5th United States Congress

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

5th United States Congress
Congress Hall (2007)
Duration: March 4, 1797 – March 3, 1799
President of the Senate:	Thomas Jefferson
President pro tempore:	William Bradford Jacob Read Theodore Sedgwick John Laurance James Ross
Speaker of the House:	Jonathan Dayton
Members:	32 Senators 106 Representatives
Senate Majority:	Federalist
House Majority:	Federalist
Sessions
1st: May 15, 1797 – July 10, 1797 2nd: November 13, 1797 – July 16, 1798 3rd: December 3, 1798 – March 3, 1799
<4th 6th>

The Fifth 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 at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from March 4, 1797 to March 3, 1799, during the first two years of John Adams's presidency.

The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the First Census of the United States in 1790. Both chambers had a Federalist majority.

[edit] Dates of sessions

March 4, 1797 - March 3, 1799

• Special session of the Senate: March 4, 1797
• First session: May 15, 1797 - July 10, 1797
• Second session: November 13, 1797 - July 16, 1798
• Special session of the Senate: July 17, 1798 - July 19, 1798
• Third session: December 3, 1798 - March 3, 1799 — a lame duck session

Previous: 4th Congress • Next: 6th Congress

[edit] Major events

• March 4, 1797 – John Adams and Thomas Jefferson became President and Vice President of the United States
• July 8, 1797 - The Senate expelled Tennessee Senator William Blount for conspiring with the British
• July 11, 1798 - The United States Marine Corps was established
• XYZ Affair in the U.S., followed by naval skirmishes but no war is declared

[edit] Major legislation

• April 30, 1798 — The U.S. Department of the Navy was established, Sess. 2, ch. 35, 1 Stat. 553
• June 18, 1798 — Alien and Sedition Acts: An Act to establish a uniform rule of naturalization (Naturalization Act of 1798), Sess. 2, ch. 54, 1 Stat. 566
• June 25, 1798 — Alien and Sedition Acts: An Act concerning Aliens, Sess. 2, ch. 58, 1 Stat. 570
• July 6, 1798 — Alien and Sedition Acts: An Act respecting Alien Enemies, Sess. 2, ch. 66, 1 Stat. 577
• July 9, 1798 — Act Further to Protect the Commerce of the United States, Sess. 2, ch. 68, 1 Stat. 578
• July 11, 1798 — The United States Marine Corps was established, Sess. 2, ch. 72, 1 Stat. 594
• July 14, 1798 — Alien and Sedition Acts: An Act for the punishment of certain crimes against the United States (Sedition Act), Sess. 2, ch. 74, 1 Stat. 596

[edit] Territories organized

• April 7, 1798 - Mississippi Territory was organized, Sess. 2, ch. 28, 1 Stat. 549. It was formerly a portion of Georgia and South Carolina

[edit] Treaties

• June 7, 1797 — The Treaty of Tripoli was ratified.^{[citation needed]}
• July 7, 1797 — Existing treaties with France were rescinded, Sess. 2, ch. 67, 1 Stat. 578

[edit] Party summary

This was the first Congress to have organized political parties. Details on changes are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.

[edit] Senate

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Federalist	Democratic- Republican		Vacant
Begin (March 4, 1797)	22	9	31	1
May 15, 1797		10	32	0
July 8, 1797		9	31	1
September 26, 1797		10	32	0
October 1797	21		31	1
November 13, 1797	22		32	0
January 3, 1798	21		31	1
January 11, 1798	22		32	0
April 1798		9	31	1
April 16, 1798	21		30	2
May 5, 1798	22		31	1
August 11, 1798	21		30	2
October 6, 1798		10	31	1
November 26, 1798	20	9	29	3
December 5, 1798	21		30	2
December 6, 1798		10	31	1
January 17, 1799	22		32	0
January 24, 1799		11	31	1
Final voting share	70%	30%

[edit] House of Representatives

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Federalist	Democratic- Republican		Vacant
Begin (March 4, 1797)	57	49	106	0
1797	56		105	1
July 10, 1797	55		104	2
July 24, 1797	54		103	3
July 26, 1797	53		102	4
August 3, 1797	52		101	5
September 1797		48	100	6
October 1797	51		99	7
November 13, 1797	53		101	5
November 23, 1797	54	49	103	3
November 27, 1797	55		104	2
December 1, 1797		50	105	1
December 15, 1797	56		106	0
1798	55		105	1
June 4, 1798		49	104	2
August 1, 1798		48	103	3
September 5, 1798	54		102	4
October 2, 1798		47	101	5
December 3, 1798	56	48	104	2
December 4, 1798		49	105	1
December 10, 1798		50	106	0
Final voting share	52.8%	47.2%

[edit] Leadership

[edit] Senate

• President: Thomas Jefferson (DR)
• President pro tempore of the Senate:
  • William Bradford (F) elected July 6, 1797
  • Jacob Read (F) elected November 22, 1797
  • Theodore Sedgwick (F) elected June 27, 1798
  • John Laurance (F) elected December 6, 1798
  • James Ross (F) elected March 1, 1799

[edit] House of Representatives

• Speaker: Jonathan Dayton (F) of New Jersey

[edit] Members

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

[edit] 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, requiring reelection in 1802; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1798; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1800.

