History of the United States House of Representatives - wikipedia History of the United States House of Representatives This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. ( May 2010 ) George W. Bush delivered his annual State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on January 28, 2003, in the House chamber. The United States House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, which along with the United States Senate -- the upper chamber -- comprises the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. Like its counterpart, the House was established by the United States Constitution and convened for its first meeting on March 4, 1789 at Federal Hall in New York City. The history of this institution begins several years prior to that date, at the dawn of the American Revolutionary War. Contents 1 The Continental Congresses 2 Articles of Confederation and new Constitution 3 19th century 4 20th and 21st - centuries 5 Number of Representatives 6 References 7 See also The Continental congresses This article is part of a series on the United States House of Representatives History of the United States House of Representatives Members Current members ( by seniority by age non-voting ) Former members Hill committees ( DCCC NRCC ) Congressional districts Speaker of the United States House of Representatives ( list ) Party leaders Democratic Caucus Republican Conference Politics and procedure Committee of the Whole Closed session ( list ) Saxbe fix Committees ( list ) Procedures Origination Clause Quorum call Unanimous consent Salaries Apportionment ( Huntington -- Hill method ) Redistricting Gerrymandering Articles of impeachment Self - executing rule Rules suspension General ticket Plural district Places United States Capitol House office buildings ( Cannon Ford Longworth Rayburn ) The First Continental Congress was a meeting of representatives of twelve of Great Britain 's seventeen North American colonies, in the autumn of 1774. The Continental Congress sent a list of grievances to King George III. When the King failed to respond, and the American Revolutionary War began in April 1775, the Second Continental Congress was convened -- this time with thirteen colonies in attendance. A year later, on 4 July 1776, the Continental Congress declared the thirteen colonies free and independent states, referring to them as the `` united States of America. '' This was not a formal name, however, so `` united '' was not capitalized in the Declaration of Independence, `` States '' being capitalized only because all nouns were capitalized in English before the Industrial Revolution. The Second Continental Congress continued in office while the War for Independence continued, producing the Articles of Confederation -- the country 's first constitution -- in 1777, which was ratified by all of the states by 1781. Articles of Confederation and New Constitution Under the Articles of Confederation, the Congress of the Confederation was a unicameral body in which each state was equally represented, and in which each state had a veto over most action. States could, and did, ignore what did pass. The ineffectiveness of the federal government under the Articles led Congress to summon the Convention of 1787. One of the most divisive issues facing the Convention was the structure of Congress. James Madison 's Virginia Plan called for a bicameral Congress ; the lower house would be elected directly by the people, and the upper house would be elected by the lower house. The plan drew the support of delegates from large states such as Virginia, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, as it called for representation based on population. The smaller states, however, favored the New Jersey Plan, which called for a unicameral Congress with equal representation for the states. Eventually, a compromise, known as the Connecticut Compromise or the Great Compromise was reached ; one house of Congress ( the House of Representatives ) would provide proportional representation, whereas the other ( the Senate ) would provide equal representation. The Constitution was ratified by the end of 1788, and its full implementation was set for March 4, 1789. The House began work on April 1, 1789, when it achieved a quorum for the first time. Frederick Muhlenberg, a Pennsylvania Lutheran minister and politician, was the first Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. 