2nd United States Congress

2nd United States Congress
1st ←
→ 3rd

March 4, 1791 – March 4, 1793
Senate President John Adams (P)
Senate Pres. pro tem Richard Henry Lee (P)
John Langdon (P)
House Speaker Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. (P)
Members 28–30 (two additions) (with one vacancy) Senators
67–69 (two additions) (with 1-3 vacancies) Representatives
Senate Majority Pro-Administration,
then Anti-Administration
House Majority Pro-Administration
Sessions
Special: March 4, 1791 – March 4, 1791
1st: October 24, 1791 – May 8, 1792
2nd: November 5, 1792 – March 2, 1793 (lame duck)
Modern tour group visiting the House of Representatives chamber at Congress Hall
Senate chamber at Congress Hall

The Second United States Congress, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from March 4, 1791, to March 4, 1793, during the third and fourth years of George Washington's Presidency. 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. Additional House seats were assigned to the two new states of Vermont and Kentucky. Both chambers had a Pro-Administration majority.

Major events

Major legislation

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States admitted

Constitutional amendments

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.[1]

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

Senate

During this congress, two new Senate seats were added for each of the new states of Vermont and Kentucky.

Faction
(shading shows control)		 Total Vacant
Anti-
Administration
(A)		 Pro-
Administration
(P)
End of the previous congress 8 18 26 0
Begin 8 17 25 1
End 13 300
Final voting share 43.3% 56.7%
Beginning of the next congress 14 16 30 0

House of Representatives

Members of the House of Representatives as shared by each state

During this congress, two new House seats were added for each of the new states of Vermont and Kentucky. (Sess. 3, ch. 9, 1 Stat. 191)

Faction
(shading shows control)		 Total Vacant
Anti-
Administration
(A)		 Pro-
Administration
(P)
End of the previous congress 28 36 64 1
Begin 29 39 68 1
End 32 40 72
Final voting share 44.4% 55.6%
Beginning of the next congress 55 50 105 0

Leadership

President of the Senate
Vice President
John Adams

Senate

House of Representatives

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 1796; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1792; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1794.

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Connecticut

Delaware

Georgia

Kentucky

  • 3. John Edwards (A), from June 18, 1792 (newly admitted state)
  • 2. John Brown (A), from June 18, 1792 (newly admitted state)

Maryland

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Vermont

Virginia

President pro tempore Richard Henry Lee

House of Representatives

The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their districts.

Connecticut

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
(5 Pro Administrators)

Delaware

(1 Pro Administrator)

Georgia

All representatives were elected statewide from individual districts.
(3 Anti-Pro Administrators)

Kentucky

(2 Anti-Pro Administrators)

Maryland

All representatives were elected statewide from individual districts.
(3-3 split)

Massachusetts

(7-1 Pro Administration)

New Hampshire

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
(3 Pro Administrators)

New Jersey

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
(4 Pro Administrators)

New York

(4-2 Pro Administration)

North Carolina

There was a special redistricting for this Congress.
(3-2 Anti-Pro Administration)

Pennsylvania

(4-4 split)

Rhode Island

(1 Pro Administrator)

South Carolina

(4-1 Pro Administration)

Vermont

(2 Anti-Pro Administrators)

Virginia

(8-2 Anti-Pro Administration)
Speaker Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. of Connecticut

Membership changes

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.[2]

Vermont and Kentucky were newly admitted as states and are first represented in this Congress.

Senate

There were three resignations, one contested election, and four new seats of admitted states, resulting in a four-seat net gain of the Anti-Administration Senators.

State
(class)		 Vacator Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation
Pennsylvania
(1)		 Vacant Legislature failed to elect Senator.
Successor elected February 28, 1793.		 Albert Gallatin (A) December 2, 1793
Connecticut
(3)		 William S. Johnson (P) Resigned March 4, 1791.
Successor elected June 13, 1791.		 Roger Sherman (P) June 13, 1791
Vermont
(1)		 New seat Vermont was admitted to the Union March 4, 1791.
Winners elected October 17, 1791.		 Stephen R. Bradley (A) November 4, 1791
Vermont
(3)		 Moses Robinson (A) November 4, 1791
Kentucky
(2)		 New seat Kentucky was admitted to the Union June 1, 1792.
Winners elected June 18, 1792.		 John Edwards (A) June 18, 1792
Kentucky
(2)		 John Brown (A) June 18, 1792
Virginia
(2)		 Richard Henry Lee (A) Resigned October 8, 1792.
Successor elected October 18, 1792.		 John Taylor (A) October 18, 1792
Maryland
(1)		 Charles Carroll (P) Resigned November 30, 1792.
Successor elected January 10, 1793.		 Richard Potts (P) January 10, 1793

House of Representatives

There were 3 resignations, 1 vacancy of a member-elect, 1 contested election, and 4 new seats of admitted states, resulting in a 3-seat net gain of the Anti-Administration members and a 1-seat net gain of the Pro-Administration members.


District Vacator Reason for change Successor Date successor
seated
New York 1st Vacant Representative-elect James Townsend died on May 24, 1790, before Congress assembled. Thomas Tredwell (A) October 24, 1791
Vermont 1st New seat Vermont was admitted to the Union on March 4, 1791. Israel Smith (A) October 24, 1791
Vermont 2nd Nathaniel Niles (A) October 24, 1791
Maryland 3rd William Pinkney (A) Resigned November 1791 John Francis Mercer (A) February 6, 1792
Virginia 2nd John Brown (A) Resigned June 1, 1792, to become U.S. Senator from Kentucky. Vacant Seat went with Kentucky
Kentucky 2nd New seat Kentucky was admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792. Alexander D. Orr (A) November 8, 1792
Kentucky 1st Christopher Greenup (A) November 9, 1792
Georgia 1st Anthony Wayne (A) Anthony Wayne served until March 21, 1792, when seat declared vacant because the election was contested John Milledge (A) November 22, 1792
Maryland 2nd Joshua Seney (A) Resigned December 6, 1792. William Hindman (P) January 30, 1793

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

House of Representatives

Joint committees

Employees

Senate

House of Representatives

See also

References

  1. ↑ Martis, Kenneth C. The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress.
  2. ↑ Martis, Kenneth C. The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress.
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