6th United States Congress

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Contents 1 Dates of sessions 2 Major events 3 Major legislation 4 Party summary 4.1 Senate 4.2 House of Representatives 5 Leadership 5.1 Senate 5.2 House of Representatives 6 Members 6.1 Senate 6.2 House of Representatives 6.3 Delegates 7 Changes in Membership 7.1 Senate 7.2 House of Representatives 8 Officers 8.1 Senate 8.2 House of Representatives 8.3 Other 9 Notes 10 References 11 External links

The Sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the United States national legislature, comprised of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and in Washington, DC from March 4, 1799 to March 3, 1801, during the last two years of the administration of U.S. President John Adams.

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

[edit] Dates of sessions

March 4, 1799–March 3, 1801

• First session: December 2, 1799 - May 14, 1800, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Second session: November 17, 1800 - March 3, 1801, Washington, DC — a lame duck session

Previous congress: 5th Congress
Next congress: 7th Congress

[edit] Major events

Main article: Events of 1799; Events of 1800; Events of 1801

• December 14, 1799 - The death of George Washington.
• November 17, 1800 - The U.S. Congress held its first session in Washington, D.C..
• January 20, 1801 - John Marshall was appointed Chief Justice of the United States.
• French Revolutionary Wars (1797-1802) of the Second Coalition

[edit] Major legislation

Main article: List of United States federal legislation in the 6th Congress

• July 4, 1800 - Indiana Territory was created from a portion of the Northwest Territory.
• February 13, 1801 - Judiciary Act of 1801, ch. 4, 2 Stat. 89

[edit] Party summary

The count below reflects affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this congress, with the addition of members from vacancies and newly admitted states, when they were first seated. Subsequent changes are reflected below in the "Changes in Membership" section.

[edit] Senate

• Democratic-Republican: 10
• Federalist: 22 (majority)

TOTAL members: 32

[edit] House of Representatives

• Democratic-Republican: 46
• Federalist: 60 (majority)

TOTAL members: 106

[edit] Leadership

[edit] Senate

• Vice President of the United States (President of the Senate):
  • Thomas Jefferson, Democratic-Republican of Virginia.
• President pro tempore of the Senate:
  • Samuel Livermore, Federalist of New Hampshire, elected December 2, 1799
  • Uriah Tracy, Federalist of Connecticut, elected May 14, 1800
  • John E. Howard, Federalist of Maryland, elected November 21, 1800
  • James Hillhouse, Federalist of Connecticut, elected February 28, 1801

[edit] House of Representatives

• Speaker of the House
  • Theodore Sedgwick, Federalist of Massachusetts, elected December 2, 1799

[edit] Members

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

See also: 6th United States Congress - Political Parties

See also: 6th United States Congress - State Delegations

See also: United States House election, 1798

[edit] Senate

At this time, 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 the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1802; Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1804; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1800.

Connecticut

• 1. James Hillhouse (Fed.)
• 3. Uriah Tracy (Fed.)

Delaware

• 1. Henry Latimer (Fed.) …resigned February 28, 1801.

  Samuel White (Fed.) …appointed to fill vacancy, February 28, 1801, subsequently elected.

• 2. William H. Wells (Fed.)

Georgia

• 3. James Gunn (Fed.)
• 2. Abraham Baldwin (Dem.-Rep.)

Kentucky

• 2. John Brown (Dem.-Rep.)
• 3. Humphrey Marshall (Fed.)

Maryland

• 1. John E. Howard (Fed.)
• 3. James Lloyd (Fed.) …resigned December 1, 1800.

  William Hindman (Fed.) …elected to fill vacancy, December 12, 1800.

Massachusetts

• 1. Benjamin Goodhue (Fed.) …resigned November 8, 1800.

  Jonathan Mason (Fed.) …elected to fill vacancy, November 14, 1800.

• 2. Samuel Dexter (Fed.) …resigned May 30, 1800.

  Dwight Foster (Fed.) …elected to fill vacancy, June 6, 1800.

New Hampshire

• 3. John Langdon (Dem.-Rep.)
• 2. Samuel Livermore (Fed.)

New Jersey

• 1. James Schureman (Fed.) …elected to fill vacancy from preceding Congress, March 4, 1799, resigned February 16, 1801.

  Aaron Ogden (Fed.) …elected to fill vacancy, February 28, 1801.

• 2. Jonathan Dayton (Fed.)

New York

• 3. John Laurance (Fed.) …resigned August 1800.

  John Armstrong, Jr. (Dem.-Rep.) …elected to fill vacancy, November 6, 1800.

• 1. James Watson (Fed.) …resigned March 19, 1800.

  Gouverneur Morris (Fed.) …elected to fill vacancy, April 3, 1800.

North Carolina

• 3. Timothy Bloodworth (Dem.-Rep.)
• 2. Jesse Franklin (Dem.-Rep.)

Pennsylvania

• 1. James Ross (Fed.)
• 3. William Bingham (Fed.)

Rhode Island

• 1. Theodore Foster (Fed.)
• 2. Ray Greene (Fed.)

South Carolina

• 3. Jacob Read (Fed.)
• 2. Charles Pinckney (Dem.-Rep.)

