5th United States Congress

The 5th 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 at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from March 4, 1797, to March 4, 1799, during the first two years of John Adams' presidency. In the context of the Quasi-War with France, the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed by Congress. The Acts were overwhelmingly supported by the Federalists and mostly opposed by the Democratic-Republicans. Some Democratic-Republicans, such as Timothy Bloodworth, said they would support formally going to war against France but they opposed the Alien and Sedition Acts which Bloodworth and others believed were unconstitutional.The Presidency of John Adams by Ralph A. Brown, University Press of Kansas, 1975

The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1790 United States census. Both chambers had a Federalist majority.

Major events

March 4, 1797 – John Adams became President of the United States July 8, 1797 – The Senate expelled Tennessee Senator William Blount for conspiring with the British July 11, 1798 – The United States Marine Corps was established XYZ Affair in the U.S., followed by naval skirmishes but no war is declared. The XYZ affair led to several Democratic-Republicans breaking ranks with Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson took pains to avoid blaming France for the incident, as a result John Hunter, Josiah Tattnall, Timothy Bloodworth, Alexander Martin, Lemuel Benton, Thomas Sumter, William Smith, John Milledge, Abraham Baldwin, Joseph McDowell, Matthew Locke, Robert Williams, Richard Stanford, Nathaniel Macon, James Gillespie, Dempsey Burges, Thomas Blount, Nathan Bryan, John Brown, Thomas T. Davis, John Fowler and Joseph Anderson all publicly broke ranks with Jefferson, despite the fact he was the de facto leader of their party, and sided with Alexander Hamilton. The aforementioned congressmen and senators were referred to by Jefferson as a "reign of witches" and were described as the "Pro-British republicans" (as opposed to the "pro-French republicans" led by Jefferson).The Reign of Witches: The Struggle Against the Alien and Sedition Laws, 1789-1800 by Elizabeth Lawson

Major legislation

April 7, 1798: Mississippi Organic Act ("An Act for an amicable settlement of limits with the state of Georgia, and authorizing the establishment of a government in the Mississippi territory"), Sess. 2, ch. 28, April 30, 1798: The U.S. Department of the Navy was established, Sess. 2, ch. 35, June 18, 1798: Alien and Sedition Acts: ("An Act to establish a uniform rule of naturalization") (Naturalization Act of 1798), Sess. 2, ch. 54, June 25, 1798: Alien and Sedition Acts: ("An Act concerning Aliens"), Sess. 2, ch. 58, July 6, 1798: Alien and Sedition Acts: ("An Act respecting Alien Enemies"), Sess. 2, ch. 66, July 9, 1798: Act Further to Protect the Commerce of the United States, Sess. 2, ch. 68, July 11, 1798: The United States Marine Corps was established, Sess. 2, ch. 72, July 14, 1798: Alien and Sedition Acts: ("An Act for the punishment of certain crimes against the United States") (Sedition Act), Sess. 2, ch. 74, July 16, 1798: Marine Hospital Service Act ("An Act for the relief of sick and disabled Seamen"), Sess. 2, ch. 77,

Treaties ratified

June 7, 1797: Treaty of Tripoli between the United States and Tripoli. July 7, 1797: Existing treaties with France were rescinded, Sess. 2, ch. 67,

Party summary Details on changes are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.

Senate

House of Representatives

Leadership

Senate President: Thomas Jefferson (DR) President pro tempore: William Bingham (F), carried over from 5th Congress until July 6, 1797 William Bradford (F), elected July 6, 1797 Jacob Read (F), elected November 22, 1797 Theodore Sedgwick (F), elected June 27, 1798 John Laurance (F), elected December 6, 1798 James Ross (F), elected March 1, 1799

House of Representatives Speaker: Jonathan Dayton (F)

Members This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and representatives are listed by district.

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, Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1802; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1798; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1800.

