6th United States Congress
The 6th 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 and in Washington, D.C. 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 First Census of the United States in 1790. 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
- 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.
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- South Carolina
Total: 10 Total: 4 Total: 2 Major legislation
- 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,
Territories organized
- July 4, 1800: Indiana Territory created from a portion of the Northwest Territory.
Party summary
Senate
House of Representatives
Leadership
Senate
- President: Thomas Jefferson
- President pro tempore: Samuel Livermore, elected December 2, 1799
- * Uriah Tracy, elected May 14, 1800
- * John E. Howard,, elected November 21, 1800
- * James Hillhouse,, elected February 28, 1801
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Theodore Sedgwick
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 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.[List of [United States Senators from Connecticut|Connecticut]]
- 1. James Hillhouse
- 3. Uriah Tracy
Delaware">List of United States Senators from Delaware">Delaware
- 1. Henry Latimer, until February 28, 1801
- * Samuel White, from February 28, 1801
- 2. William H. Wells
Georgia">List of United States Senators from Georgia">Georgia
- 2. Abraham Baldwin
- 3. James Gunn
Kentucky">List of United States Senators from Kentucky">Kentucky
- 2. John Brown
- 3. Humphrey Marshall
Maryland">List of United States Senators from Maryland">Maryland
- 1. John Eager Howard
- 3. James Lloyd, until December 1, 1800
- * William Hindman, from December 12, 1800
Massachusetts">List of United States Senators from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
- 1. Benjamin Goodhue, until November 8, 1800
- * Jonathan Mason, from November 14, 1800
- 2. Samuel Dexter, until May 30, 1800
- * Dwight Foster, from June 6, 1800
New Hampshire">List of United States Senators from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
- 2. Samuel Livermore
- 3. John Langdon
New Jersey">List of United States Senators from New Jersey">New Jersey
- 1. James Schureman, until February 16, 1801
- * Aaron Ogden, from February 28, 1801
- 2. Jonathan Dayton
New York">List of United States Senators from New York">New York
- 1. James Watson, until March 19, 1800
- * Gouverneur Morris, from April 3, 1800
- 3. John Laurance, until August 1800
- * John Armstrong, from November 6, 1800
North Carolina">List of United States Senators from North Carolina">North Carolina
- 2. Jesse Franklin
- 3. Timothy Bloodworth
Pennsylvania">List of United States Senators from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
- 1. James Ross
- 3. William Bingham
Rhode Island">List of United States Senators from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
- 1. Theodore Foster
- 2. Ray Greene
South Carolina">List of United States Senators from South Carolina">South Carolina
- 2. Charles Pinckney
- 3. Jacob Read
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
Virginia">List of United States Senators from Virginia">Virginia
- 1. Stevens Mason
- 2. Wilson Nicholas, from December 5, 1799
House of Representatives
[List of [United States Representatives from Connecticut|Connecticut]]
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.- . Jonathan Brace, until May 1800
- * John Cotton Smith, from November 17, 1800
- . Samuel W. Dana
- . John Davenport
- . William Edmond
- . Chauncey Goodrich
- . Elizur Goodrich
- . Roger Griswold
Delaware">List of United States Representatives from Delaware">Delaware
- . James A. Bayard
Georgia">List of United States Representatives from Georgia">Georgia
- . James Jones, until January 11, 1801, vacant thereafter
- . Benjamin Taliaferro
Kentucky">List of United States Representatives from Kentucky">Kentucky
- . Thomas T. Davis
- . John Fowler
Maryland">List of United States Representatives from Maryland">Maryland
- . George Dent
- . John C. Thomas
- . William Craik
- . George Baer, Jr.
- . Samuel Smith
- . Gabriel Christie
- . Joseph H. Nicholson
- . John Dennis
Massachusetts">List of United States Representatives from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
- . Theodore Sedgwick
- . William Shepard
- . Samuel Lyman, until November 6, 1800
- * Ebenezer Mattoon, from February 2, 1801
- . Dwight Foster, until June 6, 1800
- * Levi Lincoln, from December 15, 1800
- . Lemuel Williams
- . John Reed
- . Phanuel Bishop
- . Harrison Gray Otis
- . Joseph Bradley Varnum
- . Samuel Sewall, until January 10, 1800
- * Nathan Read, from November 25, 1800
- . Bailey Bartlett
- . Silas Lee
- . Peleg Wadsworth
- . George Thatcher
New Hampshire">List of United States Representatives from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
- . Abiel Foster
- . Jonathan Freeman
- . William Gordon, until June 12, 1800
- * Samuel Tenney, from December 8, 1800
- . James Sheafe
New Jersey">List of United States Representatives from New Jersey">New Jersey
- . John Condit
- . Aaron Kitchell
- . James Linn
- . James H. Imlay
- . Franklin Davenport
New York">List of United States Representatives from New York">New York
- . Jonathan N. Havens, until October 25, 1799
- * John Smith, from February 27, 1800
- . Edward Livingston
- . Philip Van Cortlandt
- . Lucas C. Elmendorf
- . Theodorus Bailey
- . John Bird
- . John Thompson
- . Henry Glen
- . Jonas Platt
- . William Cooper
North Carolina">List of United States Representatives from North Carolina">North Carolina
- . Joseph Dickson
- . Archibald Henderson
- . Robert Williams
- . Richard Stanford
- . Nathaniel Macon
- . William H. Hill
- . William Barry Grove
- . David Stone
- . Willis Alston
- . Richard Dobbs Spaight
Pennsylvania">List of United States Representatives from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
- . Robert Waln
- . Michael Leib
- . Richard Thomas
- . Robert Brown
- . John Peter G. Muhlenberg
- . Joseph Hiester
- . John A. Hanna
- . John Wilkes Kittera
- . Thomas Hartley, until December 21, 1800
- * John Stewart, from January 15, 1801
- . Andrew Gregg
- . Henry Woods
- . John Smilie
- . Albert Gallatin
Rhode Island">List of United States Representatives from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
- . John Brown
- . Christopher G. Champlin
South Carolina">List of United States Representatives from South Carolina">South Carolina
- . Thomas Pinckney
- . John Rutledge, Jr.
- . Benjamin Huger
- . Thomas Sumter
- . Robert Goodloe Harper
- . Abraham Nott
Tennessee">List of United States Representatives from Tennessee">Tennessee
- . William C. C. Claiborne
Vermont">List of United States Representatives from Vermont">Vermont
- . Matthew Lyon
- . Lewis R. Morris
Virginia">List of United States Representatives from Virginia">Virginia
- . Robert Page
- . David Holmes
- . George Jackson
- . Abram Trigg
- . John J. Trigg
- . Matthew Clay
- . John Randolph
- . Samuel Goode
- . Joseph Eggleston
- . Edwin Gray
- . Josiah Parker
- . Thomas Evans
- . John Marshall, until June 7, 1800
- * Littleton W. Tazewell, from November 26, 1800
- . Samuel J. Cabell
- . John Dawson
- . Anthony New
- . Levin Powell
- . John Nicholas
- . Henry Lee
Non-voting members
- . William Henry Harrison, until May 14, 1800
- * William McMillan, from November 24, 1800
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this CongressSenate
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.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.Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.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
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