4th United States Congress







The Fourth 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 at Congress Hall in Philadelphia Pennsylvania from March 4, 1795 to March 3, 1797, during the last two years of George Washington's Presidency.

The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the First Census of the United States in 1790. The Senate had a Federalist majority, and the House had a Democratic-Republican majority.

Major events

 * September 17, 1796 - U.S. President George Washington issued his Farewell Address, which warned against partisan politics and foreign entanglements.

Signed

 * May 31, 1796 — Treaty of New York (also known as Treaty with the Seven Nations of Canada) was signed, between leaders of the First Nations comprising the Seven Nations of Canada and a delegation headed by Abraham Ogden for the United States.
 * June 29, 1796 — Treaty of Colerain signed, which affirmed the binding of the Treaty of New York (1790) and established the boundary line between the Creek Nation and the United States.
 * August 3, 1795 — The Treaty of Greenville was signed, ending the Northwest Indian War.
 * October 27, 1795 — The Treaty of Madrid ("Pinckney's Treaty") between the United States and Spain was ratified. It established the boundaries between Spanish colonies and the United States.
 * November 4, 1796 — The Treaty of Tripoli was signed, between the United States and Tripoli.

Ratified

 * March 7, 1796 — The Treaty of Madrid ("Pinckney's Treaty") was ratified.

States admitted

 * June 1, 1796 - Tennessee was admitted as a state to the Union. It was formerly the Territory South of the River Ohio

Party summary
This was the first Congress to have organized political parties. Details on changes are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.

Senate

 * President: John Adams (F)
 * President pro tempore:
 * Henry Tazewell (F), first elected December 7, 1795
 * Samuel Livermore (F), first elected May 6, 1796
 * William Bingham (F), first elected February 16, 1797

House of Representatives

 * Speaker: Jonathan Dayton (F)

Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.

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 ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1796; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1798; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1800.

Connecticut

 * 1: Oliver Ellsworth (F), until March 8, 1796
 * James Hillhouse (F), March 12, 1796 – End
 * 3: Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. (F), until June 10, 1796
 * Uriah Tracy (F), October 13, 1796 – End

Delaware

 * 2: John Vining (F)
 * 1: Henry Latimer (F)

Georgia

 * 3: James Gunn (F)
 * 2: James Jackson (DR), until 1795
 * George Walton (F), November 16, 1795 – February 20, 1796
 * Josiah Tattnall (DR), February 20, 1796 – End

Kentucky

 * 2: John Brown (DR)
 * 3: Humphrey Marshall (F)

Maryland

 * 3: John Henry (F)
 * 1: Richard Potts (F), until October 24, 1796
 * John Eager Howard (F), November 30, 1796 – End

Massachusetts

 * 2: Caleb Strong (F), until June 1, 1796
 * Theodore Sedgwick (F), June 11, 1796 – End
 * 1: George Cabot (F), until June 9, 1796
 * Benjamin Goodhue (F), June 11, 1796 – End

New Hampshire

 * 3: John Langdon (DR)
 * 2: Samuel Livermore (F)

New Jersey

 * 1: John Rutherfurd (F)
 * 2: Frederick Frelinghuysen (F), until November 12, 1796
 * Richard Stockton (F), November 12, 1796 – End

New York

 * 3: Rufus King (F), until May 23, 1796
 * John Laurance (F), November 9, 1796 – End
 * 1: Aaron Burr (DR)

North Carolina

 * 2: Alexander Martin (DR)
 * 3: Timothy Bloodworth (DR)

Pennsylvania

 * 1: James Ross (F)
 * 3: William Bingham (F)

Rhode Island

 * 1: Theodore Foster (F)
 * 2: William Bradford (F)

South Carolina

 * 2: Pierce Butler (DR), until October 25, 1796
 * John Hunter (DR), December 8, 1796 – End
 * 3: Jacob Read (F)

Tennessee

 * 2: William Blount (DR), August 2, 1796 – End
 * 1: William Cocke (DR), August 2, 1796 – End

Vermont

 * 1: Moses Robinson (DR), until October 15, 1796
 * Isaac Tichenor (F), October 18, 1796 – End
 * 3: Elijah Paine (F)

Virginia

 * 2: Henry Tazewell (DR)
 * 1: Stevens Mason (DR)

House of Representatives
Many of the congressional district numbers are linked to articles describing the district itself. Since the boundaries of the districts have changed often and substantially, the linked article may only describe the district as it exists today, and not as it was at the time of this Congress.

