1st United States 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

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. April 21, 1789: John Adams was inaugurated as the nation's first vice president. April 30, 1789: George Washington was inaugurated as the nation's first president at Federal Hall in New York City. September 2, 1789: Decision of 1789: Power to remove executive officers vested in the position of the President of the United States. 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

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, July 4, 1789: Tariff of 1789, ch. 2, July 27, 1789: United States Department of State was established, originally named the Department of Foreign Affairs, ch. 4, . July 31, 1789: Regulation of the Collection of Duties on Tonnage and Merchandise, ch.5, , which established the United States Customs Service and its ports of entry. August 7, 1789: Department of War was established, ch. 7, . September 2, 1789: United States Department of the Treasury was established, ch. 12, September 24, 1789: Judiciary Act of 1789, ch. 20, , 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, March 26, 1790: Naturalization Act of 1790, ch. 3, April 10, 1790: Patent Act of 1790, ch. 7, April 30, 1790: Crimes Act of 1790, ch. 9, May 31, 1790: Copyright Act of 1790, ch. 15, July 16, 1790: Residence Act, ch. 28, , established Washington, D.C., as the seat of government of the United States. July 22, 1790: Indian Intercourse Act of 1790, ch. 33, , regulated commerce with the Indian tribes. August 4, 1790: Funding Act of 1790, ch. 34, , authorized the "full assumption" of state debts by the federal government. August 4, 1790: Collection of Duties Act, ch.35, , among its provisions is Sec. 62, , authorizing establishment of the Revenue-Marine, since 1915 the United States Coast Guard. August 10, 1790: Tariff of 1790, ch. 39,

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, February 25, 1791: First Bank of the United States was established, ch. 10, March 3, 1791: Tariff of 1791, ch. 15, , which triggered the Whiskey Rebellion.

Constitutional amendments September 25, 1789: Approved 12 proposed articles of amendment to the United States Constitution to guarantee individual rights and establish limits on federal government power, and dispatched them to the state legislatures for ratification. : Article one has not been ratified and is still pending before the states. Article two was ratified on May 8, 1992, as the Twenty-seventh Amendment. Articles three through twelve were simultaneously ratified on December 15, 1791. Collectively called the "Bill of Rights," they were enumerated in the Constitution as Amendments I through X.

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

Territories organized May 26, 1790: Territory South of the River Ohio organized from land ceded by North Carolina.

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.

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. Faction (shading indicates faction control) Total Anti-Administration(A) Pro-Administration(P) Vacant BeginMarch 4, 1789 7 13 20 2 July 25, 1789 14 21 1 July 27, 1789 15 22 0 November 27, 1789 17 24 March 12, 1790 6 23 1 March 31, 1790 18 24 0 June 7, 1790 7 19 26 November 9, 1790 8 18 November 13, 1790 17 25 1 November 23, 1790 18 26 0 Final voting share 30.8% 69.2% Beginning of thenext Congress 8 17 25 1

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. Faction (shading indicates faction control) Total Anti-Administration(A) Pro-Administration(P) Vacant BeginMarch 4, 1789 23 31 54 5 April 13, 1789 32 55 4 April 22, 1789 33 56 3 April 23, 1789 24 57 2 May 9, 1789 25 58 1 June 23, 1789 34 59 0 March 19, 1790 26 60 March 24, 1790 27 61 April 6, 1790 28 62 April 19, 1790 35 63 June 1, 1790 27 62 1 June 16, 1790 36 63 August 14, 1790 35 62 2 December 7, 1790 28 63 1 December 17, 1790 36 64 Final voting share 43.7% 56.3% Beginning of thenext Congress 25 37 62 3

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.

Connecticut 1. Oliver Ellsworth (P) 3. William Samuel Johnson (P)

Delaware 1. George Read (P) 2. Richard Bassett (A)

Georgia 2. William Few (A) 3. James Gunn (A)

Maryland 1. Charles Carroll of Carrollton (P) 3. John Henry (P)

Massachusetts 1. Tristram Dalton (P) 2. Caleb Strong (P)

New Hampshire 2. Paine Wingate (A) 3. John Langdon (P)

New Jersey 1. Jonathan Elmer (P) 2. William Paterson (P), until November 13, 1790 Philemon Dickinson (P), from December 6, 1790

New York 1. Philip Schuyler (P), from July 27, 1789 3. Rufus King (P), from July 25, 1789

North Carolina 2. Samuel Johnston (P), from November 27, 1789 3. Benjamin Hawkins (P), from November 27, 1789

Pennsylvania 1. William Maclay (A) 3. Robert Morris (P)

Rhode Island 1. Theodore Foster (P), from June 25, 1790 2. Joseph Stanton Jr. (A), from June 25, 1790

South Carolina 2. Pierce Butler (P) 3. Ralph Izard (P)

Virginia 1. William Grayson (A), until March 12, 1790 John Walker (P), March 31, 1790 – November 9, 1790 James Monroe (A), from November 9, 1790 2. Richard Henry Lee (A)

House of Representatives

The names of representatives are listed by their districts.

Connecticut

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. . Benjamin Huntington (P) . Roger Sherman (P) . Jonathan Sturges (P) . Jonathan Trumbull Jr. (P) . Jeremiah Wadsworth (P)

Delaware

. John Vining (P)

Georgia

. James Jackson (A) . Abraham Baldwin (A) . George Mathews (A)

Maryland

. Michael J. Stone (A) . Joshua Seney (A) . Benjamin Contee (A) . William Smith (A) . George Gale (P) . Daniel Carroll (P)

Massachusetts

. Fisher Ames (P) . Benjamin Goodhue (P) . Elbridge Gerry (A) . Theodore Sedgwick (P) . George Partridge (P), until August 14, 1790, vacant thereafter . George Thatcher (P) . George Leonard (P) . Jonathan Grout (A)

New Hampshire

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. . Abiel Foster (P), from June 23, 1789 . Nicholas Gilman (P) . Samuel Livermore (A)

New Jersey

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. . Elias Boudinot (P) . Lambert Cadwalader (P) . James Schureman (P) . Thomas Sinnickson (P)

New York

. William Floyd (A) . John Laurance (P) . Egbert Benson (P) . John Hathorn (A), from April 23, 1789 . Peter Silvester (P), from April 22, 1789 . Jeremiah Van Rensselaer (A), from May 9, 1789

North Carolina

. John Baptista Ashe (A), from March 24, 1790 . Hugh Williamson (A), from March 19, 1790 . Timothy Bloodworth (A), from April 6, 1790 . John Steele (P), from April 19, 1790 . John Sevier (P), from June 16, 1790

Pennsylvania

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. . George Clymer (P) . Thomas Fitzsimons (P) . Thomas Hartley (P) . Daniel Hiester (A) . Frederick Muhlenberg (P) . Peter Muhlenberg (A) . Thomas Scott (P) . Henry Wynkoop (P)

Rhode Island

. Benjamin Bourne (P), from December 17, 1790

South Carolina

. William L. Smith (P), from April 13, 1789 . Aedanus Burke (A) . Daniel Huger (P) . Thomas Sumter (A) . Thomas Tudor Tucker (A)

Virginia

. Alexander White (P) . John Brown (A) . Andrew Moore (A) . Richard Bland Lee (P) . James Madison (P) . Isaac Coles (A) . John Page (A) . Josiah Parker (A) . Theodorick Bland (A), until June 1, 1790 William B. Giles (A), from December 7, 1790 . Samuel Griffin (P)

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.

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.

1st United States Congress

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