7th United States Congress
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
- March 4, 1801: Presidential inauguration of Thomas Jefferson
- 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
- April 29, 1802: Judiciary Act of 1802, ch. 31,
- April 30, 1802: Enabling Act of 1802, ch. 40,
States admitted
- 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." 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." 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
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.House of Representatives
Leadership
Senate
- President: Aaron Burr
- President pro tempore: Abraham Baldwin, first elected December 7, 1801
- * Stephen R. Bradley, first elected December 14, 1802
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Nathaniel Macon,, elected December 7, 1801
Members
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 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.[List of [United States Senators from Connecticut|Connecticut]]
- 1. James Hillhouse
- 3. Uriah Tracy
Delaware">List of United States Senators from Delaware">Delaware
- 2. William H. Wells
- 1. Samuel White
Georgia">List of United States Senators from Georgia">Georgia
- 2. Abraham Baldwin
- 3. James Jackson
Kentucky">List of United States Senators from Kentucky">Kentucky
- 2. John Brown
- 3. John Breckinridge
Maryland">List of United States Senators from Maryland">Maryland
- 1. John Eager Howard
- 3. William Hindman, until November 19, 1801
- * Robert Wright, from November 19, 1801
Massachusetts">List of United States Senators from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
- 1. Jonathan Mason
- 2. Dwight Foster, until March 2, 1803
New Hampshire">List of United States Senators from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
- 2. Samuel Livermore, until June 12, 1801
- * Simeon Olcott, from June 17, 1801
- 3. James Sheafe, until June 14, 1802
- * William Plumer, from June 17, 1802
New Jersey">List of United States Senators from New Jersey">New Jersey
- 1. Aaron Ogden
- 2. Jonathan Dayton
New York">List of United States Senators from New York">New York
- 1. Gouverneur Morris
- 3. John Armstrong Jr., until February 5, 1802
- * DeWitt Clinton, from February 9, 1802
North Carolina">List of United States Senators from North Carolina">North Carolina
- 2. Jesse Franklin
- 3. David Stone
Ohio">List of United States Senators from Ohio">Ohio
- 1: Vacant
- 3: Vacant
Pennsylvania">List of United States Senators from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
- 1. James Ross
- 3. Peter Muhlenberg, until June 30, 1801
- * George Logan, from July 13, 1801
Rhode Island">List of United States Senators from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
- 1. Theodore Foster
- 2. Ray Greene, until March 5, 1801
- * Christopher Ellery, from May 6, 1801
South Carolina">List of United States Senators from South Carolina">South Carolina
- 2. Charles Pinckney, until June 6, 1801
- * Thomas Sumter, from December 15, 1801
- 3. John E. Colhoun, until October 26, 1802
- * Pierce Butler, from November 4, 1802
Tennessee">List of United States Senators from Tennessee">Tennessee
- 1. Joseph Anderson
- 2. William Cocke
Vermont">List of United States Senators from Vermont">Vermont
- 1. Nathaniel Chipman
- 3. Elijah Paine, until September 1, 1801
- * Stephen R. Bradley, from October 15, 1801
Virginia">List of United States Senators from Virginia">Virginia
- 1. Stevens T. Mason
- 2. Wilson C. Nicholas
House of Representatives
[List of [United States Representatives from Connecticut|Connecticut]]
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.- . Samuel W. Dana
- . John Davenport
- . Calvin Goddard, from May 14, 1801
- . Roger Griswold
- . Elias Perkins
- . John Cotton Smith
- . Benjamin Tallmadge, from September 21, 1801
Delaware">List of United States Representatives from Delaware">Delaware
- . James A. Bayard
Georgia">List of United States Representatives from Georgia">Georgia
- . John Milledge, until May 1802
- * Peter Early, from January 10, 1803
- . Benjamin Taliaferro, until May 1802
- * David Meriwether, from December 6, 1802
Kentucky">List of United States Representatives from Kentucky">Kentucky
- . Thomas T. Davis
- . John Fowler
Maryland">List of United States Representatives from Maryland">Maryland
- . John Campbell
- . Richard Sprigg, Jr., until February 11, 1802
- * Walter Bowie, from March 24, 1802
- . Thomas Plater
- . Daniel Hiester
- . Samuel Smith
