1st United States Congress

***1st U.S. Congress***

The First Congress met on March 4, 1789 to begin procedural operations as outlined by the Constitution following the House Elections of 1788-89 and the Senate Elections of 1788-89. 12 Amendments would be passed and ratified by the 1st Congress, with 1 additional passed by Congress, but not ratified by the States.

## Major Events

* April 1, 1789: House of Representatives first achieved a quorum and elected their officers.
* April 6, 1789: Senate first achieved a quorum and elected their officers.
* April 6, 1789: First joint congress session to count the electors of the 1st Presidential Election.
* April 21, 1789: John Adams is sworn in as the first Vice President and takes the reigns of the Senate.
* April 30, 1789: George Washington is sworn in as the first President at Federal Hall.
* January 8, 1790: George Washington gives first State of the Union.
* October 3, 1790: James Madison and Alexander Hamilton agreed to the Compromise of 1790.

## Major Legislation

* May 3, 1790; Bill of Rights, Articles 1-12
* August 29, 1790; Cabinet Acts
* August 29, 1790; 12th Amendment
* February 7, 1791; Judiciary Act of 1789

## Party Summary

 Begin: March 4, 1789
 October 13, 1789
 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 - Richard Bassett (PfD)
Georgia - Anthony Wayne (DR)
Maryland - Charles Carroll (CD)
Massachusetts - Caleb Strong (CD)
New Hampshire - John Langdon (CD)
New Jersey - William Paterson (PfD) [Until December 6, 1790]
                 ↳ Philemon Dickinson (PfD) [From December 6, 1790]
New York - Philip Schuyler (CD)
North Carolina - Alexander Martin (FR) [From October 13, 1789]
Pennsylvania - George Benckendorf (CD)
Rhode Island - Theodore Foster (CD) [From May 29, 1790]
South Carolina - Ralph Izard (CD)
Virginia - Thomas Jefferson (DR)

```

### House

```
**Connecticut:**
    At-Large - Benjamin Huntington (CD)
    At-Large - Roger Sherman (CD)
    At-Large - Jonathan Sturges (CD)
    At-Large - Jonathan Trumbull Jr. (CD)
    At-Large - Jeremiah Wadsworth (CD)
**Delaware:**
    At-Large - John Vining (PfD)
**Georgia:**
    1. James Jackson (DR)
    2. Abraham Baldwin (DR)
    3. George Mathews (DR)
**Maryland:**
    1. Michael J. Stone (DR)
    2. Joshua Seney (DR)
    3. Benjamin Contee (DR)
    4. William Smith (DR)
    5. George Gale (CD)
    6. Daniel Carroll (CD)
**Massachusetts:**
    1. Fisher Ames (CD)
    2. Benjamin Goodhue (CD)
    3. Elbridge Gerry (DR)
    4. Theodore Sedgewick (CD)
    5. George Partridge (CD)
    6. George Thatcher (CD)
    7. George Leonard (CD)
    8. Jonathan Grout (DR)
**New Hampshire:**
    At-Large - Abiel Foster (CD)
    At-Large - Nicholas Gilman (CD)
    At-Large - Samuel Livermore (DR)
**New Jersey:**
    At-Large - Elias Boudinot (PfD)
    At-Large - Lambert Cadwalader (CD)
    At-Large - Gerald Smith (PfD)
    At-Large - Thomas Sinnickson (CD)
**New York:**
    1. William Floyd (PfD)
    2. John Laurance (CD)
    3. Egbert Benson (CD)
    4. John Hathorn (PfD)
    5. Peter Silvester (CD)
    6. Jeremiah Van Rensselaer (PfD)
**North Carolina:** [From October 13, 1789]
    1. John Baptista Ashe (FR)
    2. Hugh Williamson (FR)
    3. Timothy Bloodworth (DX)
    4. Waightstill Avery (FR)
    5. Nathaniel Macon (FR)
    6. Stephen Cabarrus (FR)
**Pennsylvania:**
    At-Large - George Clymer (CD)
    At-Large - Thomas Fitzsimons (CD)
    At-Large - Thomas Hartley (CD)
    At-Large - Daniel Hiester (PfD)
    At-Large - Frederick Muhlenberg (CD)
    At-Large - Peter Muhlenberg (CD)
    At-Large - Thomas Scott (CD)
    At-Large - Henry Wynkoop (CD)
**Rhode Island:** [From May 29, 1790]
    At-Large - Benjamin Bourne (CD)
**South Carolina:**
    1. William L. Smith (CD)
    2. Aedanus Burke (DX)
    3. Daniel Huger (CD)
    4. Thomas Sumter (DX)
    5. Thomas Tudor Tucker (DX)
**Virginia:**
    1. Alexander White (CD)
    2. John Brown (DR)
    3. Andrew Moore (DR)
    4. Richard Bland Lee (CD)
    5. James Madison (DR)
    6. Isaac Coles (DR)
    7. John Page (DR)
    8. Thomas Mathews (DX)
    9. Theodorick Bland (DR) [Until June 1, 1790]
           ↳ William B. Giles (DR) [From June 1, 1790]
    10. Samuel Griffin (CD)

```