8th United States Congress

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8th United States Congress
7th ←
→ 9th
USCapitol1800.jpg
United States Capitol (1800)
March 4, 1803 – March 4, 1805
Members34 senators
142 representatives
1 non-voting delegates
Senate MajorityDemocratic-Republican
Senate PresidentAaron Burr (DR)
House MajorityDemocratic-Republican
House SpeakerNathaniel Macon (DR)
Sessions
1st: October 17, 1803 – March 27, 1804
2nd: November 5, 1804 – March 3, 1805

The 8th 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, 1803, to March 4, 1805, during the last two years of the first presidency of U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Second Census of the United States in 1800. Both chambers had a Democratic-Republican majority.

Major events[]

Main articles: 1803 in the United States, 1804 in the United States, and 1805 in the United States
United States Capitol with "Brick Oven"
  • April 30, 1803: Louisiana Purchase was made by the United States from France
  • February 16, 1804: In the First Barbary War, Stephen Decatur led a raid to burn the pirate-held frigate Philadelphia
  • May 14, 1804: Lewis and Clark Expedition departed from Camp Dubois to begin their historic journey by traveling up the Missouri River
  • July 11, 1804: Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton
  • November 30, 1804: Impeachment trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase
  • December 3, 1804: 1804 United States presidential election: Incumbent Thomas Jefferson (DR) beat challenger Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (F)
  • March 1, 1805: Samuel Chase acquitted of impeachment charges by the U.S. Senate

Major legislation[]

Main article: List of United States federal legislation § 8th United States Congress

Constitutional amendments[]

  • December 9, 1803: Approved an amendment to the United States Constitution providing a new procedure for electing the President and Vice President, and submitted it to the state legislatures for ratification 2 Stat. 306
    • June 15, 1804: Twelfth Amendment was ratified by the requisite number of states (then 13) to become part of the Constitution

Treaties[]

  • October 20, 1803: Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase Treaty

Territories organized[]

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[]

Party
(shading shows control) 		Total Vacant
Democratic-
Republican
(DR) 		Federalist
(F)
End of previous congress 18 14 32 2
Begin 21 9 30 4
End 25 340
Final voting share 73.5% 26.5%
Beginning of next congress 27 7 34 0

House of Representatives[]

Following the 1800 census, the size of the House was increased to 142 seats from 108.

Party
(shading shows control) 		Total Vacant
Democratic-
Republican
(DR) 		Federalist
(F)
End of previous congress 64 41 105 3
Begin 100 39 139 3
End 101 1402
Final voting share 72.1% 27.9%
Beginning of next congress 113 26 139 3

Leadership[]

President of the Senate Aaron Burr

Senate[]

  • President: Aaron Burr (DR)
  • President pro tempore: John Brown (DR), October 17, 1803 – February 26, 1804
    • Jesse Franklin (DR), March 10, 1804 – November 4, 1804
    • Joseph Anderson (DR), January 15, 1805 – December 1, 1805

House of Representatives[]

  • Speaker: Nathaniel Macon (DR)

Members[]

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and representatives are listed by district.

Skip to House of Representatives, below

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 with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1808; Class 2 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1804; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1806.

House of Representatives[]

The names of members of the House of Representatives 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[]

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]
Ohio
(1) 		Vacant Failure to elect John Smith (DR) Seated April 1, 1803
Ohio
(3) 		Vacant Failure to elect Thomas Worthington (DR) Seated April 1, 1803
New Jersey
(1) 		Vacant Failure to elect John Condit (DR) Seated September 1, 1803
Tennessee
(1) 		Vacant Failure to elect Joseph Anderson (DR) Elected September 22, 1803
Virginia
(1) 		Stevens T. Mason (DR) Died May 10, 1803 John Taylor (DR) Appointed June 4, 1803
New York
(3) 		DeWitt Clinton (DR) Resigned November 4, 1803, to become Mayor of New York City John Armstrong Jr. (DR) Appointed December 7, 1803
Virginia
(1) 		John Taylor (DR) Successor elected December 7, 1803 Abraham B. Venable (DR) Elected December 7, 1803
New York
(1) 		Theodorus Bailey (DR) Resigned January 16, 1804, to become Postmaster of New York City John Armstrong Jr. (DR) Seated February 25, 1804
New York
(3) 		John Armstrong Jr. (DR) Successor elected February 23, 1804 John Smith (DR) Elected February 23, 1804
Virginia
(2) 		Wilson C. Nicholas (DR) Resigned May 22, 1804, to become Collector of Port of Norfolk Andrew Moore (DR) Appointed August 11, 1804
Virginia
(1) 		Abraham B. Venable (DR) Resigned June 7, 1804 William B. Giles (DR) Appointed August 11, 1804
New York
(1) 		John Armstrong Jr. (DR) Resigned June 30, 1804, after being appointed Minister to France Samuel Latham Mitchill (DR) Seated November 23, 1804
Rhode Island
(1) 		Samuel J. Potter (DR) Died October 14, 1804 Benjamin Howland (DR) Seated October 29, 1804
Delaware
(2) 		William H. Wells (F) Resigned November 6, 1804 James A. Bayard (F) Seated November 13, 1804
South Carolina
(3) 		Pierce Butler (DR) Resigned November 21, 1804 John Gaillard (DR) Seated December 6, 1804
Virginia
(1) 		William B. Giles (DR) Successor elected December 4, 1804 Andrew Moore (DR) Elected December 4, 1804
Virginia
(2) 		Andrew Moore (DR) Successor elected December 4, 1804 William B. Giles (DR) Elected December 4, 1804

