6th United States Congress explained

Number:	6th
Imagename:	United States Capitol
Imagedate:	1800
Start:	March 4, 1799
End:	March 3, 1801
Vp:	Thomas Jefferson (DR)
Pro Tem:	Samuel Livermore (F) Uriah Tracy (F) John E. Howard (F) James Hillhouse (F)
Speaker:	Theodore Sedgwick (F)
Senators:	32
Reps:	106
Delegates:	1
S-Majority:	Federalist
H-Majority:	Federalist
Sessionnumber1:	1st
Sessionstart1:	December 2, 1799
Sessionend1:	May 14, 1800
Sessionnumber2:	2nd
Sessionstart2:	November 17, 1800
Sessionend2:	March 3, 1801
Previous:	5th
Next:	7th

The 6th United States Congress was the 6th meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It initially met at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and then was the first congress to meet in the new Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.. Its term was from March 4, 1799, to March 4, 1801, during the last two years of John Adams's presidency. It was the last Congress of the 18th century and the first to convene in the 19th. The apportionment of seats in House of Representatives was based on the 1790 United States census. Both chambers had a Federalist majority. This was the last Congress in which the Federalist Party controlled the presidency or either chamber of Congress.

Major events

See main article: 1799 in the United States, 1800 in the United States and 1801 in the United States.

• December 14, 1799: Former President George Washington died
• February 24, 1800: Library of Congress founded
• November 17, 1800: Congress held its first session in Washington, D.C.
• January 20, 1801: John Marshall was appointed Chief Justice of the United States
• February 17, 1801: 1800 United States presidential election: Thomas Jefferson became the first President of the United States elected by the House of Representatives as no candidate received a majority of the electoral votes cast in the 1800 presidential election. The House was required to choose between Jefferson and Aaron Burr, with each of the 16 states having a single vote. Jefferson was elected on the 36th ballot by 10 to 4 (with 2 abstentions).^[1]

	States for Jefferson		States for Burr
Georgia Kentucky Maryland New Jersey New York North Carolina Pennsylvania Tennessee Vermont Virginia	Connecticut Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island	Delaware South Carolina
	Total: 10 (63%)		Total: 4 (25%)	Total: 2 (12%)

Major legislation

• April 4, 1800: Bankruptcy Act of 1800, Sess. 1, ch. 19,
• May 7, 1800: Indiana Organic Act, Sess. 1, ch. 41, ; effective July 4, 1800
• May 10, 1800: Slave Trade Act of 1800, Sess. 2, ch. 51,
• February 13, 1801: Judiciary Act of 1801, Sess. 2, ch. 4,
• February 27, 1801: District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801, Sess.2, ch. 15,

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.

House of Representatives

Leadership

Senate

• President

Thomas Jefferson (DR)

• President pro tempore

Samuel Livermore (F), elected December 2, 1799

• • Uriah Tracy (F), elected May 14, 1800
  • John E. Howard, (F), elected November 21, 1800
  • James Hillhouse, (F), elected February 28, 1801

House of Representatives

• Speaker

Theodore Sedgwick (F)

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, 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 in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1802; Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1804; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1800.

1. James Hillhouse (F)

3. Uriah Tracy (F)

1. Henry Latimer (F), until February 28, 1801

Samuel White (F), from February 28, 1801

2. William H. Wells (F)

2. Abraham Baldwin (DR)

3. James Gunn (F)

2. John Brown (DR)

3. Humphrey Marshall (F)

1. John Eager Howard (F)

3. James Lloyd (F), until December 1, 1800

William Hindman (F), from December 12, 1800

1. Benjamin Goodhue (F), until November 8, 1800

Jonathan Mason (F), from November 14, 1800

2. Samuel Dexter (F), until May 30, 1800

Dwight Foster (F), from June 6, 1800

2. Samuel Livermore (F)

3. John Langdon (DR)

1. James Schureman (F), until February 16, 1801

Aaron Ogden (F), from February 28, 1801

2. Jonathan Dayton (F)

1. James Watson (F), until March 19, 1800

Gouverneur Morris (F), from April 3, 1800

3. John Laurance (F), until August 1800

John Armstrong Jr. (DR), from November 6, 1800

2. Jesse Franklin (DR)

3. Timothy Bloodworth (DR)

1. James Ross (F)

3. William Bingham (F)

1. Theodore Foster (F)

2. Ray Greene (F)

2. Charles Pinckney (DR)

3. Jacob Read (F)

1. Joseph Anderson (DR)

2. William Cocke (DR)

1. Nathaniel Chipman (F)

3. Elijah Paine (F)

1. Stevens Mason (DR)

2. Wilson C. Nicholas (DR), from December 5, 1799

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.