[edit] Connecticut 1: James Hillhouse (F) 3: Uriah Tracy (F) [edit] Delaware 2: John Vining (F), until January 19, 1798 Joshua Clayton (F), January 19, 1798 – August 11, 1798 William H. Wells (F), January 17, 1799 – End 1: Henry Latimer (F) [edit] Georgia 3: James Gunn (F) 2: Josiah Tattnall (DR) [edit] Kentucky 2: John Brown (DR) 3: Humphrey Marshall (F) [edit] Maryland 3: John Henry (F), until December 10, 1797 James Lloyd (F), December 11, 1797 – End 1: John Eager Howard (F) [edit] Massachusetts 1: Benjamin Goodhue (F) 2: Theodore Sedgwick (F) [edit] New Hampshire 3: John Langdon (DR) 2: Samuel Livermore (F) [edit] New Jersey 1: John Rutherfurd (F) Franklin Davenport (F) 2: Richard Stockton (F) [edit] New York 3: John Laurance (F) 1: Philip John Schuyler (F) John Sloss Hobart (F) William North (F) James Watson (F)

[edit] North Carolina 2: Alexander Martin (DR) 3: Timothy Bloodworth (DR) [edit] Pennsylvania 1: James Ross (F) 3: William Bingham (F) [edit] Rhode Island 1: Theodore Foster (F) 2: William Bradford (F) Ray Greene (F) [edit] South Carolina 3: Jacob Read (F) 2: John Hunter (DR) Charles Pinckney (DR) [edit] Tennessee 2: William Blount (DR) Joseph Anderson (DR) 1: William Cocke (DR) Andrew Jackson (DR) Daniel Smith (DR) [edit] Vermont 3: Elijah Paine (F) 1: Isaac Tichenor (F) Nathaniel Chipman (F) [edit] Virginia 2: Henry Tazewell (DR) 1: Stevens T. Mason (DR)

[edit] House of Representatives

[edit] Connecticut All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. A/L: John Allen (F) A/L: Joshua Coit (F), until September 5, 1798 Jonathan Brace (F), December 3, 1798 – End A/L: Samuel W. Dana (F) A/L: James Davenport (F), until August 3, 1797 William Edmond (F), November 13, 1797 – End A/L: Chauncey Goodrich (F) A/L: Roger Griswold (F) A/L: Nathaniel Smith (F) [edit] Delaware A/L: James A. Bayard (F) [edit] Georgia Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. A/L: Abraham Baldwin (DR) A/L: John Milledge (DR) [edit] Kentucky 1: Thomas T. Davis (DR) 2: John Fowler (DR) [edit] Maryland 1: George Dent (F) 2: Richard Sprigg, Jr. (DR) 3: William Craik (F) 4: George Baer, Jr. (F) 5: Samuel Smith (DR) 6: William Matthews (F) 7: William Hindman (F) 8: John Dennis (F) [edit] Massachusetts 1: Thomson J. Skinner (DR) 2: William Shepard (F) 3: Samuel Lyman (F) 4: Dwight Foster (F) 5: Nathaniel Freeman, Jr. (DR) 6: John Reed, Sr. (F) 7: Stephen Bullock (F) 8: Harrison Gray Otis (F) 9: Joseph Bradley Varnum (DR) 10: Samuel Sewall (F) 11: Theophilus Bradbury (F), until July 24, 1797 Bailey Bartlett (F), November 27, 1797 – End 12: Isaac Parker (F) 13: Peleg Wadsworth (F) 14: George Thatcher (F) [edit] New Hampshire All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. A/L: Abiel Foster (F) A/L: Jonathan Freeman (F) A/L: William Gordon (F) A/L: Jeremiah Smith (F), until July 26, 1797 Peleg Sprague (F), December 15, 1797 – End [edit] New Jersey All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. A/L: Jonathan Dayton (F) A/L: James H. Imlay (F) A/L: James Schureman (F) A/L: Thomas Sinnickson (F) A/L: Mark Thomson (F) [edit] New York 1: Edward Livingston (DR) 2: Jonathan N. Havens (DR) 3: Philip Van Cortlandt (DR) 4: Lucas C. Elmendorf (DR) 5: David Brooks (F) 6: Hezekiah L. Hosmer (F) 7: John E. Van Alen (F) 8: Henry Glen (F) 9: John Williams (F) 10: James Cochran (F)

