Legislative term from 1791–1793
Modern tour group visiting the House of Representatives chamber at
Congress Hall
Senate chamber at
Congress Hall
The 2nd United States Congress , consisting of the
United States Senate and the
United States House of Representatives , met at
Congress Hall in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , from March 4, 1791, to March 4, 1793, during the third and fourth years of
George Washington 's
presidency . The apportionment of seats in the
House of Representatives was based on the provisions of
Article I, Section 2, Clause 3 of the
United States Constitution . Additional House seats were assigned to the two new states of Vermont and Kentucky. Both chambers had a Pro-Administration majority.
Major events
Major legislation
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
February 20, 1792:
Postal Service Act , Sess. 1,
ch. 7 , 1
Stat.
232 , established the
U.S. Post Office
March 1, 1792: Act relative to the Election of a President and Vice President of the United States, and to
Presidential Succession , Sess. 1,
ch. 8 , 1
Stat.
239 , stated the process for electors and Congress to follow when electing a president and vice president, and established which federal officer would act as president if both the offices of president and vice president became vacant.
April 2, 1792:
Coinage Act of 1792 , Sess. 1,
ch. 16 , 1
Stat.
246 , established the
United States Mint and regulated coinage
April 14, 1792:
Apportionment Act of 1792 , Sess. 1, ch. 23 1
Stat.
253 , increased the size of the House of Representatives from 69 seats in the 2nd Congress to 105 in the
3rd and
apportioned those seats among the several states according to the
1790 census
May 2, 1792:
First Militia Act of 1792 , Sess. 1,
ch. 28 , 1
Stat.
264 , empowered the president to call out the
militias of the various
states in the event of an invasion or rebellion.
May 5, 1792:
Debtors' Prison Relief Act of 1792 , Sess. 1,
ch. 29 , 1
Stat.
265 , established penal regulations and restrictions for persons' gaoled for property debt, tax evasion, and tax resistance.
May 8, 1792:
Second Militia Act of 1792 , Sess. 1,
ch. 33 , 1
Stat.
271 , required that every free able-bodied white male citizen of the various states, between the ages of 18 and 45, enroll in the militia of the state in which they reside.
February 12, 1793:
Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 , Sess. 2,
ch. 7 , 1
Stat.
302
March 2, 1793:
Judiciary Act of 1793 (including
Anti-Injunction Act ), Sess. 2,
ch. 22 , 1
Stat.
333
States admitted
Constitutional amendments
Party summary
There were no political parties in this Congress. Members are informally grouped into factions of similar interest, based on an analysis of their voting record.
[1]
Details on changes are shown below in the "
Changes in membership " section.
Senate
During this congress, two new Senate seats were added for each of the new states of Vermont and Kentucky.
Faction (Shading indicates faction control)
Total
Anti-Administration (A)
Pro-Administration (P)
Vacant
End of
previous Congress
8
18
26
0
Begin
8
17
25
1
March 4, 1791
[a]
16
24
2
June 13, 1791
[b]
17
25
1
November 4, 1791
[c]
10
27
June 18, 1792
[d]
12
29
October 8, 1792
[e]
11
28
2
October 18, 1792
[f]
12
29
1
November 30, 1792
[g]
16
28
2
January 10, 1793
[h]
17
29
1
February 28, 1793
[i]
13
30
0
Final voting share
43.3%
56.7%
Beginning of the
next Congress
14
16
30
0
House of Representatives
Members of the House of Representatives as shared by each state
During this congress, two new House seats were added for each of the new states of Vermont and Kentucky. (Sess. 3, ch. 9, 1
Stat.
191 )
Faction (Shading indicates faction control)
Total
Anti-Administration (A)
Pro-Administration (P)
Vacant
End of
previous Congress
28
36
64
1
Begin March 4, 1791
25
37
62
3
April 4, 1791
[j]
38
63
2
October 24, 1791
[k]
28
66
1
November 1791
[l]
37
65
2
February 6, 1792
[m]
29
66
1
March 21, 1792
[n]
28
65
2
April 2, 1792
[o]
38
66
1
June 1, 1792
[p]
27
65
4
November 8, 1792
[q]
28
66
3
November 9, 1792
[r]
29
67
2
November 22, 1792
[s]
30
68
1
December 6, 1792
[t]
29
67
2
January 30, 1793
[u]
39
68
1
Final voting share
42.6%
57.4%
Beginning of the
next Congress
55
50
105
0
Leadership
Senate President
John Adams
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
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 began in this Congress, facing
re-election in 1796 ; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing
re-election in 1792 ; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing
re-election in 1794 .