Tennessee

• 1. Joseph Anderson (Dem.-Rep.) …elected to fill vacancy from preceding Congress, March 4, 1799.
• 2. William Cocke (Dem.-Rep.)

Vermont

• 3. Elijah Paine (Fed.)
• 1. Nathaniel Chipman (Fed.)

Virginia

• 1. Stevens T. Mason (Dem.-Rep.)
• 2. Wilson C. Nicholas (Dem.-Rep.) …elected to fill vacancy from preceding Congress, December 5, 1799.

[edit] House of Representatives

The names of members of the House of Representatives elected statewide on the general ticket or otherwise at-large, are preceded by an "A/L," and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, are preceded by their district numbers.

Many of the congressional district numbers are linked to articles describing the district itself. Since the boundaries of the districts have changed often and substantially, the linked article may only describe the district as it exists today, and not as it was at the time of this Congress.

Connecticut ^[1]

• A/L. Jonathan Brace (Fed.) …resigned in 1800.

  John C. Smith (Fed.) …elected to fill vacancy, seated November 17, 1800.

• A/L. Samuel W. Dana (Fed.)
• A/L. John Davenport (Fed.)
• A/L. William Edmond (Fed.)
• A/L. Chauncey Goodrich (Fed.)
• A/L. Elizur Goodrich (Fed.)
• A/L. Roger Griswold (Fed.)

Delaware

• A/L. James A. Bayard (Fed.)

Georgia ^[2]

• A/L. James Jones (Fed.) …died January 13, 1801.
• A/L. Benjamin Taliaferro (Fed.)

Kentucky

• 1 Thomas T. Davis (Dem.-Rep.)
• 2. John Fowler (Dem.-Rep.)

Maryland

• 1. George Dent (Fed.)
• 2. John C. Thomas (Fed.)
• 3. William Craik (Fed.)
• 4. George Baer, Jr. (Fed.)
• 5. Samuel Smith (Dem.-Rep.)
• 6. Gabriel Christie (Dem.-Rep.)
• 7. Joseph H. Nicholson (Dem.-Rep.)
• 8. John Dennis (Fed.)

Massachusetts

• 1. Theodore Sedgwick (Fed.)
• 2. William Shepard (Fed.)
• 3. Samuel Lyman (Fed.) …resigned November 6, 1800.

  Ebenezer Mattoon (Fed.) …elected to fill vacancy, seated February 2, 1801.

• 4. Dwight Foster (Fed.) …resigned June 6, 1800.

  Levi Lincoln (Dem.-Rep.) …elected to fill vacancy, seated February 6, 1801.

• 5. Lemuel Williams (Fed.)
• 6. John Reed, Sr. (Fed.)
• 7. Phanuel Bishop (Dem.-Rep.)
• 8. Harrison Gray Otis (Fed.)
• 9. Joseph B. Varnum (Dem.-Rep.)
• 10. Samuel Sewall (Fed.) …resigned January 10, 1800.

  Nathan Read (Fed.) …elected to fill vacancy, seated November 25, 1800.

• 11. Bailey Bartlett (Fed.)
• 12. Silas Lee (Fed.)
• 13. Peleg Wadsworth (Fed.)
• 14. George Thatcher (Fed.)

New Hampshire ^[3]

• A/L. Abiel Foster (Fed.)
• A/L. Jonathan Freeman (Fed.)
• A/L. William Gordon (Fed.) …resigned June 12, 1800.

  Samuel Tenney (Fed.) …elected to fill vacancy, seated December 8, 1800.

• A/L. James Sheafe (Fed.)

New Jersey

• 1. John Condit (Dem.-Rep.)
• 2. Aaron Kitchell (Dem.-Rep.)
• 3. James Linn (Dem.-Rep.)
• 4. James H. Imlay (Fed.)
• 5. Franklin Davenport (Fed.)

New York

• 1. Jonathan N. Havens (Dem.-Rep.) …died October 25, 1799, before Congress assembled.

  John Smith (Dem.-Rep.) …elected to fill vacancy, seated February 27, 1800.

• 2. Edward Livingston (Dem.-Rep.)
• 3. Philip Van Cortlandt (Dem.-Rep.)
• 4. Lucas C. Elmendorf (Dem.-Rep.)
• 5. Theodorus Bailey (Dem.-Rep.)
• 6. John Bird (Fed.)
• 7. John Thompson (Dem.-Rep.)
• 8. Henry Glen (Fed.)
• 9. Jonas Platt (Fed.)
• 10. William Cooper (Fed.)

North Carolina

• 1. Joseph Dickson (Fed.)
• 2. Archibald Henderson (Fed.)
• 3. Robert Williams (Dem.-Rep.)
• 4. Richard Stanford (Dem.-Rep.)
• 5. Nathaniel Macon (Dem.-Rep.)
• 6. William H. Hill (Fed.)
• 7. William Barry Grove (Fed.)
• 8. David Stone (Dem.-Rep.)
• 9. Willis Alston (Dem.-Rep.)
• 10. Richard Dobbs Spaight (Dem.-Rep.)

