7th United States Congress

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7th United States Congress
6th ←
→ 8th
USCapitol1800.jpg
United States Capitol (1800)
March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1803
Members34 senators
107 representatives
2 non-voting delegates
Senate MajorityDemocratic-Republican
Senate PresidentAaron Burr (DR)
House MajorityDemocratic-Republican
House SpeakerNathaniel Macon (DR)
Sessions
Special: March 4, 1801 – March 5, 1801
1st: December 7, 1801 – May 3, 1802
2nd: December 6, 1802 – March 3, 1803

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 First Census of the United States in 1790. 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[]

Main articles: 1801 in the United States, 1802 in the United States, and 1803 in the United States
  • March 4, 1801: Thomas Jefferson became President of the United States.
  • May 10, 1801: The pascha of Tripoli declared war on United States by having the flagpole on the consulate chopped down
  • March 16, 1802: West Point established
  • February 24, 1803: First time an Act of Congress was declared unconstitutional: U.S. Supreme Court case, Marbury v. Madison

Major legislation[]

Main article: List of United States federal legislation § 7th United States Congress

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.

Party
(shading shows control) 		Total Vacant
Democratic-
Republican
(DR) 		Federalist
(F)
End of previous congress 11 21 32 0
Begin 14 18 32 0
End 17 14 313
Final voting share 54.8% 45.2%
Beginning of next congress 22 9 31 3

House of Representatives[]

State shares of party representatives
Party
(shading shows control) 		Total Vacant
Democratic-
Republican
(DR) 		Federalist
(F)
End of previous congress 49 56 105 1
Begin 67 36 103 3
End 38 1052
Final voting share 63.8% 36.2%
Beginning of next congress 113 26 139 3

Leadership[]

Senate[]

President of the Senate
Aaron Burr
President pro tempore of the Senate
Abraham Baldwin
  • President: Aaron Burr (DR)
  • President pro tempore: Abraham Baldwin (DR), first elected December 7, 1801
    • Stephen R. Bradley (DR), first elected December 14, 1802

House of Representatives[]

  • Speaker: Nathaniel Macon, (DR), elected December 7, 1801

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.

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.

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.

See also: List of special elections to the United States Senate
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
    • Democratic-Republicans: no net change
    • Federalists: no net change
  • Deaths: 1
  • Resignations: 9
  • Forfeiture: 1
  • Vacancy: 1
  • Total seats with changes: 11
Main article: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives
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 . 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 Died March 11, 1802. Thomas M. Green Jr. 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[]

  • Claims (Chairman: N/A)
  • Commerce and Manufactures (Chairman: N/A)
  • Elections (Chairman: N/A)
  • Revisal and Unfinished Business (Chairman: N/A)
  • Rules (Select)
  • Standards of Official Conduct (Chairman: N/A)
  • Ways and Means (Chairman: John Randolph)
  • Whole

Joint committees[]

  • Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Dwight Foster)

Officers[]

Legislative branch agency directors[]

  • Architect of the Capitol: William Thornton
  • Librarian of Congress: John J. Beckley, from 1802

Senate[]

  • Chaplain: Thomas J. Claggett (Episcopalian), until December 9, 1801
    • Edward Gantt (Episcopalian), elected December 9, 1801
  • Secretary: Samuel A. Otis
  • Doorkeeper: James Mathers

House of Representatives[]

  • Chaplain: Thomas Lyell (Methodist), until December 10, 1801
    • (Baptist), elected December 10, 1801
  • Clerk: John Holt Oswald, until December 7, 1801
    • John Beckley, elected December 7, 1801
  • Doorkeeper: Thomas Claxton
  • Reading Clerks:[data unknown/missing]
  • Sergeant at Arms: Joseph Wheaton

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ a b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References[]

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ a b Pennsylvania's 4th district was a plural district with two representatives.
  3. ^ "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[]

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