United States House election, 1789
Encyclopedia
The U.S. House elections, 1789 were the first elections for the United States House of Representatives
in 1789, which coincided with the election of President
George Washington
. Some candidates were chosen in 1788, others in 1789. Dates and manners of elections were set by the states. Actual political parties did not yet exist, but new members of Congress were informally categorized as either "pro-Administration" (i.e., pro-Washington and pro-Hamilton
) or "anti-Administration."
The first session of the first House of Representatives came to order on March 4, 1789 with only thirteen members. The requisite quorum (thirty members out of fifty-nine) was not present until April 1, 1789. The first order of business was to elect a Speaker. On the first ballot, Frederick Muhlenberg
was elected Speaker by a majority of votes. The business of the first session was largely a matter of procedure rather than policy.
In this period each state fixed its own date for a congressional general election. This article covers all such state elections to the 1st Congress. Elections to a Congress took place both in the even-numbered year before and in the odd-numbered year when the Congress convened. In some states the congressional delegation was not elected until after the legal start of the Congress (on the 4th day of March in the odd numbered year).
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in 1789, which coincided with the election of President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. Some candidates were chosen in 1788, others in 1789. Dates and manners of elections were set by the states. Actual political parties did not yet exist, but new members of Congress were informally categorized as either "pro-Administration" (i.e., pro-Washington and pro-Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
) or "anti-Administration."
The first session of the first House of Representatives came to order on March 4, 1789 with only thirteen members. The requisite quorum (thirty members out of fifty-nine) was not present until April 1, 1789. The first order of business was to elect a Speaker. On the first ballot, Frederick Muhlenberg
Frederick Muhlenberg
Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg was an American minister and politician who was the first Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A delegate and a member of the U.S...
was elected Speaker by a majority of votes. The business of the first session was largely a matter of procedure rather than policy.
In this period each state fixed its own date for a congressional general election. This article covers all such state elections to the 1st Congress. Elections to a Congress took place both in the even-numbered year before and in the odd-numbered year when the Congress convened. In some states the congressional delegation was not elected until after the legal start of the Congress (on the 4th day of March in the odd numbered year).
Election dates
| State | Type | Date | Total seats |
Pro-Administration Federalist Party (United States) The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801... |
Anti-Administration Anti-Administration Party (United States) Anti-Administration "Party" was the informal faction comprising the opponents of the policies of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in the first term of President George Washington. This was not an organized political party but an unorganized faction... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | At-Large (x5) | December 22, 1788 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Delaware | At-Large (x1) | January 7, 1789 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Georgia | At-Large/District (3x1) | February 9, 1789 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Maryland | At-Large/District (6x1) | January 7–11, 1789 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| Massachusetts | District (8x1) | December 18, 1788 | 8 | 6 | 2 |
| New Hampshire | At-Large (x3) | December 15, 1788 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| New Jersey | At-Large (x4) | February 11-April 27, 1789 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| New York | District (6x1) | March 3–5, 1789 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| North Carolina | District (5x1) | February 4-5; March 8–9, 1790 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Pennsylvania | At-Large (x8) | November 26, 1788 | 8 | 6 | 2 |
| Rhode Island | At-Large (x1) | August 31, 1790 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| South Carolina United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 1788 The 1788 South Carolina United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 24 and November 25, 1788 to select five Representatives for two-year terms from the state of South Carolina. The number of votes each candidate received was not recorded and only the majorities that each... |
District (5x1) | November 24–25, 1788 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Virginia | District (10x1) | February 2, 1789 | 10 | 3 | 7 |
| Totals | A-L:22, A-L/D:9, D:34 | 1788 - 1790 | 65 | 37 | 28 |
Overall results
| Party | Total seats |
Change | Seat percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pro-Administration Party Federalist Party (United States) The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801... |
37 | N/A | 56.9% |
| Anti-Administration Party Anti-Administration Party (United States) Anti-Administration "Party" was the informal faction comprising the opponents of the policies of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in the first term of President George Washington. This was not an organized political party but an unorganized faction... |
28 | N/A | 43.1% |
| Totals | 65 | N/A | 100% |
See also
- 1st United States Congress1st United States Congress-House of Representatives:During this congress, five House seats were added for North Carolina and one House seat was added for Rhode Island when they ratified the Constitution.-Senate:* President: John Adams * President pro tempore: John Langdon...
- United States presidential election, 1789United States presidential election, 1789The United States presidential election of 1789 was the first presidential election in the United States of America and the only election to ever take place in a year that is not a multiple of four. The election took place following the ratification of the United States Constitution in 1788...
- History of the United States Constitution#The New Government
- United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 1789United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 1789The 1789 United States House of Representatives elections in New York were held on March 3 and 4, 1789, to elect 6 U.S. Representatives to represent the State of New York in the 1st United States Congress.-Background:...