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7th United States Congress
6th ←→ 8th
United States Capitol (1800)
March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1803
Members	34 senators 107 representatives 2 non-voting delegates
Senate majority	Democratic-Republican
Senate President	Aaron Burr (DR)
House majority	Democratic-Republican
House Speaker	Nathaniel Macon (DR)
Sessions
Special: March 4, 1801 – March 5, 1801 1st: December 7, 1801 – May 3, 1802 2nd: December 6, 1802 – March 3, 1803

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 1790 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic-Republican majority, except when the Senate held a two-day Special Senate session in order to provide advice to the new President Thomas Jefferson, when there was still a Federalist majority in the Senate.

Major events

• March 4, 1801: Thomas Jefferson became President of the United States.
• 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, 2 Stat. 156
• April 30, 1802: Enabling Act of 1802, ch. 40, 2 Stat. 173

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." (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

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

The Federalists still controlled the Senate when they held a two-day special Senate session in March 1801, which was called by outgoing President John Adams so that the Senate could provide advice to the new President Thomas Jefferson, but by the time Congress began its first regular session in December 1801 to start official business, the Democratic-Republicans had gained Senate control.

House of Representatives

Leadership

Senate

• President: Aaron Burr (DR)
• President pro tempore: Abraham Baldwin (DR), first elected December 7, 1801
  • Stephen R. Bradley (DR), first elected December 14, 1802

House of Representatives

• Speaker: Nathaniel Macon, (DR), elected December 7, 1801

Members

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

Senate

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.

Connecticut ▌1. James Hillhouse (F) ▌3. Uriah Tracy (F) Delaware ▌1. Samuel White (F) ▌2. William H. Wells (F) Georgia ▌2. Abraham Baldwin (DR) ▌3. James Jackson (DR) Kentucky ▌2. John Brown (DR) ▌3. John Breckinridge (DR) Maryland ▌1. John Eager Howard (F) ▌3. William Hindman (F), until November 19, 1801 ▌Robert Wright (DR), from November 19, 1801 Massachusetts ▌1. Jonathan Mason (F) ▌2. Dwight Foster (F), until March 2, 1803 New Hampshire ▌2. Samuel Livermore (F), until June 12, 1801 ▌Simeon Olcott (F), from June 17, 1801 ▌3. James Sheafe (F), until June 14, 1802 ▌William Plumer (F), from June 17, 1802 New Jersey ▌1. Aaron Ogden (F) ▌2. Jonathan Dayton (F) New York ▌1. Gouverneur Morris (F) ▌3. John Armstrong Jr. (DR), until February 5, 1802 ▌DeWitt Clinton (DR), from February 9, 1802

North Carolina ▌2. Jesse Franklin (DR) ▌3. David Stone (DR) Ohio Due to uncertainty over Ohio's exact admittance date (see "States admitted, above") its two senators were not elected until the next Congress. 1: Vacant (newly admitted state) 3: Vacant (newly admitted state) Pennsylvania ▌1. James Ross (F) ▌3. John Peter G. Muhlenberg (DR), until June 30, 1801 ▌George Logan (DR), from July 13, 1801 Rhode Island ▌1. Theodore Foster (F) ▌2. Ray Greene (F), until March 5, 1801 ▌Christopher Ellery (DR), from May 6, 1801 South Carolina ▌2. Charles Pinckney (DR), until June 6, 1801 ▌Thomas Sumter (DR), from December 15, 1801 ▌3. John E. Colhoun (DR), until October 26, 1802 ▌Pierce Butler (DR), from November 4, 1802 Tennessee ▌1. Joseph Anderson (DR) ▌2. William Cocke (DR) Vermont ▌1. Nathaniel Chipman (F) ▌3. Elijah Paine (F), until September 1, 1801 ▌Stephen R. Bradley (DR), from October 15, 1801 Virginia ▌1. Stevens Mason (DR) ▌2. Wilson C. Nicholas (DR)

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.

Changes in membership

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

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

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

• Whole

House of Representatives

• Claims (Chairman: John C. Smith)
• Commerce and Manufactures (Chairman: Samuel Smith)
• Elections (Chairman: John Milledge then John Bacon)
• Revisal and Unfinished Business (Chairman: John Davenport)
• Rules (Select)
• Standards of Official Conduct (Chairman: N/A)
• Ways and Means (Chairman: John Randolph)
• Whole

Joint committees

• Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Dwight Foster)

Officers

Legislative branch agency directors

• Architect of the Capitol: William Thornton
• Librarian of Congress: John J. Beckley, from 1802

Senate

• Chaplain: Thomas J. Claggett (Episcopalian), until December 9, 1801
  • Edward Gantt (Episcopalian), elected December 9, 1801
• Secretary: Samuel A. Otis
• Doorkeeper: James Mathers

House of Representatives

• Chaplain: Thomas Lyell (Methodist), until December 10, 1801
  • William Parkinson (Baptist), elected December 10, 1801
• Clerk: John Holt Oswald, until December 7, 1801
  • John Beckley, elected December 7, 1801
• Doorkeeper: Thomas Claxton
• Reading Clerks: [data missing]
• Sergeant at Arms: Joseph Wheaton

See also

• 1800 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress)
  • 1800 United States presidential election
  • 1800–01 United States Senate elections
  • 1800–01 United States House of Representatives elections
• 1802 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
  • 1802–03 United States Senate elections
  • 1802–03 United States House of Representatives elections

Notes

1. Special session of the Senate.
2. ^ Class 2 Rhode Island senator Ray Greene (F) resigned March 5, 1801, and Christopher Ellery (DR) was elected, then was seated on May 6, 1801 to continue that term.
3. ^ Charles Pinckney (DR) resigned June 6, 1801, after being appointed Minister to Spain. His successor Thomas Sumter (DR) was elected, then was seated on December 15, 1801.
4. ^ Samuel Livermore(F) resigned June 12, 1801. His successor Simeon Olcott (F) was elected, then was seated on June 17, 1801.
5. ^ Peter Muhlenberg (DR) resigned June 30, 1801. His successor George Logan (DR) was appointed July 13, 1801, and then elected December 17, 1801.
6. ^ Elijah Paine (F) resigned September 1, 1801. His successor Stephen R. Bradley (DR) was elected, and then was seated on October 1, 1801.
7. William Hindman (F) resigned November 19, 1801. His successor Robert Wright (DR) was elected and seated that same day.
8. ^ John Armstrong Jr. (DR) resigned February 5, 1802. His successor Dewitt Clinton (DR) was elected, then was seated February 9, 1802.
9. ^ James Sheafe (F) resigned June 14, 1802. His successor William Plumer (F) was elected, then was seated June 17, 1802.
10. ^ John E. Colhoun (DR) died October 26, 1802. His successor Pierce Butler (DR) was elected, then was seated November 4, 1802.
11. Ohio was admitted to the Union on November 29, 1802. These two Ohio senate seats would remain vacant for the remainder of this Congress and for the beginning part of the next Congress.
12. Dwight Foster (F) resigned March 2, 1803. His seat remained vacant for the remainder of Congress.
13. ^ When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

1. "Congressional Record, March 1801" (PDF). Congressional Record: 147–151. March 1801.
2. "Explanation of the Types of Sessions of Congress". The Green Papers. June 2001.
3. 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.
4. ^ Pennsylvania's 4th district was a plural district with two representatives.
5. "Seventh Congress March 4, 1801 to March 3, 1803". Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 11, 2019 – via History.house.gov.

• 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

• 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

• 7th United States Congress