4th United States Congress

Updated on Nov 20, 2024

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Senate President John Adams (F) Senate Majority Federalist		House Speaker Jonathan Dayton (F) House Majority Democratic-Republican

Senate Pres. pro tem Henry Tazewell (F)Samuel Livermore (F)William Bingham (F) Members 30-32 (two additions)(with 0-4 vacancies) Senators106-107 (one additions)(with 0-8 vacancies) Representatives1 Non-voting members

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 4, 1797, during the last two years of George Washington's Presidency. The apportionment of seats in the 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: Washington's Farewell Address warned against partisan politics and foreign entanglements.

Treaties ratified

June 24, 1795: Treaty of London ("Jay's Treaty")

March 7, 1796: Treaty of Madrid ("Pinckney's Treaty")

States admitted

June 1, 1796: Tennessee admitted as a state; formerly the Territory South of the River Ohio, Sess. 1, ch. 47, 1 Stat. 491

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

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. There was a 1-seat gain for both the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.

House of Representatives

There were 9 resignations, 1 death of a Representative-elect, and 1 new seat. There was a 1-seat gain for both the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.