1801–1803 U.S. Congress
The 7th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the
United States Senate and the
United States House of Representatives . It met in
Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1801, to March 4, 1803, during the first two years of
Thomas Jefferson 's
presidency . The apportionment of seats in the
House of Representatives was based on the
1790 United States census . Both chambers had a
Democratic-Republican majority, except during the Special session of the Senate, when there was a
Federalist majority in the Senate.
Major events
Major legislation
States admitted
United States Capitol with "Brick Oven"
Ohio was admitted as a state, having previously been a portion of the
Northwest Territory . The exact date is unclear and in dispute, but it is undisputed that it was during this Congress. The official date when Ohio became a state was not set until 1953, when the
83rd U.S. Congress passed legislation retrospectively designating the date of the first meeting of the
Ohio state legislature , March 1, 1803, as that date. However, on April 30, 1802, the 7th U.S. Congress had passed an act "authorizing the inhabitants of Ohio to form a Constitution and state government, and admission of Ohio into the Union." (Sess. 1, ch. 40, 2
Stat.
173 ) On February 19, 1803, the same Congress passed an act "providing for the execution of the laws of the United States in the State of Ohio." (Sess. 2, ch. 7, 2
Stat.
201 ) The
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress states that Ohio was admitted to the Union on November 29, 1802, and counts its seats as vacant from that date.
Party summary
The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress, and includes members from vacancies and newly admitted states, when they were first seated. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.
Senate
Although the Federalists had more senators during the very brief March 1801 special session, by the time the first regular session met in December 1801, the Democratic-Republicans had gained majority control.
House of Representatives
State shares of party representatives
Leadership
Senate
House of Representatives
Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.
Senate
Skip to House of Representatives , below
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 ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1802; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1804; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, facing re-election in 1806.
▌ 1.
James Hillhouse (F)
▌ 3.
Uriah Tracy (F)
▌ 1.
Samuel White (F)
▌ 2.
William H. Wells (F)
▌ 2.
Abraham Baldwin (DR)
▌ 3.
James Jackson (DR)
▌ 2.
John Brown (DR)
▌ 3.
John Breckinridge (DR)
▌ 1.
John Eager Howard (F)
▌ 3.
William Hindman (F), until November 19, 1801
▌
Robert Wright (DR), from November 19, 1801
▌ 1.
Jonathan Mason (F)
▌ 2.
Dwight Foster (F), until March 2, 1803
▌ 2.
Samuel Livermore (F), until June 12, 1801
▌
Simeon Olcott (F), from June 17, 1801
▌ 3.
James Sheafe (F), until June 14, 1802
▌
William Plumer (F), from June 17, 1802
▌ 1.
Aaron Ogden (F)
▌ 2.
Jonathan Dayton (F)
▌ 1.
Gouverneur Morris (F)
▌ 3.
John Armstrong Jr. (DR), until February 5, 1802
▌
DeWitt Clinton (DR), from February 9, 1802
▌ 2.
Jesse Franklin (DR)
▌ 3.
David Stone (DR)
Due to uncertainty over Ohio's exact admittance date (see
"States admitted, above" ) its two senators were not elected until the next Congress.
1: Vacant (newly admitted state)
3: Vacant (newly admitted state)
▌ 1.
James Ross (F)
▌ 3.
John Peter G. Muhlenberg (DR), until June 30, 1801
▌
George Logan (DR), from July 13, 1801
▌ 1.
Theodore Foster (F)
▌ 2.
Ray Greene (F), until March 5, 1801
▌
Christopher Ellery (DR), from May 6, 1801
▌ 2.
Charles Pinckney (DR), until June 6, 1801
▌
Thomas Sumter (DR), from December 15, 1801
▌ 3.
John E. Colhoun (DR), until October 26, 1802
▌
Pierce Butler (DR), from November 4, 1802
▌ 1.
Joseph Anderson (DR)
▌ 2.
William Cocke (DR)
▌ 1.
Nathaniel Chipman (F)
▌ 3.
Elijah Paine (F), until September 1, 1801
▌
Stephen R. Bradley (DR), from October 15, 1801
▌ 1.
Stevens Mason (DR)
▌ 2.
