6th United States Congress

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The 6th Congress of the United States , made up of the House and Senate , was the legislature of the United States . Its legislative term lasted from March 4, 1799 to March 4, 1801. All members of the House of Representatives and a third of the senators ( Class II ) were elected in the 1798 congressional elections. This was the last time that there was a majority for the Federalist Party in both chambers . The Democratic-Republican Party only had the role in the opposition. The congress met first in the Congress Hall in Philadelphia and then in the new federal capital Washington, DC The United States at that time consisted of 16 states. President was John Adams .

The distribution of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1790 census .

Important events

See also 1799 1800 and 1801

  • March 4, 1799: beginning of the legislative period of the 6th Congress.
  • December 14, 1799: George Washington , Commander-in-Chief of the American Forces in the American Revolutionary War and first President of the United States between 1789 and 1797, dies.
  • February 24, 1800: Creation of the Library of Congress .
  • July 4, 1800: Indiana Territory founded .
  • September 30, 1800: The Treaty of Mortefontaine between France and the USA ends the tensions between the two states that have persisted since 1798 and which also went down in history as a quasi-war .
  • November 17, 1800: Congress meets for the first time in the new federal capital Washington DC.
  • 1800: In the congressional elections, the Democratic Republican Party wins a majority in both chambers.
  • January 20, 1801: Outgoing President John Adams appoints John Marshall as chief federal judge. He held the office until 1835.
  • February 19, 1801: The presidential elections of 1800 are decided in favor of Thomas Jefferson because of a stalemate in Congress . For the first time in American history, an incumbent president, John Adams, is voted out.
  • February 27, 1801: Washington, DC comes under the legal administration of Congress.

The main laws

During the session of the 6th Congress, the following federal laws were passed ( see also: Legislative procedure ):

  • February 13, 1801: Judiciary Act of 1801
  • February 27, 1801: District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801

Composition according to parties

senate

  • Democratic Republican Party: 11
  • Federalist Party: 21
  • Others (0
  • Vacant: 0

Total: 32 at the end of the legislative period

House of Representatives

  • Democratic Republican Party: 49
  • Federalist Party: 56
  • Others (0
  • Vacant: 1

Total: 106 at the end of the legislative period

There was also a congress delegate who was not entitled to vote

Public officials

senate

House of Representatives

Senate members

The senators were elected by the state legislatures for six-year terms. The Senate seats are divided into three roughly equal classes , one of which is available for election every two years. The number in front of the name indicates the class assignment of the respective senator.

Connecticut

Delaware

Georgia

Kentucky

Maryland

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

New Jersey

new York

North Carolina

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South carolina

Tennessee

Vermont

Virginia

Members of the House of Representatives

The seats in the House of Representatives were distributed among the states and elected there every two years by the electorate. Each state decided for itself whether the seats were to be distributed over several constituencies or occupied jointly.

Connecticut All MPs were state-elected.

Delaware

Georgia All MPs were elected state-wide.

Kentucky Two constituencies

Maryland Eight constituencies

Massachusetts Fourteen constituencies

New Hampshire All MPs were state-elected.

New Jersey All MPs were elected state-wide.

New York Ten Congressional Constituencies

North Carolina Ten Congressional Constituencies

Pennsylvania Twelve Congressional Constituencies. The fourth constituency had two congressmen.

Rhode Island All MPs were state-elected.

South Carolina Six congressional whale districts

Tennessee Elected to the State

Vermont Two constituencies

Virginia Nineteen Constituencies

Non-voting members of the House of Representatives were the future President: William Henry Harrison (until May 14, 1800) and then William McMillan . Both represented what was then the northwestern territory .

Web links

Commons : 6th United States Congress  - Collection of Pictures, Videos, and Audio Files
  • bioguide.congress.gov (by entering 6 under Year OR Congress: you get a list of the members of the 6th Congress with a link to the official biographies; English)