senate, plus special elections
14 seats needed for a majority

 Majority partyMinority party
 
Party Pro-Administration Anti-Administration
Last election19 seats7 seats
Seats before186
Seats after178
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 1Steady2.svg
Seats up72
Races won82
Majority faction before election

Pro-Administration

Elected Majority faction

Pro-Administration

The United States Senate elections of 1790 and 1791 were the second series of elections of Senators in the United States. In these elections, terms were up for the nine Senators in Class 1. As of these elections, formal organized political parties had yet to form in the United States, but two political factions were present: The coalition of Senators who supported President George Washington's administration were known as the Pro-Administration Party, and the Senators against him as the Anti-Administration Party.

United States Senate Upper house of the United States Congress

The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, which along with the United States House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the legislature of the United States. The Senate chamber is located in the north wing of the Capitol, in Washington, D.C.

George Washington 1st president of the United States

George Washington was an American political leader, military general, statesman, and Founding Father who also served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. He led Patriot forces to victory in the nation's War of Independence, and he presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 which established the new federal government. He has been called the "Father of His Country" for his manifold leadership in the formative days of the new nation.

Contents

As these elections were prior to the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Senators were chosen by State legislatures.

Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution Part of the United States Constitution

The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established the popular election of United States Senators by the people of the states. The amendment supersedes Article I, §3, Clauses 1 and 2 of the Constitution, under which senators were elected by state legislatures. It also alters the procedure for filling vacancies in the Senate, allowing for state legislatures to permit their governors to make temporary appointments until a special election can be held.

Change in Senate composition

Note: 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. [1]

Before the elections

After the June 25, 1790 elections in Rhode Island.

A3A2A1
A4A5A6
Ran		A7
Ran		P19
Unknown		P18
Ran		P17
Ran		P16
Ran		P15
Ran		P14
Ran
Majority →
P4P5P6P7P8P9P10P11P12P13
Ran
P3P2P1

Results of the elections

A3A2A1
A4A5A6
Re-elected		A7
Gain		V1
A Loss		P18
Hold		P17
Hold		P16
Re-elected		P15
Re-elected		P14
Re-elected
Majority →
P4P5P6P7P8P9P10P11P12P13
Re-elected
P3P2P1

Beginning of the next Congress

A3A2A1
A4A5A6A7A8
Gain		V1P17P16P15P14
Majority →
P4P5P6P7P8P9P10P11P12P13
P3P2P1
Key:
A# Anti-Administration
P# Pro-Administration
V#Vacant

Race summaries

Except if/when noted, the number following candidates is the whole number vote(s), not a percentage.

General and special elections during the 1st Congress

In these elections, the winners were seated before March 4, 1791; ordered by election date.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral history
Rhode Island
(Class 1)		New seatRhode Island ratified the Constitution May 29, 1790.
New senator elected June 7, 1790.
Pro-Administration gain.		√ Theodore Foster (Pro-Administration)
Rhode Island
(Class 2)		New seatRhode Island ratified the Constitution May 29, 1790.
New senator elected June 7, 1790.
Anti-Administration gain.		√ Joseph Stanton, Jr. (Anti-Administration)
Virginia
(Special: Class 1)		 John Walker Pro-Administration1790 (Appointed)Interim appointee retired when successor elected.
New senator elected November 9, 1790.
Anti-Administration gain.		√ James Monroe (Anti-Administration)
New Jersey
(Special: Class 2)		 William Paterson Pro-Administration 1788 Incumbent resigned November 13, 1790 to become Governor of New Jersey.
New senator elected November 13, 1790.
Pro-Administration hold.		√ Philemon Dickinson (Pro-Administration)

Races leading to the 2nd Congress

In these general elections, the winners were seated March 4, 1791; ordered by state.

All of these elections involved the Class 1 seats.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral history
Connecticut Oliver Ellsworth Pro-Administration 1788 Incumbent re-elected on an unknown date.√ Oliver Ellsworth (Pro-Administration)
Delaware George Read Pro-Administration 1788 Incumbent re-elected October 23, 1790.√ George Read (Pro-Administration) Unanimous [2]
Maryland Charles Carroll Pro-Administration 1788 Incumbent re-elected in 1791.√ Charles Carroll (Pro-Administration)
Massachusetts Tristram Dalton Pro-Administration 1789 Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1790 on the third ballot.
Pro-Administration hold.		√ George Cabot (Pro-Administration) 87
Nathaniel Gorham 36
Charles Jarvis 20
Samuel Holten 4
Tristram Dalton (Pro-Administration) Eliminated [3]
New Jersey Jonathan Elmer Pro-Administration 1788 Unknown if incumbent retired or lost re-election.
New senator elected in 1790.
Pro-Administration hold.		√ John Rutherfurd (Pro-Administration)
New York Philip Schuyler Pro-Administration 1789 Incumbent lost re-election.
New senator elected January 19, 1791.
Anti-Administration gain.		√ Aaron Burr (Anti-Administration)
Philip Schuyler (Pro-Administration)
Egbert Benson (Pro-Administration) [4]
Pennsylvania William Maclay Anti-Administration 1788 Incumbent lost re-election.
Legislature failed to elect a successor, leaving the seat vacant.
Anti-Administration loss.		None.
Rhode Island Theodore Foster Pro-Administration 1790 Incumbent re-elected in 1791.√ Theodore Foster (Pro-Administration)
Virginia James Monroe Anti-Administration 1790 (Special) Incumbent re-elected in 1791.√ James Monroe (Anti-Administration)

Special and general elections in 1791 during the 2nd Congress

In these elections, the winners were seated after March 4, 1791, the beginning of the next Congress.