- . John Archer
- . Joseph H. Nicholson
- . John Dennis
Massachusetts">List of United States Representatives from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
- . John Bacon
- . William Shepard
- . Ebenezer Mattoon
- . Levi Lincoln Sr., until March 5, 1801
- * Seth Hastings, from January 11, 1802
- . Lemuel Williams
- . Josiah Smith
- . Phanuel Bishop
- . William Eustis
- . Joseph Bradley Varnum
- . Nathan Read
- . Manasseh Cutler
- . Silas Lee, until August 20, 1801
- * Samuel Thatcher, from December 6, 1802
- . Peleg Wadsworth
- . Richard Cutts, from December 7, 1801
New Hampshire">List of United States Representatives from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
- . Abiel Foster
- . Joseph Peirce, until June 1802
- * Samuel Hunt, from December 6, 1802
- . Samuel Tenney
- . George B. Upham
New Jersey">List of United States Representatives from New Jersey">New Jersey
- . John Condit
- . Ebenezer Elmer
- . William Helms
- . James Mott
- . Henry Southard
New York">List of United States Representatives from New York">New York
- . John Smith
- . Samuel L. Mitchill
- . Philip Van Cortlandt
- . Lucas Elmendorf
- . Thomas Tillotson, until August 10, 1801
- * Theodorus Bailey, from December 7, 1801
- . John Bird, until July 25, 1801
- * John P. Van Ness, December 7, 1801 – January 17, 1803; vacant thereafter
- . David Thomas
- . Killian K. Van Rensselaer
- . Benjamin Walker
- . Thomas Morris
North Carolina">List of United States Representatives from North Carolina">North Carolina
- . James Holland
- . Archibald Henderson
- . Robert Williams
- . Richard Stanford
- . Nathaniel Macon
- . William H. Hill
- . William Barry Grove
- . Charles Johnson, until July 23, 1802
- * Thomas Wynns, from December 7, 1802
- . Willis Alston
- . John Stanly
Ohio">List of United States Representatives from Ohio">Ohio
- . vacant
Pennsylvania">List of United States Representatives from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
- . William Jones
- . Michael Leib
- . Joseph Hemphill
- : Robert Brown
- : Isaac Van Horne
- . Joseph Hiester
- . John A. Hanna
- . Thomas Boude
- . John Stewart
- . Andrew Gregg
- . Henry Woods
- . John Smilie
- . William Hoge
Rhode Island">List of United States Representatives from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
- . Joseph Stanton Jr.
- . Thomas Tillinghast
South Carolina">List of United States Representatives from South Carolina">South Carolina
- . Thomas Lowndes
- . John Rutledge, Jr.
- . Benjamin Huger
- . Thomas Sumter, until December 15, 1801
- * Richard Winn, from January 24, 1802
- . William Butler Sr.
- . Thomas Moore
Tennessee">List of United States Representatives from Tennessee">Tennessee
- . William Dickson
Vermont">List of United States Representatives from Vermont">Vermont
- . Israel Smith
- . Lewis R. Morris
Virginia">List of United States Representatives from Virginia">Virginia
- . John Smith
- . David Holmes
- . George Jackson
- . Abram Trigg
- . John J. Trigg
- . Matthew Clay
- . John Randolph
- . Thomas Claiborne
- . William B. Giles
- . Edwin Gray
- . Thomas Newton Jr.
- . John Stratton
- . John Clopton
- . Samuel J. Cabell
- . John Dawson
- . Anthony New
- . Richard Brent
- . Philip R. Thompson
- . John Taliaferro
Non-voting members
- . Narsworthy Hunter, until March 11, 1802
- * Thomas M. Green Jr., from December 6, 1802
- . Paul Fearing
Changes in membership
Senate
There was 1 death, 8 resignations, and 2 seats added for a new state.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
Committees
Senate
- Whole
House of Representatives
- Claims
- Commerce and Manufactures
- Elections
- Revisal and Unfinished Business
- Rules
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Ways and Means
- Whole
Joint committees
- Enrolled Bills
Officers
Legislative branch agency">List of federal agencies in the United States#Legislative branch">Legislative branch agency directors
- Architect of the Capitol: William Thornton
- Librarian of Congress: John J. Beckley, from 1802
Senate
- Chaplain: Thomas J. Claggett, until December 9, 1801
- * Edward Gantt, elected December 9, 1801
- Secretary: Samuel A. Otis
- Doorkeeper: James Mathers
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: Thomas Lyell, until December 10, 1801
- * William Parkinson, elected December 10, 1801
- Clerk: John Holt Oswald, until December 7, 1801
- * John Beckley, elected December 7, 1801
- Doorkeeper: Thomas Claxton
- Reading Clerks:
- Sergeant at Arms: Joseph Wheaton