6th United States Congress
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Through United States Senate and President of the United States
Major events
- December 14, 1799: Former President George Washington died
- February 24, 1800: Library of Congress founded
- November 17, 1800: Congress held its first session in Washington, D.C.
- January 20, 1801: John Marshall was appointed Chief Justice of the United States
- February 17, 1801: 1800 United States presidential election: Thomas Jefferson became the first President of the United States elected by the House of Representatives as no candidate received a majority of the electoral votes cast in the 1800 presidential election. The House was required to choose between Jefferson and Aaron Burr, with each of the 16 states having a single vote. Jefferson was elected on the 36th ballot by 10 to 4 (with 2 abstentions).
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Major legislation
- April 4, 1800: Bankruptcy Act of 1800, Sess. 1, ch. 19, 2 Stat. 19
- May 7, 1800: Indiana Organic Act, Sess. 1, ch. 41, 2 Stat. 58; effective July 4, 1800
- May 10, 1800: Slave Trade Act of 1800, Sess. 2, ch. 51, 2 Stat. 70
- February 13, 1801: Judiciary Act of 1801, Sess. 2, ch. 4, 2 Stat. 89
- February 27, 1801: District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801, Sess.2, ch. 15, 2 Stat. 103
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
House of Representatives
Leadership
Senate
- President: Thomas Jefferson (DR)
- President pro tempore: Samuel Livermore (F), elected December 2, 1799
- Uriah Tracy (F), elected May 14, 1800
- John E. Howard, (F), elected November 21, 1800
- James Hillhouse, (F), elected February 28, 1801
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Theodore Sedgwick (F)
Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.
- Skip to House of Representatives, below
Senate
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 began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1802; Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1804; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1800.
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 were 7 resignations and 1 vacancy at the beginning of Congress. The Federalists had a 1-seat net loss and the Democratic-Republicans had a 2-seat net gain.
House of Representatives
There were 6 resignations and 3 deaths. The Federalists had a 4-seat net loss and the Democratic-Republicans had a 3-seat net gain.
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Senate
House of Representatives
- Claims (Chairman: Dwight Foster then Nathaniel Macon)
- Commerce and Manufactures (Chairman: Samuel Smith)
- Elections (Chairman: Samuel W. Dana then George Dent)
- Revisal and Unfinished Business (Chairman: Roger Griswold then Jonas Platt)
- Rules (Select)
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Ways and Means (Chairman: Robert Goodloe Harper then Roger Griswold)
- Whole
Joint committees
- Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Dwight Foster)
Administrative officers
- Architect of the Capitol: William Thornton
Senate
- Chaplain: William White, Episcopalian, until November 27, 1800
- Thomas J. Claggett, Episcopalian, elected November 27, 1800
- Doorkeeper: James Mathers
- Secretary: Samuel Otis
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: Ashbel Green, Presbyterian, until November 27, 1800
- Thomas Lyell, Methodist, elected November 27, 1800
- Clerk: Jonathan W. Condy, resigned December 4, 1800
- John H. Oswald, elected December 9, 1800
- Doorkeeper: Thomas Claxton
- Reading Clerks: [data missing]
- Sergeant at Arms: Joseph Wheaton