House of Representatives[]

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]
New York
7th 		Vacant John Cantine (DR) was elected, but resigned before the Congress began. Josiah Hasbrouck (DR) October 17, 1803
Connecticut at-large Vacant Incumbent Elias Perkins (F) elected but chose not to serve.
Successor elected September 5, 1803. 		Simeon Baldwin (F) October 17, 1803
Ohio at-large Vacant Seat vacant following Ohio's admission to Union until special election held on June 21, 1803. Jeremiah Morrow (DR) October 17, 1803
New York
6th 		Isaac Bloom (DR) Died April 26, 1803 Daniel C. Verplanck (DR) October 17, 1803
New York
1st 		John Smith (DR) Resigned February 23, 1804, after being elected to U.S. Senate Samuel Riker (DR) November 5, 1804
Virginia
5th 		Thomas Lewis Jr. (F) Lost contested election March 5, 1804 Andrew Moore (DR) March 5, 1804
Maryland
4th 		Daniel Hiester (DR) Died March 7, 1804 Roger Nelson (DR) November 6, 1804
Virginia
13th 		John J. Trigg (DR) Died May 17, 1804 Christopher H. Clark (DR) November 5, 1804
Massachusetts
12th 		Thomson J. Skinner (DR) Resigned August 10, 1804 Simon Larned (DR) November 5, 1804
Virginia
5th 		Andrew Moore (DR) Resigned August 11, 1804, after being appointed to U.S. Senate Alexander Wilson (DR) December 4, 1804
Pennsylvania
10th 		William Hoge (DR) Resigned October 15, 1804 John Hoge (DR) November 2, 1804
New York
3rd 		Samuel L. Mitchill (DR) Resigned November 22, 1804, after being elected to U.S. Senate George Clinton Jr. (DR) February 14, 1805
North Carolina
5th 		James Gillespie (DR) Died January 11, 1805 Vacant Not filled for remainder of term
Georgia
at-large 		Samuel Hammond (DR) Resigned February 2, 1805, after becoming Civil and Military Governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory Vacant Not filled for remainder of term

Committees[]

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate[]

House of Representatives[]

  • Claims (Chairman: John C. Smith)
  • Commerce and Manufactures (Chairman: Samuel Smith)
  • Elections (Chairman: John Milledge then John Bacon)
  • Revisal and Unfinished Business (Chairman: John Davenport)
  • Rules (Select)
  • Standards of Official Conduct
  • Ways and Means (Chairman: John Randolph)
  • Whole

Joint committees[]

  • Enrolled Bills (Chairman: N/A)

Officers[]

Legislative branch agency directors[]

  • Architect of the Capitol: Benjamin H. Latrobe, appointed March 6, 1803
  • Librarian of Congress: John J. Beckley

Senate[]

  • Secretary: Samuel A. Otis
  • Sergeant at Arms: James Mathers
  • Chaplain: Edward Gantt, Episcopalian, until November 7, 1804
    • Alexander T. McCormick, Episcopalian, elected November 7, 1804

House of Representatives[]

  • Clerk: John Beckley
  • Sergeant at Arms: Joseph Wheaton
  • Doorkeeper: Thomas Claxton
  • Chaplain: , Baptist, until November 5, 1804
  • Reading Clerks:[data unknown/missing]

See also[]

Notes[]

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

References[]

  • 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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