StateIncumbentResultsCandidates
SenatorPartyElectoral history
Connecticut
(Class 3)		 William S. Johnson Pro-Administration 1788 Resigned March 4, 1791.
New senator elected June 13, 1791.
Pro-Administration hold.		√ Roger Sherman (Pro-Administration)
Vermont
(Class 1)		New seatVermont was admitted to the Union March 4, 1791.
New senator elected October 17, 1791.
Anti-Administration gain.		√ Stephen R. Bradley (Anti-Administration)
Vermont
(Class 3)		New seatVermont was admitted to the Union March 4, 1791.
New senator elected October 17, 1791.
Anti-Administration gain.		√ Moses Robinson (Anti-Administration)

Connecticut

Connecticut (Special)

Delaware

Maryland

New Jersey

New Jersey (Special)

New York

The election in New York was held January 19, 1791 by the New York State Legislature.

New York State Legislature state legislature of the U.S. state of New York

The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York. The New York Constitution does not designate an official term for the two houses together. It says only that "legislative power is vested in the senate and assembly." The session laws are published in the official Laws of New York. The permanent laws of a general nature are codified in the Consolidated Laws of New York. The legislature is seated at the New York State Capitol in Albany.

Incumbent Philip Schuyler term would expire March 3, 1791.

Philip Schuyler general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York

Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.

At the State election in April 1790, nominal Federalist majorities were elected to both houses of the 14th New York State Legislature, but many Federalists were friendly to the Democratic-Republican Governor George Clinton, party lines not being drawn very strictly then.

14th New York State Legislature

The 14th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 5 to March 24, 1791, during the fourteenth year of George Clinton's governorship, in New York City.

George Clinton (vice president) American soldier and statesman

George Clinton was an American soldier and statesman, considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A prominent Democratic-Republican, Clinton served as the fourth vice president of the United States from 1805 until his death in 1812. He also served as governor of New York from 1777 to 1795 and from 1801 to 1804. Along with John C. Calhoun, he is one of two vice presidents to hold office under two presidents.

The incumbent Philip Schuyler ran for re-election as the candidate of the Federalist Party. New York State Attorney General Aaron Burr was the candidate of the Democratic-Republican Party, but was at that time a rather moderate politician, opposing the ultras of both parties.

Burr was the choice of both the State Senate and the State Assembly, and was declared elected. Schuyler was defeated despite the nominal majority of his party. Many of the Federalists took the opportunity to show their disapproval of both Schuyler's haughtiness and the financial policies of Alexander Hamilton, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and Schuyler's son-in-law. Besides, the Livingston faction of the Federalist Party felt betrayed after the election of Rufus King over their candidate James Duane in 1789, and now allied themselves with Clinton and later became Democratic-Republicans.

OfficeHouse Democratic-Republican candidate Federalist candidate
U.S. Senator State Senate (23 members) Aaron Burr 12 Philip Schuyler 4
State Assembly (65 members) Aaron Burr Philip Schuyler

Obs.: Burr had a majority of 5 votes in the Assembly, but the exact number of votes is unclear.

Pennsylvania

In 1791, the legislature failed to elect due to a disagreement on procedure. [5] The seat would remain vacant until 1793. [5]

Rhode Island

Vermont

Stephen R. Bradley and Moses Robinson were elected by the Vermont House of Representatives and Governor and Council in January 1791, anticipating Vermont's admission to the union. [6] Vermont was admitted as the 14th state on March 4, 1791. [7] The Senate had adjourned on March 3, at the completion of the 1st United States Congress; the 2nd United States Congress held a one-day session on March 4, and was not scheduled to convene again until October 24. [8]

As a result of this Congressional schedule Bradley and Robinson had not been seated when the Vermont House of Representatives convened in early October, 1791. [7] At this legislative session, some members suggested that the January election of Bradley and Robinson had been premature, since Vermont had not yet been admitted to the union. [7] Bradley and Robinson volunteered to resign the credentials of their January elections; on October 17, the Governor and Council voted again, and selected Bradley and Robinson. [7] The House of Representatives then voted a second time, and also selected Bradley and Robinson. [7] No vote totals were recorded. [7]

Bradley was selected for the "short term" (Class 1), which expired on March 3, 1795. [9] Robinson received the "long term" (Class 3), which expired on March 3, 1797. [10]

Virginia

Virginia (Special)

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. ↑ Martis, Kenneth C. The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress.
  2. ↑ "Delaware 1790 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University . Retrieved February 6, 2018., citing General Advertiser (Philadelphia). October 30, 1790.
  3. ↑ "Massachusetts 1790 U.S. Senate, Ballot 3". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University . Retrieved February 6, 2018., citing The Massachusetts Centinel (Boston, MA). June 23, 1790.
  4. ↑ "New York 1791 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University . Retrieved February 6, 2018., citing Journal of the New York Assembly, 1791. 23-24. Journal of the New York State Senate, 1791. 12. The New-York Journal, and Patriotic Register (New York, NY). January 24, 1791.
  5. 1 2 http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/sen/PaSen1788.pdf
  6. ↑ Walton, Eliakim Persons (1876). Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont. IV. Montpelier, VT: J. and J. M. Poland. pp. 4–6.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont.
  8. ↑ De Puy, W. H. (1892). American Revisions and Additions to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. III. Chicago, IL: R. S. Peale Company. pp. 1547–1548.
  9. ↑ Dodge, Prentiss Cutler (1912). Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography. Burlington, VT: Ullery Publishing Company. pp. 28–29.
  10. ↑ Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography.
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