▌ 1.
Oliver Ellsworth (P)
▌ 3.
William S. Johnson (P), until March 4, 1791
▌
Roger Sherman (P), from June 13, 1791
▌ 1.
George Read (P)
▌ 2.
Richard Bassett (P)
▌ 2.
William Few (A)
▌ 3.
James Gunn (A)
▌ 2.
John Brown (A), from June 18, 1792
▌ 3.
John Edwards (A), from June 18, 1792
▌ 1.
Charles Carroll (P), until November 30, 1792
▌
Richard Potts (P), from February 4, 1793
▌ 3.
John Henry (P)
▌ 1.
George Cabot (P)
▌ 2.
Caleb Strong (P)
▌ 2.
Paine Wingate (A)
▌ 3.
John Langdon (P)
▌ 1.
John Rutherfurd (P)
▌ 2.
Philemon Dickinson (P)
▌ 1.
Aaron Burr (A)
▌ 3.
Rufus King (P)
▌ 2.
Samuel Johnston (P)
▌ 3.
Benjamin Hawkins (P)
▌ 1.
Albert Gallatin (A), from February 28, 1793 (not formally installed until next Congress)
▌ 3.
Robert Morris (P)
▌ 1.
Theodore Foster (P)
▌ 2.
Joseph Stanton Jr. (A)
▌ 2.
Pierce Butler (A)
▌ 3.
Ralph Izard (P)
▌ 1.
Moses Robinson (A), from October 17, 1791
▌ 3.
Stephen R. Bradley (A), from October 17, 1791
▌ 2.
Richard Henry Lee (A), until October 8, 1792
▌
John Taylor of Caroline (A), from December 12, 1792
▌ 1.
James Monroe (A)
Senators' party membership by state at the opening of the 2nd Congress in March 1791. 2 Anti-Administration
1 Anti-Administration and 1 Pro-Administration
2 Pro-Administration
President pro tempore
Richard Henry Lee
House of Representatives
The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their districts.
All representatives were elected statewide on a
general ticket .
▌
At-large .
James Hillhouse (P)
▌
At-large .
Amasa Learned (P)
▌
At-large .
Jonathan Sturges (P)
▌
At-large .
Jonathan Trumbull Jr. (P)
▌
At-large .
Jeremiah Wadsworth (P)
▌
At-large .
John Vining (P)
All representatives were elected statewide from individual districts.
▌
1 .
Anthony Wayne (A), until March 21, 1792 (seat declared vacant)
▌
John Milledge (A), from November 22, 1792
▌
2 .
Abraham Baldwin (A)
▌
3 .
Francis Willis (A)
▌
1 .
Christopher Greenup (A), from November 9, 1792
▌
2 .
Alexander D. Orr (A), from November 8, 1792
All representatives were elected statewide from individual districts.
▌
1 .
Philip Key (P)
▌
2 .
Joshua Seney (A), until December 6, 1792
▌
William Hindman (P), from January 30, 1793
▌
3 .
William Pinkney (P), until November 9, 1791
▌
John F. Mercer (A), from February 6, 1792
▌
4 .
Samuel Sterett (A)
▌
5 .
William Vans Murray (P)
▌
6 .
Upton Sheredine (A)
▌
1 .
Fisher Ames (P)
▌
2 .
Benjamin Goodhue (P)
▌
3 .
Elbridge Gerry (A)
▌
4 .
Theodore Sedgwick (P)
▌
5 .
Shearjashub Bourne (P)
▌
6 .
George Leonard (P), from April 2, 1792 (late election)
▌
7 .
Artemas Ward (P)
▌
8 .