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

. Jonathan Brace (F), until May 1800

John Cotton Smith (F), from November 17, 1800

. Samuel W. Dana (F)

. John Davenport (F)

. William Edmond (F)

. Chauncey Goodrich (F)

. Elizur Goodrich (F)

. Roger Griswold (F)

. James A. Bayard (F)

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

. James Jones (F), until January 11, 1801, vacant thereafter

. Benjamin Taliaferro (F)

. Thomas T. Davis (DR)

. John Fowler (DR)

. George Dent (F)

. John C. Thomas (F)

. William Craik (F)

. George Baer Jr. (F)

. Samuel Smith (DR)

. Gabriel Christie (DR)

. Joseph H. Nicholson (DR)

. John Dennis (F)

. Theodore Sedgwick (F)

. William Shepard (F)

. Samuel Lyman (F), until November 6, 1800

Ebenezer Mattoon (F), from February 2, 1801

. Dwight Foster (F), until June 6, 1800

Levi Lincoln Sr. (DR), from December 15, 1800

. Lemuel Williams (F)

. John Reed Sr. (F)

. Phanuel Bishop (DR)

. Harrison Gray Otis (F)

. Joseph Bradley Varnum (DR)

. Samuel Sewall (F), until January 10, 1800

Nathan Read (F), from November 25, 1800

. Bailey Bartlett (F)

. Silas Lee (F)

. Peleg Wadsworth (F)

. George Thatcher (F)

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

. Abiel Foster (F)

. Jonathan Freeman (F)

. William Gordon (F), until June 12, 1800

Samuel Tenney (F), from December 8, 1800

. James Sheafe (F)

. John Condit (DR)

. Aaron Kitchell (DR)

. James Linn (DR)

. James H. Imlay (F)

. Franklin Davenport (F)

. Jonathan N. Havens (DR), until October 25, 1799

John Smith (DR), from February 27, 1800

. Edward Livingston (DR)

. Philip Van Cortlandt (DR)

. Lucas C. Elmendorf (DR)

. Theodorus Bailey (DR)

. John Bird (F)

. John Thompson (DR)

. Henry Glen (F)

. Jonas Platt (F)

. William Cooper (F)

. Joseph Dickson (F)

. Archibald Henderson (F)

. Robert Williams (DR)

. Richard Stanford (DR)

. Nathaniel Macon (DR)

. William H. Hill (F)

. William Barry Grove (F)

. David Stone (DR)

. Willis Alston (F)

. Richard Dobbs Spaight (DR)

The 4th district was a plural district with two representatives.

. Robert Waln (F)

. Michael Leib (DR)

. Richard Thomas (F)

. Robert Brown (DR)

. John Peter G. Muhlenberg (DR)

. Joseph Hiester (DR)

. John A. Hanna (DR)

. John Wilkes Kittera (F)

. Thomas Hartley (F), until December 21, 1800

John Stewart (DR), from January 15, 1801

. Andrew Gregg (DR)

. Henry Woods (F)

. John Smilie (DR)

. Albert Gallatin (DR)

Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.

. John Brown (F)

. Christopher G. Champlin (F)

. Thomas Pinckney (F)

. John Rutledge Jr. (F)

. Benjamin Huger (F)

. Thomas Sumter (DR)

. Robert Goodloe Harper (F)

. Abraham Nott (F)

. William C. C. Claiborne (DR)

. Matthew Lyon (DR)

. Lewis R. Morris (F)

. Robert Page (F)

. David Holmes (DR)

. George Jackson (DR)

. Abram Trigg (DR)

. John J. Trigg (DR)

. Matthew Clay (DR)

. John Randolph (DR)

. Samuel Goode (DR)

. Joseph Eggleston (DR)

. Edwin Gray (DR)

. Josiah Parker (F)

. Thomas Evans (F)

. John Marshall (F), until June 7, 1800

Littleton W. Tazewell (DR), from November 26, 1800

. Samuel J. Cabell (DR)

. John Dawson (DR)

. Anthony New (DR)

. Leven Powell (F)

. John Nicholas (DR)

. Henry Lee (F)

Non-voting members

. William Henry Harrison, until May 14, 1800

William McMillan (F), from November 24, 1800

Changes in membership

The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress

Senate

There were 7 resignations and 1 vacancy at the beginning of Congress. The Federalists had a 1-seat net loss and the Democratic-Republicans had a 2-seat net gain.