Wilson C. Nicholas (DR)
Senators' party membership by state at the opening of the 7th Congress in March 1801. 2 Democratic-Republicans
1 Democratic-Republican and 1 Federalist
2 Federalists
House of Representatives
The names of members of the House of Representatives elected statewide on the
general ticket or otherwise at-large, are preceded by an "At-large," and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, are preceded by their district numbers.
All representatives were elected statewide on a
general ticket .
▌
At-large .
Samuel W. Dana (F)
▌
At-large .
John Davenport (F)
▌
At-large .
Calvin Goddard (F), from May 14, 1801
▌
At-large .
Roger Griswold (F)
▌
At-large .
Elias Perkins (F)
▌
At-large .
John Cotton Smith (F)
▌
At-large .
Benjamin Tallmadge (F), from September 21, 1801
▌
At-large .
James A. Bayard (F)
All representatives were elected statewide on a
general ticket .
▌
At-large .
John Milledge (DR), until May 1802
▌
Peter Early (DR), from January 10, 1803
▌
At-large .
Benjamin Taliaferro (DR), until May 1802
▌
David Meriwether (DR), from December 6, 1802
▌
1 .
Thomas T. Davis (DR)
▌
2 .
John Fowler (DR)
▌
1 .
John Campbell (F)
▌
2 .
Richard Sprigg Jr. (DR), until February 11, 1802
▌
Walter Bowie (DR), from March 24, 1802
▌
3 .
Thomas Plater (F)
▌
4 .
Daniel Hiester (DR)
▌
5 .
Samuel Smith (DR)
▌
6 .
John Archer (DR)
▌
7 .
Joseph H. Nicholson (DR)
▌
8 .
John Dennis (F)
▌
1 .
John Bacon (DR)
▌
2 .
William Shepard (F)
▌
3 .
Ebenezer Mattoon (F)
▌
4 .
Levi Lincoln Sr. (DR), until March 5, 1801
▌
Seth Hastings (F), from January 11, 1802
▌
5 .
Lemuel Williams (F)
▌
6 .
Josiah Smith (DR)
▌
7 .
Phanuel Bishop (DR)
▌
8 .
William Eustis (DR)
▌
9 .
Joseph Bradley Varnum (DR)
▌
10 .
Nathan Read (F)
▌
11 .
Manasseh Cutler (F)
▌
12 .
Silas Lee (F), until August 20, 1801
▌
Samuel Thatcher (F), from December 6, 1802
▌
13 .
Peleg Wadsworth (F)
▌
14 .
Richard Cutts (DR), from December 7, 1801
All representatives were elected statewide on a
general ticket .
▌
At-large .
Abiel Foster (F)
▌
At-large .
Joseph Peirce (F), until June 1802
▌
Samuel Hunt (F), from December 6, 1802
▌
At-large .
Samuel Tenney (F)
▌
At-large .
George B. Upham (F)
All representatives were elected statewide on a
general ticket .
▌
At-large .
John Condit (DR)
▌
At-large .
Ebenezer Elmer (DR)
▌
At-large .
William Helms (DR)
▌
At-large .
James Mott (DR)
▌
At-large .
Henry Southard (DR)
▌
1 .
John Smith (DR)
▌
2 .
Samuel L. Mitchill (DR)
▌
3 .
Philip Van Cortlandt (DR)
▌
4 .
Lucas C. Elmendorf (DR)
▌
5 .
Thomas Tillotson (DR), until August 10, 1801
▌
Theodorus Bailey (DR), from December 7, 1801
▌
6 .
John Bird (F), until July 25, 1801
▌
John P. Van Ness (DR), December 7, 1801 – January 17, 1803; vacant thereafter
▌
7 .
David Thomas (DR)
▌
8 .
Killian K. Van Rensselaer (F)
▌
9 .
Benjamin Walker (F)
▌
10 .
Thomas Morris (F)
▌
1 .
James Holland (DR)
▌
2 .
Archibald Henderson (F)
▌
3 .
Robert Williams (DR)
▌
4 .
Richard Stanford (DR)
▌
5 .
Nathaniel Macon (DR)
▌
6 .
William H. Hill (F)
▌
7 .
William Barry Grove (F)
▌
8 .