Skip to House of Representatives, below

Connecticut 1. James Hillhouse (F) 3. Uriah Tracy (F)

Delaware 1. Henry Latimer (F) 2. John Vining (F), until January 19, 1798 Joshua Clayton (F), from January 19, 1798, until August 11, 1798 William H. Wells (F), from January 17, 1799

Georgia 2. Josiah Tattnall (DR) 3. James Gunn (F)

Kentucky 2. John Brown (DR) 3. Humphrey Marshall (F)

Maryland 1. John Eager Howard (F) 3. John Henry (F), until December 10, 1797 James Lloyd (F), from December 11, 1797

Massachusetts 1. Benjamin Goodhue (F) 2. Theodore Sedgwick (F)

New Hampshire 2. Samuel Livermore (F) 3. John Langdon (DR)

New Jersey 1. John Rutherfurd (F), until November 26, 1798 Franklin Davenport (F), from December 5, 1798 2. Richard Stockton (F)

New York 1. Philip Schuyler (F), until January 3, 1798 John Sloss Hobart (F), from January 11, 1798, until April 16, 1798 William North (F), from May 5, 1798, until August 17, 1798 James Watson (F), from August 17, 1798 3. John Laurance (F)

North Carolina 2. Alexander Martin (DR) 3. Timothy Bloodworth (DR)

Pennsylvania 1. James Ross (F) 3. William Bingham (F)

Rhode Island 1. Theodore Foster (F) 2. William Bradford (F), until October 20, 1797 Ray Greene (F), from November 13, 1797

South Carolina 2. John Hunter (DR) until November 26, 1798 Charles Pinckney (DR), from December 6, 1798 3. Jacob Read (F)

Tennessee 1. William Cocke (DR), May 15, 1797 - September 26, 1797 Andrew Jackson (DR), September 26, 1797 - April 12, 1798 Daniel Smith (DR), from October 6, 1798 2. William Blount (DR), until July 8, 1797 Joseph Anderson (DR), from September 26, 1797

Vermont 1. Isaac Tichenor (F), until October 17, 1797 Nathaniel Chipman (F), from October 17, 1797 3. Elijah Paine (F)

Virginia 1. Stevens Mason (DR) 2. Henry Tazewell (DR), until January 24, 1799

House of Representatives

Connecticut All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. . John Allen (F) . Joshua Coit (F), until September 5, 1798 Jonathan Brace (F), from December 3, 1798 . Samuel W. Dana (F) . James Davenport (F), until August 3, 1797 William Edmond (F), from November 13, 1797 . Chauncey Goodrich (F) . Roger Griswold (F) until Sep 14, 1798; expelled fisticuffs . Nathaniel Smith (F)

Delaware . James A. Bayard (F)

Georgia Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. . Abraham Baldwin (DR) . John Milledge (DR)

Kentucky . Thomas T. Davis (DR) . John Fowler (DR)

Maryland . George Dent (F) . Richard Sprigg Jr. (DR) . William Craik (F) . George Baer Jr. (F) . Samuel Smith (DR) . William Matthews (F) . William Hindman (F) . John Dennis (F)

Massachusetts . Thomson J. Skinner (DR) . William Shepard (F) . Samuel Lyman (F) . Dwight Foster (F) . Nathaniel Freeman Jr. (DR) . John Reed Sr. (F) . Stephen Bullock (F) . Harrison Gray Otis (F) . Joseph Bradley Varnum (DR) . Samuel Sewall (F) . Theophilus Bradbury (F), until July 24, 1797 Bailey Bartlett (F), from November 27, 1797 . Isaac Parker (F) . Peleg Wadsworth (F) . George Thatcher (F)

New Hampshire All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. . Abiel Foster (F) . Jonathan Freeman (F) . William Gordon (F) . Jeremiah Smith (F), until July 26, 1797 Peleg Sprague (F), from December 15, 1797

New Jersey All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. . Jonathan Dayton (F) . James H. Imlay (F) . James Schureman (F) . Thomas Sinnickson (F) . Mark Thomson (F)

New York . Jonathan N. Havens (DR) . Edward Livingston (DR) . Philip Van Cortlandt (DR) . Lucas C. Elmendorf (DR) . David Brooks (F) . Hezekiah L. Hosmer (F) . John E. Van Alen (F) . Henry Glen (F) . John Williams (F) . James Cochran (F)