George Thatcher (P), from April 4, 1791 (late election)
All representatives were elected statewide on a
general ticket .
▌
At-large .
Nicholas Gilman (P)
▌
At-large .
Samuel Livermore (P)
▌
At-large .
Jeremiah Smith (P)
All representatives were elected statewide on a
general ticket .
▌
At-large .
Elias Boudinot (P)
▌
At-large .
Abraham Clark (P)
▌
At-large .
Jonathan Dayton (P)
▌
At-large .
Aaron Kitchell (A)
▌
1 .
Thomas Tredwell (A), from October 24, 1791
▌
2 .
John Laurance (P)
▌
3 .
Egbert Benson (P)
▌
4 .
Cornelius C. Schoonmaker (A)
▌
5 .
Peter Silvester (P)
▌
6 .
James Gordon (P)
There was a special redistricting for this Congress.
▌
1 .
John Steele (P)
▌
2 .
Nathaniel Macon (A)
▌
3 .
John Baptista Ashe (A)
▌
4 .
Hugh Williamson (A)
▌
5 .
William Barry Grove (P)
▌
1 .
Thomas Fitzsimons (P)
▌
2 .
Frederick Muhlenberg (A)
▌
3 .
Israel Jacobs (P)
▌
4 .
Daniel Hiester (A)
▌
5 .
John Wilkes Kittera (P)
▌
6 .
Andrew Gregg (A)
▌
7 .
Thomas Hartley (P)
▌
8 .
William Findley (A)
▌
At-large .
Benjamin Bourne (P)
▌
1 .
William L. Smith (P)
▌
2 .
Robert Barnwell (P)
▌
3 .
Daniel Huger (P)
▌
4 .
Thomas Sumter (A)
▌
5 .
Thomas Tudor Tucker (A)
▌
1 .
Israel Smith (A), from October 31, 1791
▌
2 .
Nathaniel Niles (A), from October 31, 1791
▌
1 .
Alexander White (P)
▌
2 .
John Brown (A), until June 1, 1792 (when his district became Kentucky)
Vacant thereafter
▌
3 .
Andrew Moore (A)
▌
4 .
Richard Bland Lee (P)
▌
5 .
James Madison (A)
▌
6 .
Abraham B. Venable (A)
▌
7 .
John Page (A)
▌
8 .
Josiah Parker (P)
▌
9 .
William B. Giles (A)
▌
10 .
Samuel Griffin (A)
Speaker
Jonathan Trumbull Jr.
Membership changes
There were no political parties in this Congress. Members are informally grouped into factions of similar interest, based on an analysis of their voting record.
[1]
Vermont and
Kentucky were newly admitted as states and are first represented in this Congress.
Senate
There were three resignations, one contested election, and four new seats of admitted states, resulting in a four-seat net gain of the Anti-Administration Senators.
Senate changes
State (class)
Vacated by
Reason for change
Successor
Date of successor's formal installation
[v]
Pennsylvania (1)
Vacant
Legislature failed to elect senator. Successor
elected February 28, 1793.
Albert Gallatin (A)
December 2, 1793
Connecticut (3)
William S. Johnson (P)
Resigned March 4, 1791. Successor
elected June 13, 1791.
Roger Sherman (P)
June 13, 1791
Vermont (3)
New seat
Vermont was admitted to the Union March 4, 1791. Winners
elected October 17, 1791.
Stephen R. Bradley (A)
November 4, 1791
Vermont (1)
Moses Robinson (A)
November 4, 1791
Kentucky (3)
New seat
Kentucky was admitted to the Union June 1, 1792. Winners
elected June 18, 1792.
John Edwards (A)
June 18, 1792
Kentucky (2)
John Brown (A)
June 18, 1792
Virginia (2)
Richard Henry Lee (A)
Resigned October 8, 1792. Successor
elected October 18, 1792.
John Taylor (A)
October 18, 1792
Maryland (1)
Charles Carroll (P)
Resigned November 30, 1792. Successor
elected January 10, 1793.
Richard Potts (P)
January 10, 1793
House of Representatives
There were 3 resignations, 1 vacancy of a member-elect, 1 contested election, 2 late elections, and 4 new seats of admitted states, resulting in a 3-seat net gain of the Anti-Administration members and a 1-seat net gain of the Pro-Administration members.