[edit] North Carolina 1: Joseph McDowell (DR) 2: Matthew Locke (DR) 3: Robert Williams (DR) 4: Richard Stanford (DR) 5: Nathaniel Macon (DR) 6: James Gillespie (DR) 7: William Barry Grove (F) 8: Dempsey Burges (DR) 9: Thomas Blount (DR) 10: Nathan Bryan (DR), until June 4, 1798 Richard Dobbs Spaight (DR), December 10, 1798 – End [edit] Pennsylvania The 4th district was a plural district with two representatives. 1: John Swanwick (DR), until August 1, 1798 Robert Waln (F), December 3, 1798 – End 2: Blair McClenachan (DR) 3: Richard Thomas (F) 4: John Chapman (F) 4: Samuel Sitgreaves (F), until 1798 Robert Brown (DR), December 4, 1798 – End 5: George Ege (F), until October 1797 Joseph Hiester (DR), December 1, 1797 – End 6: John A. Hanna (DR) 7: John Wilkes Kittera (F) 8: Thomas Hartley (F) 9: Andrew Gregg (DR) 10: David Bard (DR) 11: William Findley (DR) 12: Albert Gallatin (DR) [edit] Rhode Island Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. A/L: Christopher G. Champlin (F) A/L: Elisha R. Potter (F), until 1797 Thomas Tillinghast (F), November 13, 1797 – End [edit] South Carolina 1: William L. Smith (F), until July 10, 1797 Thomas Pinckney (F), November 23, 1797 – End 2: John Rutledge, Jr. (F) 3: Lemuel Benton (DR) 4: Thomas Sumter (DR) 5: Robert Goodloe Harper (F) 6: William Smith (DR) [edit] Tennessee A/L: William C. C. Claiborne (DR) [edit] Vermont 1: Matthew Lyon (DR) 2: Lewis R. Morris (F) [edit] Virginia 1: Daniel Morgan (F) 2: David Holmes (DR) 3: James Machir (F) 4: Abram Trigg (DR) 5: John J. Trigg (DR) 6: Matthew Clay (DR) 7: Abraham B. Venable (DR) 8: Thomas Claiborne (DR) 9: William Giles (DR), until October 2, 1798 Joseph Eggleston (DR), December 3, 1798 – End 10: Carter B. Harrison (DR) 11: Josiah Parker (F) 12: Thomas Evans (F) 13: John Clopton (DR) 14: Samuel J. Cabell (DR) 15: John Dawson (DR) 16: Anthony New (DR) 17: Richard Brent (DR) 18: John Nicholas (DR) 19: Walter Jones (DR)

[edit] Changes in membership

The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress

[edit] Senate

There were 9 resignations, 2 deaths, 1 expulsion, 1 late selection, and 2 elections to replace appointees. Neither party had a net gain of seats.

State	Vacator	Reason for Vacancy	Successor	Date of Successor's Installation
Tennessee class 1	Vacant	Tennessee failed to elect a Senator on time	William Cocke (DR)	Appointed May 15, 1797
Tennessee class 2	William Blount (DR)	Expelled July 8, 1797	Joseph Anderson (DR)	Elected September 26, 1797
Tennessee class 1	William Cocke (DR)	Interim appointment until September 26, 1797	Andrew Jackson (DR)	Elected September 26, 1797
Rhode Island class 2	William Bradford (F)	Resigned October 1797	Ray Greene (F)	Elected November 13, 1797
Vermont class 1	Isaac Tichenor (F)	Resigned October 17, 1797	Nathaniel Chipman (F)	Elected October 17, 1797
Maryland class 3	John Henry (F)	Resigned December 10, 1797	James Lloyd (F)	Elected December 11, 1797
New York class 1	Philip John Schuyler (F)	Resigned January 3, 1798	John Sloss Hobart (F)	Elected January 11, 1798
Delaware class 2	John Vining (F)	Resigned January 19, 1798	Joshua Clayton (F)	Elected January 19, 1798
Tennessee class 1	Andrew Jackson (DR)	Resigned April 1798	Daniel Smith (DR)	Appointed October 6, 1798
New York class 1	John Sloss Hobart (F)	Resigned April 16, 1798	William North (F)	Appointed May 5, 1798
Delaware class 2	Joshua Clayton (F)	Died August 11, 1798	William H. Wells (F)	Elected January 17, 1799
New York class 1	William North (F)	Interim appointment until August 17, 1798	James Watson (F)	Elected August 17, 1798
New Jersey class 1	John Rutherfurd (F)	Resigned November 26, 1798	Franklin Davenport (F)	Appointed December 5, 1798
South Carolina class 2	John Hunter (DR)	Resigned November 26, 1798	Charles Pinckney (DR)	Elected December 6, 1798
Virginia class 2	Henry Tazewell (DR)	Died January 24, 1799	Vacant	Not filled in this Congress

[edit] House of Representatives

There were 8 resignations and 3 deaths. The Federalists had a 1 seat net loss and the Democratic-Republicans had a 1 seat net gain.