North Carolina . Joseph McDowell Jr. (DR) . Matthew Locke (DR) . Robert Williams (DR) . Richard Stanford (DR) . Nathaniel Macon (DR) . James Gillespie (DR) . William Barry Grove (F) . Dempsey Burges (DR) . Thomas Blount (DR) . Nathan Bryan (DR), until June 4, 1798 Richard Dobbs Spaight (DR), from December 10, 1798

Pennsylvania The 4th district was a plural district with two representatives. . John Swanwick (DR), until July 31, 1798 Robert Waln (F), from December 3, 1798 . Blair McClenachan (DR) . Richard Thomas (F) . John Chapman (F) . Samuel Sitgreaves (F), until 1798 Robert Brown (DR), from December 4, 1798 . George Ege (F), until October 1797 Joseph Hiester (DR), from December 1, 1797 . John A. Hanna (DR) . John Wilkes Kittera (F) . Thomas Hartley (F) . Andrew Gregg (DR) . David Bard (DR) . William Findley (DR) . Albert Gallatin (DR)

Rhode Island Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. . Christopher G. Champlin (F) . Elisha R. Potter (F), until 1797 Thomas Tillinghast (F), from November 13, 1797

South Carolina . William L. Smith (F), until July 10, 1797 Thomas Pinckney (F), from November 23, 1797 . John Rutledge Jr. (F) . Lemuel Benton (DR) . Thomas Sumter (DR) . Robert Goodloe Harper (F) . William Smith (DR)

Tennessee . Andrew Jackson (DR), until September, 1797 William C. C. Claiborne (DR), from November 23, 1797

Vermont . Matthew Lyon (DR) . Lewis R. Morris (F), from May 24, 1797

Virginia . Daniel Morgan (F) . David Holmes (DR) . James Machir (F) . Abram Trigg (DR) . John J. Trigg (DR) . Matthew Clay (DR) . Abraham B. Venable (DR) . Thomas Claiborne (DR) . William B. Giles (DR), until October 2, 1798 Joseph Eggleston (DR), from December 3, 1798 . Carter B. Harrison (DR) . Josiah Parker (F) . Thomas Evans (F) . John Clopton (DR) . Samuel J. Cabell (DR) . John Dawson (DR) . Anthony New (DR) . Richard Brent (DR) . John Nicholas (DR) . Walter Jones (DR)

Changes in membership The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress

Senate There were 9 resignations, 2 deaths, 1 expulsion, 1 late selection, and 2 elections to replace appointees. Neither party had a net gain of seats.

| Tennessee(1) | Vacant | Tennessee failed to elect a Senator on time | | William Cocke (DR) | Appointed May 15, 1797

| Tennessee(2) | | William Blount (DR) | Expelled July 8, 1797 | | Joseph Anderson (DR) | Elected September 26, 1797

| Tennessee(1) | | William Cocke (DR) | Interim appointment until September 26, 1797 | | Andrew Jackson (DR) | Elected September 26, 1797

| Rhode Island(2) | | William Bradford (F) | Resigned sometime in October, 1797 | | Ray Greene (F) | Elected November 13, 1797

| Vermont(1) | | Isaac Tichenor (F) | Resigned October 17, 1797 | | Nathaniel Chipman (F) | Elected October 17, 1797

| Maryland(3) | | John Henry (F) | Resigned December 10, 1797 | | James Lloyd (F) | Elected December 11, 1797

| New York(1) | | Philip John Schuyler (F) | Resigned January 3, 1798 | | John Sloss Hobart (F) | Elected January 11, 1798

| Delaware(2) | | John Vining (F) | Resigned January 19, 1798 | | Joshua Clayton (F) | Elected January 19, 1798

| Tennessee(1) | | Andrew Jackson (DR) | Resigned sometime in April, 1798 | | Daniel Smith (DR) | Appointed October 6, 1798

| New York(1) | | John Sloss Hobart (F) | Resigned April 16, 1798 | | William North (F)