Charles Johnson (DR), until July 23, 1802
▌
Thomas Wynns (DR), from December 7, 1802
▌
9 .
Willis Alston (F)
▌
10 .
John Stanly (F)
At-large . vacant
[1] (newly admitted state)
▌
1 .
William Jones (DR)
▌
2 .
Michael Leib (DR)
▌
3 .
Joseph Hemphill (F)
▌
4A :
[2]
Robert Brown (DR)
▌
4B :
[2]
Isaac Van Horne (DR)
▌
5 .
Joseph Hiester (DR)
▌
6 .
John A. Hanna (DR)
▌
7 .
Thomas Boude (F)
▌
8 .
John Stewart (DR)
▌
9 .
Andrew Gregg (DR)
▌
10 .
Henry Woods (F)
▌
11 .
John Smilie (DR)
▌
12 .
William Hoge (DR)
Both representatives were elected statewide on a
general ticket .
▌
At-large .
Joseph Stanton Jr. (DR)
▌
At-large .
Thomas Tillinghast (DR)
▌
1 .
Thomas Lowndes (F)
▌
2 .
John Rutledge Jr. (F)
▌
3 .
Benjamin Huger (F)
▌
4 .
Thomas Sumter (DR), until December 15, 1801
▌
Richard Winn (DR), from January 24, 1802
▌
5 .
William Butler Sr. (DR)
▌
6 .
Thomas Moore (DR)
▌
At-large .
William Dickson (DR)
▌
1 .
Israel Smith (DR)
▌
2 .
Lewis R. Morris (F)
▌
1 .
John Smith (DR)
▌
2 .
David Holmes (DR)
▌
3 .
George Jackson (DR)
▌
4 .
Abram Trigg (DR)
▌
5 .
John J. Trigg (DR)
▌
6 .
Matthew Clay (DR)
▌
7 .
John Randolph (DR)
▌
8 .
Thomas Claiborne (DR)
▌
9 .
William B. Giles (DR)
▌
10 .
Edwin Gray (DR)
▌
11 .
Thomas Newton Jr. (DR)
▌
12 .
John Stratton (F)
▌
13 .
John Clopton (DR)
▌
14 .
Samuel J. Cabell (DR)
▌
15 .
John Dawson (DR)
▌
16 .
Anthony New (DR)
▌
17 .
Richard Brent (DR)
▌
18 .
Philip R. Thompson (DR)
▌
19 .
John Taliaferro (DR)
Non-voting members
Mississippi Territory . ▌
Narsworthy Hunter (DR), until March 11, 1802
▌
Thomas M. Green Jr. (DR), from December 6, 1802
▌
Northwest Territory .
Paul Fearing (F)
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
Senate
There was 1 death, 8 resignations, and 2 seats added for a new state.
Senate changes
State (class)
Vacated by
Reason for change
Successor
Date of successor's formal installation
[a]
Rhode Island (2)
Ray Greene (F)
Resigned March 5, 1801, after being nominated for a judicial position. His successor was elected.
Christopher Ellery (DR)
Seated May 6, 1801
South Carolina (2)
Charles Pinckney (DR)
Resigned June 6, 1801, after being appointed
Minister to Spain . His successor was elected.
Thomas Sumter (DR)
Seated December 15, 1801
New Hampshire (2)
Samuel Livermore (F)
Resigned June 12, 1801. His successor was elected.
Simeon Olcott (F)
Seated June 17, 1801
Pennsylvania (3)
Peter Muhlenberg (DR)
Resigned June 30, 1801. His successor was appointed July 13, 1801, and then elected December 17, 1801.
George Logan (DR)
Seated July 13, 1801
Vermont (3)
Elijah Paine (F)
Resigned September 1, 1801. His successor was elected.
Stephen R. Bradley (DR)
Seated October 15, 1801
Maryland (3)
William Hindman (F)
Resigned November 19, 1801. His successor was elected.
Robert Wright (DR)
Seated November 19, 1801
Massachusetts (3)
Dwight Foster (F)
Resigned March 2, 1803. Not filled this Congress
Vacant
New York (3)
John Armstrong Jr. (DR)
Resigned February 5, 1802. His successor was elected.