Connecticut
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
 * Connecticut's at-large congressional district. Joshua Coit (F)
 * Connecticut's at-large congressional district. Chauncey Goodrich (F)
 * Connecticut's at-large congressional district. Roger Griswold (F)
 * Connecticut's at-large congressional district. James Hillhouse (F), until July 1, 1796
 * James Davenport (F), December 5, 1796 – End
 * Connecticut's at-large congressional district. Nathaniel Smith (F)
 * Connecticut's at-large congressional district. Zephaniah Swift (F)
 * Connecticut's at-large congressional district. Uriah Tracy (F), until October 13, 1796
 * Samuel W. Dana (F), January 3, 1797 – End

Delaware

 * Delaware's at-large congressional district. John Patten (DR)

Georgia
Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
 * Georgia's at-large congressional district. Abraham Baldwin (DR)
 * Georgia's at-large congressional district. John Milledge (DR)

Kentucky

 * Kentucky's 1st congressional district. Christopher Greenup (DR)
 * Kentucky's 2nd congressional district. Alexander D. Orr (DR)

Maryland

 * Maryland's 1st congressional district. George Dent (F)
 * Maryland's 2nd congressional district. Gabriel Duvall (DR), until March 28, 1796
 * Richard Sprigg, Jr. (DR), May 5, 1796 – End
 * Maryland's 3rd congressional district. Jeremiah Crabb (F), until 1796
 * William Craik (F), December 5, 1796 – End
 * Maryland's 4th congressional district. Thomas Sprigg (DR)
 * Maryland's 5th congressional district. Samuel Smith (DR)
 * Maryland's 6th congressional district. Gabriel Christie (DR)
 * Maryland's 7th congressional district. William Hindman (F)
 * Maryland's 8th congressional district. William Vans Murray (F)

Massachusetts

 * Massachusetts's 1st congressional district. Theodore Sedgwick (F), until 1796
 * Thomson J. Skinner (DR), January 27, 1797 – End
 * Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district. William Lyman (DR)
 * Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district. Samuel Lyman (F)
 * Massachusetts's 4th congressional district. Dwight Foster (F)
 * Massachusetts's 5th congressional district. Nathaniel Freeman, Jr. (F)
 * Massachusetts's 6th congressional district. John Reed, Sr. (F)
 * Massachusetts's 7th congressional district. George Leonard (F)
 * Massachusetts's 8th congressional district. Fisher Ames (F)
 * Massachusetts's 9th congressional district. Joseph Bradley Varnum (DR)
 * Massachusetts's 10th congressional district. Benjamin Goodhue (F), until June 1796
 * Samuel Sewall (F), December 7, 1796 – End
 * Massachusetts's 11th congressional district. Theophilus Bradbury (F)
 * Massachusetts's 12th congressional district. Henry Dearborn (DR)
 * Massachusetts's 13th congressional district. Peleg Wadsworth (F)
 * Massachusetts's 14th congressional district. George Thatcher (F)

New Hampshire
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
 * New Hampshire's at-large congressional district. Abiel Foster (F)
 * New Hampshire's at-large congressional district. Nicholas Gilman (F)
 * New Hampshire's at-large congressional district. John Sherburne (DR)
 * New Hampshire's at-large congressional district. Jeremiah Smith (F)

New Jersey
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
 * New Jersey's at-large congressional district. Jonathan Dayton (F)
 * New Jersey's at-large congressional district. Thomas Henderson (F)
 * New Jersey's at-large congressional district. Aaron Kitchell (F)
 * New Jersey's at-large congressional district. Isaac Smith (F)
 * New Jersey's at-large congressional district. Mark Thomson (F)

New York

 * New York's 1st congressional district. Edward Livingston (DR)
 * New York's 2nd congressional district. Jonathan Havens (DR)
 * New York's 3rd congressional district. Philip Van Cortlandt (DR)
 * New York's 4th congressional district. John Hathorn (DR)
 * New York's 5th congressional district. Theodorus Bailey (DR)
 * New York's 6th congressional district. Ezekiel Gilbert (F)
 * New York's 7th congressional district. John E. Van Alen (F)
 * New York's 8th congressional district. Henry Glen (F)
 * New York's 9th congressional district. John Williams (F)
 * New York's 10th congressional district. William Cooper (F)

