United States Senate special election in New York, November 1800
Encyclopedia
The second 1800 United States Senate special election in New York was held on November 6, 1800, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator (Class 3) to represent the State of New York
in the United States Senate
.
had been re-elected in 1795 to a second term in the U.S. Senate (1795-1801). On May 23, 1796, he resigned after having been appointed U.S. Minister to Great Britain. Federalist John Laurance was elected in November 1796 to fill the vacancy, took his seat on December 8, 1796, but resigned in August 1800.
At the State election in April 1800, a Democratic-Republican majority of 28 was elected to the Assembly, but the Senate had a majority of 7 Federalists. The 24th New York State Legislature
met from November 4 to 7, 1800; and from January 27 to April 8, 1801, at Albany, New York
.
(1783-1788) John Armstrong, a brother-in-law of Chancellor Robert R. Livingston, was the candidate of the Democratic-Republican Party. Armstrong had been a Federalist until about 1798, and appeared here as a compromise candidate, the two houses of the Legislature having different majorities.
Obs.: Armstrong was elected unanimously in the Senate, but the exact number of votes given is unclear.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
Background
Federalist Rufus KingRufus King
Rufus King was an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was a delegate for Massachusetts to the Continental Congress. He also attended the Constitutional Convention and was one of the signers of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
had been re-elected in 1795 to a second term in the U.S. Senate (1795-1801). On May 23, 1796, he resigned after having been appointed U.S. Minister to Great Britain. Federalist John Laurance was elected in November 1796 to fill the vacancy, took his seat on December 8, 1796, but resigned in August 1800.
At the State election in April 1800, a Democratic-Republican majority of 28 was elected to the Assembly, but the Senate had a majority of 7 Federalists. The 24th New York State Legislature
24th New York State Legislature
The 24th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from November 4, 1800, to April 8, 1801, during the sixth year of John Jay's governorship, in Albany.-Background:...
met from November 4 to 7, 1800; and from January 27 to April 8, 1801, at Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
.
Candidates
Ex-Secretary of the Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaSecretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
The Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania administers the Pennsylvania Department of State of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania...
(1783-1788) John Armstrong, a brother-in-law of Chancellor Robert R. Livingston, was the candidate of the Democratic-Republican Party. Armstrong had been a Federalist until about 1798, and appeared here as a compromise candidate, the two houses of the Legislature having different majorities.
Result
Armstrong was the choice of both the State Senate and the State Assembly, and was declared elected.| Office | House | Democratic-Republican | Democratic-Republican | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senator | State Senate New York State Senate The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve... (43 members) |
John Armstrong John Armstrong, Jr. John Armstrong, Jr. was an American soldier and statesman who was a delegate to the Continental Congress, U.S. Senator from New York, and Secretary of War.-Early life and Revolutionary War:... |
unan. | ||
| State Assembly New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652... (107 members) |
John Armstrong John Armstrong, Jr. John Armstrong, Jr. was an American soldier and statesman who was a delegate to the Continental Congress, U.S. Senator from New York, and Secretary of War.-Early life and Revolutionary War:... |
99 | Peter Gansevoort Peter Gansevoort Peter Gansevoort was a Colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He is best known for leading the resistance to Barry St. Leger's Siege of Fort Stanwix in 1777. Gansevoort was also the maternal grandfather of Moby-Dick author Herman Melville.-Early life:He was born... |
2 | |
Obs.: Armstrong was elected unanimously in the Senate, but the exact number of votes given is unclear.
Aftermath
Armstrong took his seat on January 8, 1801, and was re-elected to a full term (1801-07) three weeks later.Sources
- The New York Civil List compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 62f for U.S. Senators; pg. 117f for State Senators 1800-01; page 174 for Members of Assembly 1800-01) [gives name as "Lawrence"]
- Members of the Fourth United States Congress
- Members of the Sixth United States Congress
- History of Political Parties in the State of New-York by Jabez Delano Hammond (pages 153f) [gives name as "Lawrence"]
- Election result at Tufts UniversityTufts UniversityTufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
Library project "A New Nation Votes"