District	Vacator	Reason for Vacancy	Successor	Date of successor's taking office
Rhode Island At-large	Elisha Potter (F)	Resigned 1797	Thomas Tillinghast (F)	Seated November 13, 1797
South Carolina 1st	William L. Smith (F)	Resigned July 10, 1797	Thomas Pinckney (F)	Seated November 23, 1797
Massachusetts 11th	Theophilus Bradbury (F)	Resigned July 24, 1797	Bailey Bartlett (F)	Seated November 27, 1797
New Hampshire At-large	Jeremiah Smith (F)	Resigned July 26, 1797	Peleg Sprague (F)	Seated December 15, 1797
Connecticut At-large	James Davenport (F)	Died August 3, 1797	William Edmond (F)	Seated November 13, 1797
Tennessee At-large	Andrew Jackson (DR)	Resigned September 1797 to become U.S. Senator	William C.C. Claiborne (DR)	Seated November 23, 1797
Pennsylvania 5th	George Ege (F)	Resigned October 1797	Joseph Hiester (DR)	Seated December 1, 1797
Pennsylvania 4th	Samuel Sitgreaves (F)	Resigned 1798	Robert Brown (DR)	Seated December 4, 1798
North Carolina 10th	Nathan Bryan (DR)	Died June 4, 1798	Richard Dobbs Spaight (DR)	Seated December 10, 1798
Pennsylvania 1st	John Swanwick (DR)	Died August 1, 1798	Robert Waln (F)	Seated December 3, 1798
Connecticut At-large	Joshua Coit (F)	Died September 5, 1798	Jonathan Brace (F)	Seated December 3, 1798
Virginia 9th	William Giles (DR)	Resigned October 2, 1798	Joseph Eggleston (DR)	Seated December 3, 1798

[edit] Employees

• Architect of the Capitol: William Thornton

[edit] Senate

• Secretary: Samuel A. Otis of Massachusetts, elected April 8, 1789
• Doorkeeper: James Mathers of New York, elected April 7, 1789
• Chaplain: William White, Episcopalian, elected December 9, 1790

[edit] House of Representatives

• Clerk: Jonathan W. Condy of Pennsylvania, elected May 15, 1797
• Sergeant at Arms: Joseph Wheaton of Rhode Island, elected May 15, 1797
• Doorkeeper: Thomas Claxton, elected May 15, 1797
• Chaplain: Ashbel Green, Presbyterian, elected May 15, 1797

[edit] 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. 

[edit] External links

• Statutes at Large, 1789-1875
• Senate Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
• House Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
• Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
• U.S. House of Representatives: House History
• U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists

v • d • e United States Congresses     1 (1789) 2 (1791) 3 (1793) 4 (1795) 5 (1797) 6 (1799) 7 (1801) 8 (1803) 9 (1805) 10 (1807) 11 (1809) 12 (1811) 13 (1813) 14 (1815) 15 (1817) 16 (1819) 17 (1821) 18 (1823) 19 (1825) 20 (1827) 21 (1829) 22 (1831) 23 (1833) 24 (1835) 25 (1837) 26 (1839) 27 (1841) 28 (1843) 29 (1845) 30 (1847) 31 (1849) 32 (1851) 33 (1853) 34 (1855) 35 (1857) 36 (1859) 37 (1861) 38 (1863) 39 (1865) 40 (1867) 41 (1869) 42 (1871) 43 (1873) 44 (1875) 45 (1877) 46 (1879) 47 (1881) 48 (1883) 49 (1885) 50 (1887) 51 (1889) 52 (1891) 53 (1893) 54 (1895) 55 (1897) 56 (1899) 57 (1901) 58 (1903) 59 (1905) 60 (1907) 61 (1909) 62 (1911) 63 (1913) 64 (1915) 65 (1917) 66 (1919) 67 (1921) 68 (1923) 69 (1925) 70 (1927) 71 (1929) 72 (1931) 73 (1933) 74 (1935) 75 (1937) 76 (1939) 77 (1941) 78 (1943) 79 (1945) 80 (1947) 81 (1949) 82 (1951) 83 (1953) 84 (1955) 85 (1957) 86 (1959) 87 (1961) 88 (1963) 89 (1965) 90 (1967) 91 (1969) 92 (1971) 93 (1973) 94 (1975) 95 (1977) 96 (1979) 97 (1981) 98 (1983) 99 (1985) 100 (1987) 101 (1989) 102 (1991) 103 (1993) 104 (1995) 105 (1997) 106 (1999) 107 (2001) 108 (2003) 109 (2005) 110 (2007) 111 (2009) 112 (2011)