North Carolina

 * North Carolina's 1st congressional district. James Holland (DR)
 * North Carolina's 2nd congressional district. Matthew Locke (DR)
 * North Carolina's 3rd congressional district. Jesse Franklin (DR)
 * North Carolina's 4th congressional district. Absalom Tatom (DR), until June 1, 1796
 * William Strudwick (F), December 13, 1796 – End
 * North Carolina's 5th congressional district. Nathaniel Macon (DR)
 * North Carolina's 6th congressional district. James Gillespie (DR)
 * North Carolina's 7th congressional district. William Barry Grove (F)
 * North Carolina's 8th congressional district. Dempsey Burges (DR)
 * North Carolina's 9th congressional district. Thomas Blount (DR)
 * North Carolina's 10th congressional district. Nathan Bryan (DR)

Pennsylvania
The 4th district was a plural district with two representatives.
 * Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district. John Swanwick (DR)
 * Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district. Frederick Muhlenberg (DR)
 * Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district. Richard Thomas (F)
 * Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district. Vacant until January 18, 1796
 * John Richards (DR), January 18, 1796 – End
 * Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district. Samuel Sitgreaves (F)
 * Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district. Daniel Hiester (DR), until July 1, 1796
 * George Ege (F), December 8, 1796 – End
 * Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district. Samuel Maclay (DR)
 * Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district. John Kittera (F)
 * Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district. Thomas Hartley (F)
 * Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district. Andrew Gregg (DR)
 * Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district. David Bard (DR)
 * Pennsylvania's 11th congressional district. William Findley (DR)
 * Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district. Albert Gallatin (DR)

Rhode Island
Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
 * Rhode Island's at-large congressional district. Benjamin Bourne (F), until 1796
 * Elisha Potter (F), December 19, 1796 – End
 * Rhode Island's at-large congressional district. Francis Malbone (F)

South Carolina

 * South Carolina's 1st congressional district. William L. Smith (F)
 * South Carolina's 2nd congressional district. Wade Hampton (DR)
 * South Carolina's 3rd congressional district. Lemuel Benton (DR)
 * South Carolina's 4th congressional district. Richard Winn (DR)
 * South Carolina's 5th congressional district. Robert Goodloe Harper (F)
 * South Carolina's 6th congressional district. Samuel Earle (DR)

Tennessee

 * Tennessee's at-large congressional district. Andrew Jackson (DR), December 5, 1796 – End

Vermont

 * Vermont's 1st congressional district. Israel Smith (DR)
 * Vermont's 2nd congressional district. Daniel Buck (F)

Virginia

 * Virginia's 1st congressional district. Robert Rutherford (DR)
 * Virginia's 2nd congressional district. Andrew Moore (DR)
 * Virginia's 3rd congressional district. George Jackson (DR)
 * Virginia's 4th congressional district. Francis Preston (DR)
 * Virginia's 5th congressional district. George Hancock (F)
 * Virginia's 6th congressional district. Isaac Coles (DR)
 * Virginia's 7th congressional district. Abraham B. Venable (DR)
 * Virginia's 8th congressional district. Thomas Claiborne (DR)
 * Virginia's 9th congressional district. William Giles (DR)
 * Virginia's 10th congressional district. Carter Harrison (DR)
 * Virginia's 11th congressional district. Josiah Parker (F)
 * Virginia's 12th congressional district. John Page (DR)
 * Virginia's 13th congressional district. John Clopton (DR)
 * Virginia's 14th congressional district. Samuel Cabell (DR)
 * Virginia's 15th congressional district. James Madison (DR)
 * Virginia's 16th congressional district. Anthony New (DR)
 * Virginia's 17th congressional district. Richard Brent (DR)
 * Virginia's 18th congressional district. John Nicholas (DR)
 * Virginia's 19th congressional district. John Heath (DR)

Non-voting members

 * Southwest Territory's at-large congressional district: James White (DR), until June 1, 1796

Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress

Senate
There were 10 resignations, 2 new seats, and 1 election to replace an appointee. Both the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans each had a 1 seat net gain.

House of Representatives
There were 9 resignations, 1 death of a Representative-elect, and 1 new seat. Both Federalists and Democratic-Republicans each had a 1 seat net gain.

Officers

 * Architect of the Capitol: William Thornton

Senate

 * Secretary: Samuel A. Otis of Massachusetts, elected April 8, 1789
 * Doorkeeper: James Mathers of New York, elected April 7, 1789
 * Chaplain: William White, Episcopalian, elected December 9, 1790

House of Representatives

 * Clerk: John Beckley of Virginia, elected December 7, 1795
 * Sergeant at Arms: Joseph Wheaton of Rhode Island, elected December 7, 1795
 * Doorkeeper: Thomas Claxton, elected December 7, 1795
 * Chaplain: Ashbel Green, Presbyterian, elected December 7, 1795