7th United States Congress

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7th United States Congress
6th ←
→ 8th
USCapitol1800.jpg
March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1803
Senate President Aaron Burr (DR)
Senate Pres. pro tem Abraham Baldwin (DR)
Stephen R. Bradley (DR)
House Speaker Nathaniel Macon (DR)
Members 34 senators
107 representatives
2 non-voting delegates
Senate Majority Democratic-Republican
House Majority Democratic-Republican
Sessions
Special: March 4, 1801 – March 5, 1801
1st: December 7, 1801 – May 3, 1802
2nd: December 6, 1802 – March 3, 1803

The Seventh 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[edit]

Main articles: 1801 in the United States, 1802 in the United States, and 1803 in the United States

Major legislation[edit]

Main article: List of United States federal legislation § 7th United States Congress

States admitted[edit]

United States Capitol with "Brick Oven"
  • 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." (Sess. 1, ch. 40, 2 Stat. 173) 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." (Sess. 2, ch. 7, 2 Stat. 201) 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[edit]

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[edit]

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.

Party
(shading shows control)		 Total Vacant
Democratic-
Republican
(DR)		 Federalist
(F)
End of the previous congress 11 21 32 0
Begin 15 17 32 0
End 18 14 2
Final voting share 56.3% 43.8%
Beginning of the next congress 22 9 31 3

House of Representatives[edit]

State shares of party representatives
Party
(shading shows control)		 Total Vacant
Democratic-
Republican
(DR)		 Federalist
(F)
End of the previous congress 49 56 105 1
Begin 65 40 105 1
End 64 41 3
Final voting share 61.0% 39.0%
Beginning of the next congress 113 26 139 3

Leadership[edit]

Senate[edit]

President of the Senate
Aaron Burr
President pro tempore of the Senate
Abraham Baldwin

House of Representatives[edit]

Members[edit]

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and Representatives are listed by district.

Senate[edit]

Skip to House of Representatives, below

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.

House of Representatives[edit]

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.

Changes in membership[edit]

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

Senate[edit]

There was 1 death, 8 resignations, and 2 seats added for a new state.

See also: List of special elections to the United States Senate
State
(class)		 Vacator Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation
Rhode Island
(2)		 Ray Greene (F) Resigned March 5, 1801, after being nominated for a judicial position. His successor was elected. Christopher Ellery (DR) Seated May 6, 1801
South Carolina
(2)		 Charles Pinckney (DR) Resigned June 6, 1801, after being appointed Minister to Spain. His successor was elected. Thomas Sumter (DR) Seated December 15, 1801
New Hampshire
(2)		 Samuel Livermore (F) Resigned June 12, 1801. His successor was elected. Simeon Olcott (F) Seated June 17, 1801
Pennsylvania
(3)		 Peter Muhlenberg (DR) Resigned June 30, 1801. His successor was appointed July 13, 1801, and then elected December 17, 1801. George Logan (DR) Seated July 13, 1801
Vermont
(3)		 Elijah Paine (F) Resigned September 1, 1801. His successor was elected. Stephen R. Bradley (DR) Seated October 15, 1801
Maryland
(3)		 William Hindman (F) Resigned November 19, 1801. His successor was elected. Robert Wright (DR) Seated November 19, 1801
New York
(3)		 John Armstrong Jr. (DR) Resigned February 5, 1802. His successor was elected. DeWitt Clinton (DR) Seated February 9, 1802
New Hampshire
(3)		 James Sheafe (F) Resigned June 14, 1802. His successor was elected. William Plumer (F) Seated June 17, 1802
South Carolina
(3)		 John E. Colhoun (DR) Died October 26, 1802. His successor was elected. Pierce Butler (DR) Seated November 4, 1802
Ohio
(1)		 New seats Ohio was admitted to the Union on November 29, 1802. Vacant Not filled this Congress
Ohio
(3)		 Vacant

House of Representatives[edit]

Main article: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives
District Vacator Reason for change Successor Date successor
seated
Connecticut
At-large		 Vacant Elizur Goodrich (F) resigned before the beginning of this Congress. Calvin Goddard (F) December 7, 1801
Massachusetts
4th		 Levi Lincoln (DR) Resigned March 5, 1801, after being appointed US Attorney General. Seth Hastings (F) January 11, 1802
New York
6th		 John Bird (F) Resigned July 25, 1801. John Peter Van Ness (DR) December 7, 1801
New York
5th		 Thomas Tillotson (DR) Resigned August 10, 1801, upon appointment as NY Secretary of State. Theodorus Bailey (DR) December 7, 1801
Massachusetts
12th		 Silas Lee (F) Resigned August 20, 1801. Samuel Thatcher (F) December 6, 1802
South Carolina
4th		 Thomas Sumter (DR) Resigned December 15, 1801, after being elected to the US Senate. Richard Winn (DR) January 24, 1803
Georgia
At-large		 Benjamin Taliaferro (DR) Resigned sometime in 1802. David Meriwether (DR) December 6, 1802
New Hampshire
At-large		 Joseph Peirce (F) Resigned sometime in 1802. Samuel Hunt (F) December 6, 1802
Maryland
2nd		 Richard Sprigg, Jr. (DR) Resigned February 11, 1802. Walter Bowie (DR) March 24, 1802
Mississippi Territory
At-large		 Narsworthy Hunter Died March 11, 1802. Thomas M. Green, Jr. December 6, 1802
Georgia
At-large		 John Milledge (DR) Resigned May 1802 after being elected Governor. Peter Early (DR) January 10, 1803
North Carolina
8th		 Charles Johnson (DR) Died July 23, 1802. Thomas Wynns (DR) December 7, 1802
Ohio
At-large		 New seat Ohio was admitted to the Union on November 29, 1802. Vacant Not filled until next Congress
New York
6th		 John Peter Van Ness (DR) Seat declared forfeited January 17, 1803. Vacant

Committees[edit]

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate[edit]

House of Representatives[edit]

Joint committees[edit]

Officers[edit]

Senate[edit]

House of Representatives[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ 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." (Sess. 1, ch. 40, 2 Stat. 173) 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." (Sess. 2, ch. 7, 2 Stat. 201) 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.
  2. ^ a b Pennsylvania's 4th district was a plural district with two representatives.
  • 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[edit]

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