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 by the 1st Congress and later ratified, 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.

## Major Legislation

* May 9, 1789: Tariff Act of 1789
* May 9, 1789: Voting Act of 1789
* May 13, 1789: Oaths of Office Act
* May 17, 1789: Department of State Act
* June 6, 1789: Department of War Act
* June 8, 1789: Department of the Treasury Act
* June 9, 1789: U.S. Customs Service Act
* June 9, 1789: Judiciary Act of 1789
* January 21, 1790: Charter of the Bank of the United States
* January 28, 1790: Coinage Act of 1789
* June 27, 1790: The United States Army Act

## Constitutional Amendments

* Article one, later ratified on July 26, 1789 as the 11th Amendment
* Article two, has yet to be ratified
* Article three through twelve, all ratified on July 17, 1789 as the 1st through 10th Amendments
* Article thirteen, later ratified on August 14, 1789 as the 12th Amendment

## Party Summary

 March 4, 1789
 July 25, 1789
 July 27, 1789
 November 27, 1789
 June 7, 1790
 August 4, 1790
 Final Vote Share

## Leadership

### Senate

* President: John Adams (F) April 21, 1789 - March 4, 1791
* President Pro Tempore: James Madison (F) April 6, 1789 - March 4, 1791

### House

* Speaker: Frederick Muhlenberg (F) April 1, 1789 - March 4, 1791

## Members

### Senate

```
**Connecticut:**
    1. Oliver Ellsworth (F)
    3. William S. Johnson (F)
**Delaware:**
    1. Richard Bassett (DR)
    2. George Read (F)
**Georgia:**
    2. William Few (DR)
    3. James Gunn (DR)
**Maryland:**
    1. Charles Carroll (CD)
    3. John Henry (F)
 **Massachusetts:**
    1. Tristram Dalton (F)
    2. Caleb Strong (F)
 **New Hampshire:**
    2. John Langdon (F)
    3. Paine Wingate (DR)
**New Jersey:**
    1. William Paterson (F)
    2. Jonathan Elmer (F)
**New York:**
    1. Philip Schuyler (F) [from July 27, 1789]
    3. Rufus King (F) [from July 25, 1789]
**North Carolina:**
    2. Samuel Johnston (F) [from November 27, 1789]
    3. Benjamin Hawkins (F) [from November 27, 1789]
**Pennsylvania:**
    1. Robert Morris (F)
    3. George Benckendorf (CD)
**Rhode Island:**
    1. Theodore Foster (F) [from June 7, 1790]
    2. Joseph Stanton Jr. (DR) [from June 7, 1790]
**South Carolina:**
    2. Pierce Butler (F)
    3. Ralph Izard (F)
**Vermont:**
    1. Moses Robinson (DR)
    3. Stephen R. Bradley (DR)
**Virginia:**
    1. James Madison (F)
    2. Richard Henty Lee (DR)

```

### House

```
**Connecticut:**
    At-Large - Benjamin Huntington (F)
    At-Large - Roger Sherman (F)
    At-Large - Jonathan Sturges (F)
    At-Large - Jonathan Trumbull Jr. (F)
    At-Large - Oliver Wolcott (F)
**Delaware:**
    At-Large - William Reed (DR / L) [Before November 13, 1790]
                    ↳ Rhoads Shankland (L) [After November 13, 1790]
**Georgia:**
    1. James Jackson (DR)
    2. Abraham Baldwin (DR)
    3. George Mathews (DR)
**Maryland:**
    1. George Dent (F)
    2. Joshua Seney (DR)
    3. Roger Grepell (F)
    4. William Smith (DR)
    5. George Gale (F)
    6. Daniel Carroll (F)
**Massachusetts:**
    1. Fisher Ames (F)
    2. Benjamin Goodhue (F)
    3. Elbridge Gerry (DR)
    4. Theodore Sedgewick (F)
    5. George Partridge (F)
    6. George Thatcher (F)
    7. George Leonard (F)
    8. Artemas Ward (F)
**New Hampshire:**
    At-Large - Benjamin West (F)
    At-Large - Samuel Livermore (DR)
    At-Large - Nicholas Gilman (F)
**New Jersey:**
    At-Large - James Schureman (F)
    At-Large - Elias Boudinot (F)
    At-Large - Thomas Cadwalader (F)
    At-Large - Thomas Sinnickson (F)
**New York:**
    1. William Floyd (DR)
    2. John Laurance (F)
    3. Egbert Benson (F)
    4. John Hathorn (CD)
    5. Peter Silvester (F)
    6. Abraham Ten Broeck (F)
**North Carolina:** [From February 22, 1790]
    1. John Baptista Ashe (DR)
    2. Stephen Cabarrus (F)
    3. Timothy Bloodworth (DR)
    4. John Steele (F)
    5. John Sevier (F)
**Pennsylvania:**
    At-Large - Frederick Muhlenberg (F)
    At-Large - Henry Wynkoop (CD)
    At-Large - Thomas Hartley (F)
    At-Large - George Clymer (CD)
    At-Large - Thomas Fitzsimons (F)
    At-Large - Peter Muhlenberg (DR)
    At-Large - Daniel Hiester (DR)
    At-Large - William Findley (DR)
**Rhode Island:** [From August 31, 1790]
    At-Large - Benjamin Bourne (F)
**South Carolina:**
    1. William L. Smith (F)
    2. Charles C. Pinckney (F)
    3. Daniel Huger (F)
    4. Gavin Longhorn (DR)
    5. Francis Wilde (F)
Vermont:
    1. Israel Smith (DR)
    2. Daniel Buck (F)
**Virginia:**
    1. Alexander White (F)
    2. John Brown (DR)
    3. Andrew Moore (DR)
    4. Richard Bland Lee (F)
    5. James Monroe (DR)
    6. Isaac Coles (DR)
    7. John Page (DR)
    8. Josiah Parker (DR)
    9. Theodorick Bland (DR) [Until June 1, 1790]
           ↳ William B. Giles (DR) [From June 1, 1790]
    10. Benjamin Harrison V (DR)

```