2nd United States Congress
Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox United States Congress
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. Template:TOC limit
Major events
- April 5, 1792: President Washington used the veto for the first time, vetoing a bill designed to apportion representatives among U.S. states.
- April–May, 1792: the House conducted the government's first investigative hearings, examining Gen. Arthur St. Clair's Defeat in the Battle of the Wabash.
- October 13, 1792: Foundation of Washington, D.C.: The cornerstone of the United States Executive Mansion, now known as the White House, was laid.
Major legislation
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- February 20, 1792: Postal Service Act, Sess. 1, ch. 7, Template:USStat, 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, Template:USStat, 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, Template:USStat, established the United States Mint and regulated coinage
- April 14, 1792: Apportionment Act of 1792, Sess. 1, ch. 23 Template:USStat, 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, Template:USStat, 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, Template:USStat, 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, Template:USStat, 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, Template:USStat
- March 2, 1793: Judiciary Act of 1793 (including Anti-Injunction Act), Sess. 2, ch. 22, Template:USStat
States admitted
- March 4, 1791: Vermont was admitted as the 14th state, Template:USStat
- June 1, 1792: Kentucky was admitted as the 15th state, Template:USStat
Constitutional amendments
- December 15, 1791: The first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified by the requisite number of states (then 11) to become part of the Constitution.
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.<ref name=Atlas>Template:Cite book</ref>
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.
House of Representatives
During this congress, two new House seats were added for each of the new states of Vermont and Kentucky. (Sess. 3, ch. 9, Template:USStat)
Leadership
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John Adams
Senate
- President: John Adams (P)
- President pro tempore:
- Richard Henry Lee (P)
- John Langdon (P), elected November 5, 1792
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
Template:Main 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. Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break
- Template:Party stripe1. Oliver Ellsworth (P)
- Template:Party stripe3. William S. Johnson (P), until March 4, 1791
- Template:Party stripeRoger Sherman (P), from June 13, 1791
- Template:Party stripe2. John Brown (A), from June 18, 1792
- Template:Party stripe3. John Edwards (A), from June 18, 1792
- Template:Party stripe1. Charles Carroll (P), until November 30, 1792
- Template:Party stripeRichard Potts (P), from February 4, 1793
- Template:Party stripe3. John Henry (P)
- Template:Party stripe1. Albert Gallatin (A), from February 28, 1793 (not formally installed until next Congress)
- Template:Party stripe3. Robert Morris (P)
- Template:Party stripe1. Moses Robinson (A), from October 17, 1791
- Template:Party stripe3. Stephen R. Bradley (A), from October 17, 1791
- Template:Party stripe2. Richard Henry Lee (A), until October 8, 1792
- Template:Party stripeJohn Taylor of Caroline (A), from December 12, 1792
- Template:Party stripe1. James Monroe (A)
Template:Col-break Template:Col-break
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House of Representatives
Template:Main The names of representatives are preceded by their districts. Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. James Hillhouse (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Amasa Learned (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Jonathan Sturges (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Jonathan Trumbull Jr. (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Jeremiah Wadsworth (P)
All representatives were elected statewide from individual districts.
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Anthony Wayne (A), until March 21, 1792 (seat declared vacant)
- Template:Party stripeJohn Milledge (A), from November 22, 1792
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Abraham Baldwin (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Francis Willis (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Christopher Greenup (A), from November 9, 1792
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Alexander D. Orr (A), from November 8, 1792
All representatives were elected statewide from individual districts.
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Philip Key (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Joshua Seney (A), until December 6, 1792
- Template:Party stripeWilliam Hindman (P), from January 30, 1793
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. William Pinkney (P), until November 9, 1791
- Template:Party stripeJohn F. Mercer (A), from February 6, 1792
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Samuel Sterett (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. William Vans Murray (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Upton Sheredine (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Fisher Ames (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Benjamin Goodhue (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Elbridge Gerry (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Theodore Sedgwick (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Shearjashub Bourne (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. George Leonard (P), from April 2, 1792 (late election)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Artemas Ward (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. George Thatcher (P), from April 4, 1791 (late election)
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Nicholas Gilman (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Samuel Livermore (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Jeremiah Smith (P)
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Elias Boudinot (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Abraham Clark (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Jonathan Dayton (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Aaron Kitchell (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Thomas Tredwell (A), from October 24, 1791
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. John Laurance (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Egbert Benson (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Cornelius C. Schoonmaker (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Peter Silvester (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. James Gordon (P)
There was a special redistricting for this Congress.
