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 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

Session 1

Held March 4, 1789, through September 29, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City
Held January 4, 1790, through August 12, 1790, at Federal Hall in New York City
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, 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.

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.

Leadership

Senate

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

[List of [United States senators from Connecticut|Connecticut]]

Delaware">List of United States senators from Delaware">Delaware

Georgia">List of United States senators from Georgia">Georgia

Maryland">List of United States senators from Maryland">Maryland

Massachusetts">List of United States senators from Massachusetts">Massachusetts

New Hampshire">List of United States senators from New Hampshire">New Hampshire

New Jersey">List of United States senators from New Jersey">New Jersey

New York">List of United States senators from New York">New York

North Carolina">List of United States senators from North Carolina">North Carolina

Pennsylvania">List of United States senators from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania

Rhode Island">List of United States senators from Rhode Island">Rhode Island

South Carolina">List of United States senators from South Carolina">South Carolina

Virginia">List of United States senators from Virginia">Virginia

House of Representatives

The names of representatives are listed by their districts.

[List of [United States representatives from Connecticut|Connecticut]]

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

Delaware">List of United States representatives from Delaware">Delaware

Georgia">List of United States representatives from Georgia">Georgia

Maryland">List of United States representatives from Maryland">Maryland

Massachusetts">List of United States representatives from Massachusetts">Massachusetts

New Hampshire">List of United States representatives from New Hampshire">New Hampshire

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

New Jersey">List of United States representatives from New Jersey">New Jersey

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

New York">List of United States representatives from New York">New York

North Carolina">List of United States representatives from North Carolina">North Carolina

Pennsylvania">List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

Rhode Island">List of United States representatives from Rhode Island">Rhode Island

South Carolina">List of United States representatives from South Carolina">South Carolina

Virginia">List of United States representatives from Virginia">Virginia

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.

House of Representatives

There was 2 resignations, 1 death, and 6 new seats. Anti-Administration members picked up 3 seats and Pro-Administration members picked up 2 seats.