8th United States Congress

The 8th 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, 1803, to March 4, 1805, during the last two years of Thomas Jefferson's first term in office. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1800 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic-Republican majority.

Major events

April 30, 1803: The Louisiana Purchase was made by the United States from France
February 16, 1804: In the First Barbary War, Stephen Decatur led a raid to burn the pirate-held frigate Philadelphia
May 14, 1804: Lewis and Clark Expedition departed from Camp Dubois to begin their historic journey by traveling up the Missouri River
July 11, 1804: Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton
November 30, 1804: Impeachment trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase
December 3, 1804: 1804 United States presidential election: Incumbent Thomas Jefferson beat challenger Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
March 1, 1805: Samuel Chase acquitted of impeachment charges by the U.S. Senate

Constitutional amendments

December 9, 1803: Approved an amendment to the United States Constitution providing a new procedure for electing the President and Vice President, and submitted it to the state legislatures for ratification
* June 15, 1804: Twelfth Amendment was ratified by the requisite number of states to become part of the Constitution

Treaties

October 20, 1803: Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase Treaty

Territories organized

March 26, 1804: Territory of Orleans was organized from the portion of the Louisiana Purchase south of the 33rd parallel; the portion north of the 33rd parallel was organized as the District of Louisiana.
January 11, 1805: Michigan Territory was organized.
March 3, 1805: Louisiana Territory was organized from the District of Louisiana.

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.

House of Representatives

Following the 1800 census, the size of the House was increased to 142 seats from 108.

Leadership

Senate

President: Aaron Burr
President pro tempore: Stephen R. Bradley, March 4, 1803-October 16, 1803
* John Brown, October 17, 1803 – February 26, 1804
* Jesse Franklin, March 10, 1804 – November 4, 1804
* Joseph Anderson, January 15, 1805 – December 1, 1805

House of Representatives

Speaker: Nathaniel Macon

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 with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1808; Class 2 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1804; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1806.

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