| 1st United States Congress | |||
Federal Hall, site of the first two sessions of the 1st Congress (1789) |
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| Duration: March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1791 | |||
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| Senate President: | John Adams | ||
| Senate Pres. pro tem: | John Langdon | ||
| House Speaker: | Frederick Muhlenberg | ||
| Members: | 21–26 (five additions) Senators 59–65(six additions)(with one vacancy) Representatives 0 Non-voting members |
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| Senate Majority: | Pro-Administration | ||
| House Majority: | Pro-Administration | ||
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| Sessions | |||
| 1st: March 4, 1789 – September 29, 1789 2nd: January 4, 1790 – August 12, 1790 3rd: December 6, 1790 – March 3, 1791 |
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The 1st United States Congress, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met from March 4, 1789 to March 3, 1791, during the first two years of George Washington's presidency, first at Federal Hall at 26 Wall Street in New York City and later at Congress Hall in Philadelphia. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the provisions of Article I, Section 2, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution. Both chambers had a Pro-Administration majority.
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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.[1]
Details on changes are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.
During this congress, two Senate seats were added for North Carolina and Rhode Island when each ratified the Constitution.
| Party (Shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti- Administration (A) |
Pro- Administration (P) |
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| End of the previous congress | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Begin | 7 | 13 | 20 | 2 |
| End | 8 | 18 | 26 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 30.8% | 69.2% | ||
| Beginning of the next congress | 9 | 16 | 25 | 1 |
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.
| Party (Shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti- Administration (A) |
Pro- Administration (P) |
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| End of the previous congress | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Begin | 25 | 34 | 59 | 0 |
| End | 28 | 36 | 64 | 1 |
| Final voting share | 43.8% | 56.3% | ||
| Beginning of the next congress | 29 | 39 | 68 | 1 |
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.
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 reelection in 1790; Class 2 meant their term ended with the next Congress, requiring reelection in 1792; and Class 3 meant their term lasted through the next two Congresses, requiring reelection in 1794.
The names of members of the House of Representatives are listed by their districts.
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.[1]
New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island, were the last states to ratify the U.S. Constitution, and because of their late ratification, were unable to send full representation at the beginning of this Congress. Five Senators and nine Representatives were subsequently seated from these states during the sessions as noted.
There was 1 resignation, 1 death, 1 replacement of a temporary appointee, and 6 new seats. The Anti-Administration Senators picked up a 1 seat net gain and the Pro-Administration Senators picked up 4 seats.
| State (class) |
Former senator | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's installation |
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| New York (3) | New seats | State legislature failed to pick Senator until after Congress began. | Rufus King (P) | July 25, 1789 |
| New York (1) | Philip John Schuyler (P) | July 27, 1789 | ||
| North Carolina (3) | North Carolina ratified the constitution on November 21, 1789. | Benjamin Hawkins (P) | Elected November 27, 1789 | |
| North Carolina (2) | Samuel Johnston (P) | |||
| Virginia (1) |
William Grayson (A) | Died March 12, 1790. | John Walker (P) | Appointed March 31, 1790 |
| Rhode Island (1) | New seats | Rhode Island ratified the constitution on May 29, 1790. | Theodore Foster (P) | Elected June 7, 1790 |
| Rhode Island (2) | Joseph Stanton, Jr. (A) | |||
| Virginia (1) |
John Walker (P) | James Monroe was elected to the seat of Senator William Grayson. | James Monroe (A) | Elected November 9, 1790 |
| New Jersey (2) | William Paterson (P) | Resigned November 13, 1790, having been elected Governor of New Jersey. |
Philemon Dickinson (P) | Elected November 23, 1790 |
There was 1 resignation, 1 death, and 6 new seats. Anti-Administration members picked up 3 seats and Pro-Administration members picked up 2 seats.
| District | Vacator | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's installation |
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| North Carolina 1st | New seats | North Carolina ratified the constitution on November 21, 1789. | John Baptista Ashe (A) | March 24, 1790 |
| North Carolina 2nd | Hugh Williamson (A) | March 19, 1790 | ||
| North Carolina 3rd | Timothy Bloodworth (A) | April 6, 1790 | ||
| North Carolina 4th | John Steele (P) | April 19, 1790 | ||
| North Carolina 5th | John Sevier (P) | June 16, 1790 | ||
| Rhode Island At-large | New seat | Rhode Island ratified the constitution on May 29, 1790. | Benjamin Bourne (P) | December 17, 1790 |
| Virginia 9th |
Theodorick Bland (A) | Died June 1, 1790. | William B. Giles (A) | December 7, 1790 |
| Massachusetts 5th | George Partridge (P) | Resigned August 14, 1790. | Remained vacant until next Congress | |
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