House changes
District
Vacated by
Reason for change
Successor
Date of successor's formal installation
[v]
Massachusetts 8th
Vacant
Due to failure to reach a majority, four ballots were needed to elect. Incumbent was elected late April 4, 1791.
George Thatcher (P)
April 4, 1791
New York 1st
Vacant
Representative-elect James Townsend died on May 24, 1790, before Congress assembled.
Thomas Tredwell (A)
October 24, 1791
Vermont 1st
New seat
Vermont was admitted to the Union on March 4, 1791.
Israel Smith (A)
October 24, 1791
Vermont 2nd
Nathaniel Niles (A)
October 24, 1791
Maryland 3rd
William Pinkney (P)
Resigned November 1791
John Francis Mercer (A)
February 6, 1792
Massachusetts 6th
Vacant
Due to failure to reach a majority, eight ballots were needed to elect. Incumbent was elected late April 2, 1792.
George Leonard (P)
April 2, 1792
Virginia 2nd
John Brown (A)
Resigned June 1, 1792, to become U.S. Senator from Kentucky.
Vacant
Seat went with
Kentucky
Kentucky 2nd
New seat
Kentucky was admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792.
Alexander D. Orr (A)
November 8, 1792
Kentucky 1st
Christopher Greenup (A)
November 9, 1792
Georgia 1st
Anthony Wayne (A)
Anthony Wayne served until March 21, 1792, when seat declared vacant because the election was contested
John Milledge (A)
November 22, 1792
Maryland 2nd
Joshua Seney (A)
Resigned December 6, 1792.
William Hindman (P)
January 30, 1793
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Senate
House of Representatives
Joint committees
Employees
Senate
House of Representatives
See also
Notes
^ In
Connecticut :
William Samuel Johnson resigned.
^ In
Connecticut :
Roger Sherman was elected to fill the vacancy created when
William Samuel Johnson resigned.
^ In
Vermont : the state was admitted to the Union on March 4, 1791, and elected two Senators.
^ In
Kentucky : the state was admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, and elected two Senators.
^ In
Virginia :
Richard Henry Lee resigned.
^ In
Virginia :
John Taylor was elected to fill the vacancy created when
Richard Henry Lee resigned.
^ In
Maryland :
Charles Carroll resigned.
^ In
Maryland :
Richard Potts was elected to fill the vacancy created when
Charles Carroll resigned.
^ In
Pennsylvania : the legislature, having failed to elect a Senator at the start of the Congress, did so now.
Albert Gallatin was not actually seated until the next Congress.
^ In
Massachusetts's 8th district ,
George Thatcher was seated late after three runoff elections.
^ In
New York's 1st district , Representative-elect
James Townsend died before the Congress began, and
Thomas Tredwell was elected to fill the seat. In Vermont, two seats were added as the state joined the union.
^ In
Maryland's 3rd district ,
William Pinkney resigned.
^ In
Maryland's 3rd district ,
John Francis Mercer was elected to fill the vacancy created when
William Pinkney resigned.
^ In
Georgia's 1st district ,
Anthony Wayne had been elected in a contested election, and his seat was now declared vacant.
^ In
Massachusetts's 6th district ,
George Leonard was seated late after seven runoff elections.
^ When Kentucky entered the union, it received two seats. In
Virginia's 2nd district ,
John Brown resigned to become a Senator from Kentucky. the seat was not filled until the next Congress
^ In
Kentucky's 2nd district ,
Alexander D. Orr was elected to the new seat.
^ In
Kentucky's 1st district ,
Christopher Greenup was elected to the new seat.
^ In
Georgia's 1st district ,
John Milledge was elected to the seat declared vacant because the previous election was contested.
^ In
Maryland's 2nd district ,
Joshua Seney resigned to become a judge.
^ In
Maryland's 2nd district ,
William Hindman was elected to fill the vacancy created when
Joshua Seney resigned.
^
a
b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.
References
^
a
b Martis, Kenneth C. The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress .
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