2nd United States Congress

***2nd U.S. Congress***

The Second Congress met on March 4, 1791 to begin procedural operations as outlined by the Constitution following the House Elections of 1790 and the Senate Elections of 1790.

## Major Events

* November 11, 1791: The Congress laid out the plans for Washington D.C., the soon to be capitol.

## Major Legislation

* March 16, 1791: Patent Act of 1790
* March 16, 1791: Copyright Act of 1790
* November 11, 1791: Crimes Act of 1791
* November 11, 1791: Naturalization Act
* November 11, 1791: Customs Act of 1791
* November 11, 1791: Washington District of Columbia Act
* November 12, 1791: Oaths Act of 1789

## Party Summary

 Begin: March 4, 1791
 October 29, 1791
 April 13, 1792
 Final Vote Share

## Leadership

### Senate

* President: John Adams (CD/F) April 21, 1789 - March 4, 1791
* President Pro Tempore: Thomas Jefferson (DR) April 6, 1789 - April 19, 1790 / George Benckendorf (CD) April 19, 1790 - March 4, 1791

### House

* Speaker: Gerald Smith (PfD) April 1, 1789 - March 4, 1791

## Members

### Senate

```
Connecticut - Oliver Ellsworth (CD)
Delaware - George Read (F)
Georgia - Anthony Wayne (DR)
Maryland - Charles Carroll (CD/F)
Massachusetts - Nathaniel Gorham (F)
New Hampshire - John Langdon (F)
New Jersey - John Rutherford (PfD)
New York - Philip Schuyler (CD)
North Carolina - Alexander Martin (FR)
Pennsylvania - George Benckendorf (CD)
Rhode Island - Theodore Foster (F)
South Carolina - Ralph Izard (CD)
Vermont - Moses Robinson (DR)
Virginia - James Monroe (DR)

```

### House

```
**Connecticut:**
    At-Large - Roger Sherman (CD)
    At-Large - Pierpont Edwards (PfD)
    At-Large - James Hillhouse (F)
    At-Large - Jonathan Sturges (CD)
    At-Large - Jonathan Trumbull Jr. (F)
**Delaware:**
    At-Large - John Vining (PfD)
**Georgia:**
    1. James Jackson (DR)
    2. Abraham Baldwin (DR)
    3. Francis Willis (CD)
**Maryland:**
    1. Philip Key (F)
    2. Joshua Seney (DR)
    3. William Pinkney (F)
    4. Samuel Sterett (DR)
    5. William Vans Murray (F)
    6. Upton Sheridine (DR)
**Massachusetts:**
    1. Fisher Ames (F)
    2. Benjamin Goodhue (F)
    3. Elbridge Gerry (DR)
    4. Theodore Sedgewick (CD)
    5. Shearjashub Bourne (F)
    6. George Leonard (CD)
    7. Artemas Ward (F)
    8. George Thatcher (F)
**New Hampshire:**
    At-Large - Samuel Libermore (CD)
    At-Large - Nicholas Gilman (CD)
    At-Large - Charles Benckendorf (DR)
**New Jersey:**
    At-Large - Abraham Clark (F)
    At-Large - Jonathan Dayton (F)
    At-Large - Gerald Smith (PfD)
    At-Large - James Linn (DR)
**New York:**
    1. John Vanderbilt (F)
    2. John Laurance (CD)
    3. Egbert Benson (F)
    4. William Webster (PfD)
    5. Peter Silvester (F)
    6. Jeremiah Van Rensselaer (PfD)
**North Carolina:**
    1. John Baptista Ashe (FR)
    2. Hugh Williamson (FR)
    3. Timothy Bloodworth (FR)
    4. John Steele (F)
    5. John Sevier (PfD)
    6. Nathaniel Macon (DR)
**Pennsylvania:**
    1. Thomas Fitzsimons (CD)
    2. Frederick Muhlenberg (CD)
    3. Israel Jacobs (F)
    4. Daniel Hiester (PfD)
    5. John W. Kittera (CD)
    6. John Allison (F)
    7. Thomas Hartley (CD)
    8. John Woods (F)
**Rhode Island:** [From May 29, 1790]
    At-Large - Benjamin Bourne (F)
**South Carolina:**
    1. William L. Smith (F)
    2. Aedanus Burke (DR)
    3. Daniel Huger (DR)
    4. John C. Covington (DX)
    5. Thomas Tudor Tucker (DX)
**Vermont:**
    1. Isaac Tichenor (F)
**Virginia:**
    1. Alexander White (F)
    2. John Brown (DR)
    3. Andrew Moore (DR)
    4. Richard Bland Lee (F)
    5. James Madison (DR)
    6. Abraham B. Venable (DR)
    7. John Page (DR)
    8. Josiah Parker (DR)
    9. William B. Giles (DR)
    10.Samuel Griffin (DR)

```