See also: List of special elections to the United States Senate.

|-| Virginia
(2)| Vacant| Henry Tazewell (DR) died before the beginning of this Congress | | Wilson C. Nicholas (DR)| Elected December 5, 1799

|-| New York
(1)| | James Watson (F)| Resigned March 19, 1800| | Gouverneur Morris (F)| Elected April 3, 1800

|-| Massachusetts
(2)| | Samuel Dexter (F)| Resigned May 30, 1800| | Dwight Foster (F)| Elected June 6, 1800

|-| New York
(3)| | John Laurance (F)| Resigned sometime in August, 1800| | John Armstrong (DR)| Elected November 6, 1800

|-| Massachusetts
(1)| | Benjamin Goodhue (F)| Resigned November 8, 1800| | Jonathan Mason (F)| Elected November 14, 1800

|-| Maryland
(3)| | James Lloyd (F)| Resigned December 1, 1800| | William Hindman (F)| Elected December 12, 1800

|-| New Jersey
(1)| | James Schureman (F)| Resigned February 16, 1801| | Aaron Ogden (F)| Elected February 28, 1801

|-| Delaware
(1)| | Henry Latimer (F)| Resigned February 28, 1801| | Samuel White (F)| Appointed February 28, 1801|}

House of Representatives

See main article: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives. There were 6 resignations and 3 deaths. The Federalists had a 4-seat net loss and the Democratic-Republicans had a 3-seat net gain.

|-| | | Jonathan Havens (DR)| Died October 25, 1799| | John Smith (DR)| February 27, 1800

|-| | William Henry Harrison| Resigned May 14, 1800, to become Territorial Governor of Indiana| |William McMillan (F)| November 24, 1800

|-| | | Jonathan Brace (F)| Resigned sometime in 1800| | John Cotton Smith (F)| November 17, 1800

|-| | | Samuel Sewall (F)| Resigned January 10, 1800, to become a justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court| | Nathan Read (F)| November 25, 1800

|-| | | Dwight Foster (F)| Resigned June 6, 1800, having been elected U.S. Senator| | Levi Lincoln (DR)| December 15, 1800

|-| | | John Marshall (F)| Resigned June 7, 1800, to become Secretary of State| | Littleton W. Tazewell (DR)| November 26, 1800

|-| | | William Gordon (F)| Resigned June 12, 1800, to become New Hampshire Attorney General| | Samuel Tenney (F)| December 8, 1800

|-| | | Samuel Lyman (F)| Resigned November 6, 1800| | Ebenezer Mattoon (F)| February 2, 1801

|-| | | Thomas Hartley (F)| Died December 21, 1800| | John Stewart (DR)| February 3, 1801

|-| | | James Jones (F)| Died January 11, 1801| colspan=2 | Vacant until next Congress|}

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

• Whole

House of Representatives

• Claims (Chairman: Dwight Foster then Nathaniel Macon)
• Commerce and Manufactures (Chairman: Samuel Smith)
• Elections (Chairman: Samuel W. Dana then George Dent)
• Revisal and Unfinished Business (Chairman: Roger Griswold then Jonas Platt)
• Rules (Select)
  • Standards of Official Conduct Ways and Means (Chairman: Robert Goodloe Harper then Roger Griswold)
• Whole

Joint committees

• Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Dwight Foster)

Administrative officers

• Architect of the Capitol: William Thornton

Senate

• Chaplain: William White, Episcopalian, until November 27, 1800
  • Thomas J. Claggett, Episcopalian, elected November 27, 1800
• Doorkeeper: James Mathers
• Secretary: Samuel Otis

House of Representatives

• Chaplain: Ashbel Green, Presbyterian, until November 27, 1800
  • Thomas Lyell, Methodist, elected November 27, 1800
• Clerk: Jonathan W. Condy, resigned December 4, 1800
  • John H. Oswald, elected December 9, 1800
• Doorkeeper: Thomas Claxton
• Reading Clerks:
• Sergeant at Arms: Joseph Wheaton

See also

• 1798 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress)
  • 1798–99 United States Senate elections
  • 1798–99 United States House of Representatives elections
• 1800 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
  • 1800 United States presidential election
  • 1800–01 United States Senate elections
  • 1800–01 United States House of Representatives elections

References

• Book: Martis, Kenneth C.. The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. 1989. Macmillan Publishing Company. New York.
• Book: Martis, Kenneth C.. The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. 1982. Macmillan Publishing Company. New York.

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

Notes and References

1. Web site: A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774 - 1875. Annals of Congress, House of Representatives, 6th Congress, 2nd Session. 1033–1034. March 21, 2017.