DeWitt Clinton (DR)
Seated February 9, 1802
New Hampshire (3)
James Sheafe (F)
Resigned June 14, 1802. His successor was elected.
William Plumer (F)
Seated June 17, 1802
South Carolina (3)
John E. Colhoun (DR)
Died October 26, 1802. His successor was elected.
Pierce Butler (DR)
Seated November 4, 1802
Ohio (1)
New seats
Ohio was admitted to the Union on November 29, 1802.
Vacant
Not filled this Congress
Ohio (3)
Vacant
House of Representatives
Replacements: 8
Deaths: 1
Resignations: 9
Forfeiture: 1
Vacancy: 1
Total seats with changes: 11
House changes
District
Vacated by
Reason for change
Successor
Date of successor's formal installation
[a]
Connecticut at-large
Vacant
Elizur Goodrich (F) resigned before the beginning of this Congress.
Calvin Goddard (F)
May 14, 1801
Connecticut at-large
Vacant
William Edmond (F) resigned before the beginning of this Congress.
Benjamin Tallmadge (F)
September 21, 1801
Massachusetts 14th
Vacant
Representative-elect
George Thatcher declined to serve. Successor
elected June 22, 1801 .
Richard Cutts (DR)
December 7, 1801
[3]
Massachusetts 4th
Levi Lincoln (DR)
Resigned March 5, 1801, after being appointed
US attorney General .
Seth Hastings (F)
January 11, 1802
New York 6th
John Bird (F)
Resigned July 25, 1801.
John Peter Van Ness (DR)
December 7, 1801
New York 5th
Thomas Tillotson (DR)
Resigned August 10, 1801, upon appointment as
NY Secretary of State .
Theodorus Bailey (DR)
December 7, 1801
Massachusetts 12th
Silas Lee (F)
Resigned August 20, 1801.
Samuel Thatcher (F)
December 6, 1802
South Carolina 4th
Thomas Sumter (DR)
Resigned December 15, 1801, after being elected to the
US Senate .
Richard Winn (DR)
January 24, 1802
Georgia at-large
Benjamin Taliaferro (DR)
Resigned sometime in 1802.
David Meriwether (DR)
December 6, 1802
New Hampshire at-large
Joseph Peirce (F)
Resigned sometime in 1802.
Samuel Hunt (F)
December 6, 1802
Maryland 2nd
Richard Sprigg Jr. (DR)
Resigned February 11, 1802.
Walter Bowie (DR)
March 24, 1802
Mississippi Territory at-large
Narsworthy Hunter (DR)
Died March 11, 1802.
Thomas M. Green Jr. (DR)
December 6, 1802
Georgia at-large
John Milledge (DR)
Resigned May 1802 after being elected
Governor .
Peter Early (DR)
January 10, 1803
North Carolina 8th
Charles Johnson (DR)
Died July 23, 1802.
Thomas Wynns (DR)
December 7, 1802
Ohio at-large
New seat
Ohio was admitted to the Union on November 29, 1802.
Vacant
Not filled until next Congress
New York 6th
John Peter Van Ness (DR)
Seat declared forfeited January 17, 1803.
Vacant
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Senate
House of Representatives
Joint committees
Officers
Senate
House of Representatives
See also
Notes
^
a
b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.
References
^ The official date when Ohio became a state was not set until 1953, when the
83rd U.S. Congress passed legislation retrospectively designating the date of the first meeting of the
Ohio state legislature , March 1, 1803, as that date. However, on April 30, 1802, the 7th U.S. Congress had passed an act "authorizing the inhabitants of Ohio to form a Constitution and state government, and admission of Ohio into the Union." (Sess. 1, ch. 40, 2
Stat.
173 ) On February 19, 1803, the same Congress passed an act "providing for the execution of the laws of the United States in the State of Ohio." (Sess. 2, ch. 7, 2
Stat.
201 ) The
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress states that Ohio was admitted to the Union on November 29, 1802, and counts its seats as vacant from that date.
^
a
b Pennsylvania's 4th district was a plural district with two representatives.
^
"Seventh Congress March 4, 1801 to March 3, 1803" . Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 11, 2019 – via History.house.gov.
Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress . New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts . New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
External links