Pennsylvania ^[4]

• 1. Robert Waln (Fed.)
• 2. Michael Leib (Dem.-Rep.)
• 3. Richard Thomas (Fed.)
• 4. John Peter G. Muhlenberg (Dem.-Rep.)
• 4. Robert Brown (Dem.-Rep.)
• 5. Joseph Hiester (Dem.-Rep.)
• 6. John A. Hanna (Dem.-Rep.)
• 7. John Wilkes Kittera (Fed.)
• 8. Thomas Hartley (Fed.) …died December 21, 1800.

  John Stewart (Dem.-Rep.) ...elected to fill vacancy, seated February 3, 1801.

• 9. Andrew Gregg (Dem.-Rep.)
• 10. Henry Woods (Fed.)
• 11. John Smilie (Dem.-Rep.)
• 12. Albert Gallatin (Dem.-Rep.)

Rhode Island ^[5]

• A/L. John Brown (Fed.)
• A/L. Christopher G. Champlin (Fed.)

South Carolina

• 1. Thomas Pinckney (Fed.)
• 2. John Rutledge, Jr. (Fed.)
• 3. Benjamin Huger (Fed.)
• 4. Thomas Sumter (Dem.-Rep.)
• 5. Robert Goodloe Harper (Fed.)
• 6. Abraham Nott (Fed.)

Tennessee

• A/L. William C.C. Claiborne (Dem.-Rep.)

Vermont

• 1. Matthew Lyon (Dem.-Rep.)
• 2. Lewis R. Morris (Fed.)

Virginia

• 1. Robert Page (Fed.)
• 2. David Holmes (Dem.-Rep.)
• 3. George Jackson (Dem.-Rep.)
• 4. Abram Trigg (Dem.-Rep.)
• 5. John J. Trigg (Dem.-Rep.)
• 6. Matthew Clay (Dem.-Rep.)
• 7. John Randolph (Dem.-Rep.)
• 8. Samuel Goode (Dem.-Rep.)
• 9. Joseph Eggleston (Dem.-Rep.)
• 10. Edwin Gray (Dem.-Rep.)
• 11. Josiah Parker (Fed.)
• 12. Thomas Evans (Fed.)
• 13. John Marshall (Fed.) …resigned June 7, 1800.

  Littleton W. Tazewell (Dem.-Rep.) …elected to fill vacancy, seated November 26, 1800.

• 14. Samuel J. Cabell (Dem.-Rep.)
• 15. John Dawson (Dem.-Rep.)
• 16. Anthony New (Dem.-Rep.)
• 17. Leven Powell (Fed.)
• 18. John Nicholas (Dem.-Rep.)
• 19. Henry Lee (Fed.)

[edit] Delegates

Northwest Territory

• A/L. William Henry Harrison …resigned March 1800.

  William McMillan …elected to fill vacancy, seated November 24, 1800.

[edit] Changes in Membership

The counts below reflect changes from the beginning of the first session of this congress.

See also: 6th United States Congress - Membership Changes

[edit] Senate

• replacements: 6
  • Democratic-Republicans: 1 seat net gain
  • Federalists: 1 seat net loss

• deaths: 0
• resignations: 7
• interim appointments: 1
• vacancies: 1
• Total seats with changes: 8

[edit] House of Representatives

• replacements: 7
  • Democratic-Republicans: 3 seat net gain
  • Federalists: 3 seat net loss

• deaths: 3
• resignations: 6
• Total seats with changes: 9

[edit] Officers

[edit] Senate

• Secretary of the Senate:
  • Samuel A. Otis of Massachusetts elected April 8, 1789.
• Doorkeeper of the Senate:
  • James Mathers of New York, elected April 7, 1789.
• Chaplain of the Senate
  • The Rev. William White, Episcopalian, elected December 9, 1790.
  • The Rev. Thomas J. Claggett, Episcopalian, elected November 27, 1800.

[edit] House of Representatives

• Clerk of the House:
  • Jonathan W. Condy of Pennsylvania, elected December 2, 1799, resigned December 4, 1800.
  • John H. Oswald of Pennsylvania, elected December 9, 1800.
• Sergeant at Arms of the House:
  • Joseph Wheaton of Rhode Island, elected December 2, 1799.
• Doorkeeper of the House:
  • Thomas Claxton, elected December 2, 1799.
• Chaplain of the House
  • The Rev. Ashbel Green, Presbyterian, elected December 2, 1799.
  • The Rev. Thomas Lyell, Methodist, elected November 17, 1800.

[edit] Other

• Architect of the Capitol:
  • William Thornton

[edit] Notes

1. ^ all representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket
2. ^ all representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket
3. ^ all representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket
4. ^ the 4th district was a plural district with two representatives
5. ^ all representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket

[edit] References

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: MacMillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: MacMillan Publishing Company.

[edit] External links

• Statutes at Large, 1789-1875 [1]
• Senate Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress [2]
• House Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress [3]
• Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress [4]
• U.S. House of Representatives: Congressional History [5]
• U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists [6]

	United States Congress Senate • Senators • Senate Leadership • Senate Committees • Senate elections House • Representatives • House Leadership • House Committees • House elections • Districts

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