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. John Steele (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Nathaniel Macon (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. John Baptista Ashe (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Hugh Williamson (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. William Barry Grove (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Thomas Fitzsimons (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Frederick Muhlenberg (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Israel Jacobs (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Daniel Hiester (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. John Wilkes Kittera (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Andrew Gregg (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Thomas Hartley (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. William Findley (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. William L. Smith (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Robert Barnwell (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Daniel Huger (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Thomas Sumter (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Thomas Tudor Tucker (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Israel Smith (A), from October 31, 1791
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Nathaniel Niles (A), from October 31, 1791
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Alexander White (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. John Brown (A), until June 1, 1792 (when his district became Kentucky)
- Vacant thereafter
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Andrew Moore (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Richard Bland Lee (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. James Madison (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Abraham B. Venable (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. John Page (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Josiah Parker (P)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. William B. Giles (A)
- Template:Party stripeTemplate:Ushr. Samuel Griffin (A)
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.<ref name=Atlas/>
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. Template:See also Template:Ordinal US Congress change
|-
| Pennsylvania
(1)
| Vacant
| Legislature failed to elect senator.
Successor elected February 28, 1793.
| Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | Albert Gallatin (A)
| December 2, 1793
|-
| Connecticut
(3)
| Template:Party shading/Pro-Administration | William S. Johnson (P)
| Resigned March 4, 1791.
Successor elected June 13, 1791.
| Template:Party shading/Pro-Administration | Roger Sherman (P)
| June 13, 1791
|-
| Vermont
(3)
| rowspan=2 | New seat
| rowspan=2 | Vermont was admitted to the Union March 4, 1791.
Winners elected October 17, 1791.
| Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | Stephen R. Bradley (A)
| November 4, 1791
|-
| Vermont
(1)
| Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | Moses Robinson (A)
| November 4, 1791
|-
| Kentucky
(3)
| rowspan=2 | New seat
| rowspan=2 | Kentucky was admitted to the Union June 1, 1792.
Winners elected June 18, 1792.
| Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | John Edwards (A)
| June 18, 1792
|-
| Kentucky
(2)
| Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | John Brown (A)
| June 18, 1792
|-
| Virginia
(2)
| Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | Richard Henry Lee (A)
| Resigned October 8, 1792.
Successor elected October 18, 1792.
| Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | John Taylor (A)
| October 18, 1792
|-
| Maryland
(1)
| Template:Party shading/Pro-Administration | Charles Carroll (P)
| Resigned November 30, 1792.
Successor elected January 10, 1793.
| Template:Party shading/Pro-Administration | 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. Template:Main Template:Ordinal US Congress change
|- | nowrap | Template:Ushr | Vacant | Due to failure to reach a majority, four ballots were needed to elect. Incumbent was elected late April 4, 1791. | Template:Party shading/Pro-Administration | George Thatcher (P) | April 4, 1791
|- | nowrap | Template:Ushr | Vacant | Representative-elect James Townsend died on May 24, 1790, before Congress assembled. | Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | Thomas Tredwell (A) | October 24, 1791
|- | nowrap | Template:Ushr | rowspan=2 | New seat | rowspan=2 | Vermont was admitted to the Union on March 4, 1791. | Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | Israel Smith (A) | October 24, 1791
|- | nowrap | Template:Ushr | Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | Nathaniel Niles (A) | October 24, 1791
|- | nowrap | Template:Ushr | Template:Party shading/Pro-Administration | William Pinkney (P) | Resigned November 1791 | Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | John Francis Mercer (A) | February 6, 1792
|- | nowrap | Template:Ushr | Vacant | Due to failure to reach a majority, eight ballots were needed to elect. Incumbent was elected late April 2, 1792. | Template:Party shading/Pro-Administration | George Leonard (P) | April 2, 1792
|- | nowrap | Template:Ushr | Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | John Brown (A) | Resigned June 1, 1792, to become U.S. Senator from Kentucky. | Vacant | Seat went with Kentucky
|- | nowrap | Template:Ushr | rowspan=2 | New seat | rowspan=2 | Kentucky was admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792. | Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | Alexander D. Orr (A) | November 8, 1792
|- | nowrap | Template:Ushr | Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | Christopher Greenup (A) | November 9, 1792
|- | nowrap | Template:Ushr | Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | Anthony Wayne (A) | Anthony Wayne served until March 21, 1792, when seat declared vacant because the election was contested | Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | John Milledge (A) | November 22, 1792
|- | nowrap | Template:Ushr | Template:Party shading/Anti-Administration | Joshua Seney (A) | Resigned December 6, 1792. | Template:Party shading/Pro-Administration | William Hindman (P) | January 30, 1793
|}
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Senate
House of Representatives
- Elections (Chairman: Samuel Livermore)
- Rules (Select)
- Whole
Joint committees
- Enrolled Bills (Chairman: John Rutherfurd)
Employees
Senate
House of Representatives
- Clerk: John Beckley
- Sergeant at Arms: Joseph Wheaton
- Doorkeeper: Gifford Dalley
- Chaplain:
- Samuel Blair Presbyterian
- Ashbel Green, Presbyterian, elected November 5, 1792
- Reading Clerks: Template:Dm
See also
- 1790 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress)
- 1792 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)