19th century The early 19th century was marked by frequent clashes between the House of Representatives and the Senate. For most of the first half of the 19th century, a balance between the free North and the slaveholding South existed in the Senate, as the numbers of free and slave states were equal. However, since the North was much more populous than the South, it dominated the House of Representatives. In 1825, new Speaker of the House Henry Clay also officially announced that he and his followers would separate from Andrew Jackson and form the National Republican Party. Clay lost to Jackson in the 1832 presidential election and moved to the Senate. Historical graph of party control of the Senate and House as well as the Presidency During the Civil War, the key policy - maker in Congress was Thaddeus Stevens, as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and as Republican floor leader. He took charge of major legislation that funded the war effort and revolutionized the nation 's economic policies regarding tariffs, bonds, income and excise taxes, national banks, suppression of money issued by state banks, greenback currency, and western railroad land grants. Stevens was also one of the major policymakers regarding Reconstruction, and obtained a House vote of impeachment against President Andrew Johnson ( who was acquitted by the Senate in 1868 ). Hans Trefousse, his leading biographer, concludes that Stevens `` was one of the most influential representatives ever to serve in Congress. ( He dominated ) the House with his wit, knowledge of parliamentary law, and sheer willpower, even though he was often unable to prevail. '' Historiographical views of Stevens have dramatically shifted over the years, from the early 20th - century view of Stevens and the Radical Republicans as tools of big business and motivated by hatred of the white South, to the perspective of the neoabolitionists of the 1950s and afterwards, who applauded their efforts to give equal rights to the freed slaves. The Democrats were a weak minority from 1861 to 1874, then made a major comeback in 1874 by winning 93 seats held by the GOP and becoming the majority. The Gilded Age was marked by close balances in the House, with the parties alternating control. Between 1860 and 1920 the average tenure of House members doubled from four to eight years. This number reflects the growth of `` congressional careerism. '' The House began to develop a more stable culture, sessions of the House became longer, and members of the House began to specialize in specific areas of policy. Power was decentralized from the Speaker of the House, and seniority nearly assured advancement within the House. The increasing importance of the federal government, an increasing acceptance of lengthy congressional service, and ( after 1896 ) a decline in the partisan competitiveness of congressional districts all contributed to the growing length of the average term of House members. 20th and 21st - centuries House of Representatives 1900 - 48 The early 20th century witnessed the rise of party leadership in both houses of Congress. In the House of Representatives, the office of Speaker became extremely powerful, reaching its zenith under the Republican Joseph Gurney Cannon. In particular, committee chairmen remained particularly strong in both houses until the rules reforms of the 1970s. On November 7, 1916 Jeannette Rankin was elected to Montana 's at - large seat in the House of Representatives, becoming the first female member of Congress. In 1973 Speaker of the House Carl Albert appointed Felda Looper as the first female page in the House of Representatives. After the beginning of the Great Depression and the New Deal, the Democrats controlled the House from 1931 to 1994, with two exceptions ( 1946 and 1952 ), as the New Deal Coalition was successful. In terms of legislation, however, the Conservative coalition usually blocked liberal legislative proposals, except in 1964 - 65 when President Lyndon Johnson had the majorities to pass his Great Society proposals. The most important leader was long - time Democratic Speaker Sam Rayburn. The Republicans under Newt Gingrich returned to a majority in the election of 1994, as part of the Republican Revolution that gave the party both houses and a majority of governorships that year. The Democrats gained 30 seats in the 2006 elections, regaining control and electing Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker. Number of Representatives Size of House of Representatives 1789 - 2009 The 435 seats of the House grouped by state Congress has the power to regulate the size of the House of Representatives, and the size of the House has varied through the years in response to the admission of new states, reapportionment following a census, and the Civil War. Year 1789 1791 1793 1803 1813 1815 1817 1819 1821 1833 1835 1843 1845 1847 1851 1853 1857 Representatives 65 69 105 141 182 183 185 187 213 240 242 223 225 227 233 234 237 Year 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1873 1883 1889 1891 1893 1901 1911 1913 1959 1961 1963 Representatives 178 183 191 193 243 293 325 330 333 357 386 391 435 436 437 435 In 1911, Congress passed the Apportionment Act of 1911, also known as ' Public Law 62 - 5 ', which capped the size of the United States House of Representatives at 435 seats. Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii were each granted one representative when they first entered the union. During the next reapportionment, the size of the House was again limited to 435 seats, with the seats divided among the states by population, with each state getting at least one seat. By the 2000s, the U.S. population had more than tripled since the 1911 expansion of the House to its current 435 seats ; accordingly, proposals began to be made by commentators such as George F. Will, Robert Novak, and Paul Jacob to further increase the size of the House. One such proposal, the Wyoming Rule, calls for adding enough members to Congress to reduce the population of the average Congressional district to the population of the least populous state 's smallest district ; in 1990, this would have resulted in a total House size of 547. References Jump up ^ United States House of Representatives Jump up ^ `` Party In Power - Congress and Presidency - A Visual Guide To The Balance of Power In Congress, 1945 - 2008 ''. Uspolitics.about.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2012. Jump up ^ Heather Cox Richardson ( 1997 ). The Greatest Nation of the Earth : Republican Economic Policies During the Civil War. Harvard University Press. pp. 9, 41, 52, 111, 116, 120, 182, 202. Jump up ^ Hans L. Trefousse ( 1991 ). Historical Dictionary of Reconstruction. Greenwood. p. 214. Jump up ^ Kernell, Samuel ( Nov 1977 ). `` Toward Understanding 19th Century Congressional Careers : Ambition, Competition, and Rotation ''. American Journal of Political Science. 21 ( 4 ) : 669 -- 693. doi : 10.2307 / 2110731. JSTOR 2110731. Jump up ^ `` Jeannette Rankin ''. Women In Congress. Archived from the original on November 3, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Lincoln Evening Journal from Lincoln, Nebraska Page 103 ''. Newspapers.com. 1973 - 06 - 17. Archived from the original on 2015 - 02 - 15. Retrieved 2015 - 02 - 15. Jump up ^ Galloway, George B. ; Sidney Wise ( 1976 ). History of the House of Representatives. Crowell. ISBN 0 - 690 - 01101 - 6. Jump up ^ Pub. L. 62 -- 5, 37 Stat. 13 Jump up ^ `` Archived copy '' ( PDF ). Archived ( PDF ) from the original on 2011 - 08 - 13. Retrieved 2011 - 09 - 12. Jump up ^ America has outgrown the House of Representatives Archived 2008 - 02 - 07 at the Wayback Machine., Matthew Cossolotto, November 21, 2001. American National Biography ( 1999 ), contains biographies of all politicians no longer alive. Alexander, De Alva Stanwood. History and Procedure of the House of Representatives ( 1916 ) Alva Stanwood Alexander&dcontributors = De % 20Alva % 20Stanwood % 20Alexander online edition Barone, Michael, and Grant Ujifusa, The Almanac of American Politics 1976 : The Senators, the Representatives and the Governors : Their Records and Election Results, Their States and Districts ( 1975 ). Davidson, Roger H., and Walter J. Oleszek, eds. ( 1998 ). Congress and Its Members, 6th ed. Washington DC : Congressional Quarterly. ( Legislative procedure, informal practices, and member information ) Roger H. Davidson, Susan Webb Hammond, Raymond W. Smock, eds ; Masters of the House : Congressional Leadership over Two Centuries Westview Press, 1998 online edition Galloway ; George B. History of the House of Representatives ( 1962 ) online edition Green, Matthew N. The Speaker of the House : A Study of Leadership ( Yale University Press ; 2010 ) 292 pages ; Examines partisan pressures and other factors that shaped the leadership of the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives ; focuses on the period since 1940. Hunt, Richard. ( 1998 ). `` Using the Records of Congress in the Classroom, '' OAH Magazine of History, 12 ( Summer ) : 34 -- 37. MacNeil, Neil. Forge of Democracy : The House of Representatives ( 1963 ) popular history by a journalist Robert V. Remini. The House : The History of the House of Representatives ( 2006 ) standard scholarly history Ritchie, Donald A. ( 1997 ). `` What Makes a Successful Congressional Investigation. '' OAH Magazine of History, 11 ( Spring ) : 6 -- 8. Wilson, Woodrow. ( 1885 ). Congressional Government. Julian E. Zelizer. On Capitol Hill : The Struggle to Reform Congress and its Consequences, 1948 - 2000 ( 2004 ) Julian E. Zelizer. ed. The American Congress : The Building of Democracy ( 2004 ), essays by leading scholars See also History of the United States Senate Party divisions of United States Congresses United States Congress House of Representatives Senate ( 114th ← 115th → 116th ) Lists of congressional lists Members and leaders Members Current By length of service Freshmen Youngest members Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico Delegates Senate Current by seniority Dean of the Senate Former U.S. Senators living Earliest serving Earliest living Expelled or censured Classes Born outside the U.S. House Current by seniority Dean of the House Former U.S. Representatives living Oldest living Earliest serving Expelled, censured, and reprimanded Leaders Senate President ( list ) President pro tempore ( list ) Majority and minority leaders Assistant party leaders Democratic Caucus ( Chair Secretary Policy Committee Chair ) Republican Conference ( Chair Vice-Chair Policy Committee Chair ) House Speaker Leaders Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group Democratic Caucus Republican Conference Districts List Apportionment Caucuses, women and minorities Congressional caucus African Americans in the House Congressional Black Caucus African Americans in the Senate Arab and Middle - Eastern members Asian Pacific American members Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Hispanic and Latino members Congressional Hispanic Caucus Congressional Hispanic Conference Jewish members LGBT members LGBT Equality Caucus Native American members Women in the House Congressional Caucus for Women 's Issues Women in the Senate Related By length of service historically Powers, privileges, procedure, committees, history and media Powers Article I Copyright Commerce ( Dormant ) Contempt of Congress Declaration of war Impeachment Naturalization `` Necessary and Proper '' Power of enforcement Taxing / spending Privileges and benefits Salaries Franking Immunity Procedure Act of Congress ( list ) Appropriation bill Blue slip Budget resolution Censure Closed sessions House Senate Cloture Concurrent resolution Continuing resolution Dear Colleague letter Discharge petition Engrossed bill Enrolled bill Expulsion Joint resolution Joint session ( list ) Lame - duck session Majority of the majority ( Hastert Rule ) Multiple referral Procedures ( House ) Quorum call Reconciliation Rider Saxbe fix Sponsorship Suspension of the rules Unanimous consent Veto Line - item veto Pocket veto Veto override Senate - specific Advice and consent Classes Executive communication Executive session Filibuster Jefferson 's Manual Senate Journal Morning business Nuclear option Presiding Officer Recess appointment Reconciliation Riddick 's Senate Procedure Senate hold Senatorial courtesy Seniority Standing Rules Tie - breaking votes Traditions Treaty Clause Committees Chairman and ranking member Of the Whole Conference Discharge petition Hearings Markup Oversight List ( Joint ) List ( House ) List ( Senate ) Select and special Standing Subcommittees Items Gavels Mace of the House Seal of the Senate History Biographical Directory Congressional apportionment Divided government House Gerrymandering Party control Senate Senate election disputes Senatorial memoirs Representative memoirs Media C - SPAN Congressional Quarterly The Hill Politico Roll Call Capitol Complex Legislative offices Congressional staff Government Accountability Office ( Comptroller General ) Architect of the Capitol Capitol Police ( Capitol Police Board ) Capitol Guide Service ( Capitol Guide Board ) Congressional Budget Office ( CBO ) Compliance Library of Congress Government Publishing Office ( GPO ) Technology Assessment Offices Senate Curator Historical Library House Congressional Ethics Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and Operations Interparliamentary Affairs Law Revision Counsel Library Employees Senate Secretary Chaplain Curator Historian Librarian Pages Parliamentarian Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper House Chaplain Chief Administrative Officer Clerk Doorkeeper Floor Operations Floor Services Chief Historian Pages ( Page Board ) Parliamentarian Postmaster Reading Clerk Sergeant at Arms Library of Congress Congressional Research Service ( reports ) Copyright Office ( Register of Copyrights ) Law Library Poet Laureate THOMAS Adams Building Jefferson Building Madison Building Government Publishing Office Public Printer Congressional Pictorial Directory Congressional Record Official Congressional Directory United States Government Manual Serial Set Statutes at Large United States Code Capitol Brumidi Corridors Congressional Prayer Room Crypt Dome Statue of Freedom Rotunda Hall of Columns Statuary Hall Visitor Center The Apotheosis of Washington Statue of Freedom Declaration of Independence painting Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States Apotheosis of Democracy First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln Surrender of General Burgoyne Surrender of Lord Cornwallis Revolutionary War Door Columbus Doors Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way Vice President 's Room Vice Presidential Bust Collection Office buildings Senate Dirksen Hart Mountains and Clouds Russell House Building Commission Cannon Ford Longworth O'Neill Rayburn Other facilities Botanic Garden Health and Fitness Facility House Recording Studio Senate chamber Old Senate Chamber Old Supreme Court Chamber Power Plant Webster Page Residence Subway ` United States House of Representatives elections Years 1788 / 89 1790 / 91 1792 / 93 1794 / 95 1796 / 97 1798 / 99 1800 1802 1804 1806 1808 1810 1812 1814 1816 1818 1820 1822 1824 1826 1828 1830 1832 1834 1836 1838 1840 1842 1844 1846 1848 1850 1852 1854 1856 1858 / 59 1860 / 61 1862 / 63 1864 / 65 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1998 2000 2002 2006 2008 2012 2014 2016 2018 Special 1801 1895 1913 1917 1921 1933 1935 1949 1951 1961 1963 1973 1991 110th Congress 111th Congress All Senate elections Presidential elections Gubernatorial elections Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives&oldid=850231892 '' Categories : History of the United States Congress Political history of the United States United States House of Representatives Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Articles lacking in - 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Question: what states plan created the house of representatives
Answer: Virginia