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The 10th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1807, to March 4, 1809, during the seventh and eighth years of Thomas Jefferson's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1800 census; both chambers had an overwhelming Democratic-Republican majority.
| 10th United States Congress | |
|---|---|
9th ← → 11th | |
 United States Capitol (1800) | |
March 4, 1807 – March 4, 1809 | |
| Members | 34 senators 142 representatives 3 non-voting delegates |
| Senate majority | Democratic-Republican |
| Senate President | George Clinton (DR) |
| House majority | Democratic-Republican |
| House Speaker | Joseph Bradley Varnum (DR) |
| Sessions | |
| 1st: October 26, 1807 – April 25, 1808 2nd: November 7, 1808 – March 3, 1809 | |
Major events
edit- May 22, 1807: Former Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr was indicted for treason. He was acquitted September 1, 1807
- June 1807: Chesapeake-Leopard Affair: The British warship HMS Leopard (1790) captured and boarded the USS Chesapeake (1799).
- August 17, 1807: The Clermont, Robert Fulton's first American steamboat, left New York City for Albany, New York, on the Hudson River, inaugurating the first commercial steamboat service in the world.
- January 1, 1808: The importation of slaves into the United States was banned
Stephen R. Bradley
Joseph B. Varnum
Major legislation
edit- December 22, 1807: Embargo Act of 1807, ch. 5, 2 Stat. 451
- March 1, 1809: Non-Intercourse Act (1809), ch. 24, 2 Stat. 528
Territories organized
edit- February 3, 1809: Illinois Territory was organized from a portion of Indiana Territory, 2 Stat. 514
Party summary
editThe count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.
Senate
edit| Party (shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic- Republican (DR) |
Federalist (F) | |||
| End of previous congress | 27 | 7 | 34 | 0 |
| Begin | 28 | 6 | 34 | 0 |
| End | ||||
| Final voting share | 82.4% | 17.6% | ||
| Beginning of next congress | 26 | 7 | 33 | 1 |
House of Representatives
edit| Party (shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic- Republican (DR) |
Federalist (F) | |||
| End of previous congress | 113 | 28 | 141 | 1 |
| Begin | 115 | 25 | 140 | 2 |
| End | 27 | 142 | 0 | |
| Final voting share | 81.0% | 19.0% | ||
| Beginning of next congress | 95 | 47 | 142 | 0 |
Leadership
editSenate
edit- President: George Clinton (DR)
- President pro tempore: Samuel Smith (DR), elected April 16, 1808
- Stephen R. Bradley (DR), elected December 28, 1808
- John Milledge (DR), elected January 30, 1809
House of Representatives
edit- Speaker: Joseph Bradley Varnum (DR)
Members
editThis list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and representatives are listed by district.
Senate
editSenators 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.
|
|
 2 Democratic-Republicans 2 Federalists
|
House of Representatives
editThe names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
|
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
(1 Federalist)
(4 Democratic-Republicans)
(6 Democratic-Republicans)
The 5th district was a plural district with two representatives.
(11-6 Democratic-Republican)
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
(15-2 Democratic-Republican)
|
(11-1 Democratic-Republicans)
(1 Democratic-Republican)
There were four plural districts, the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd had three representatives each, the 4th had two representatives.
Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
(8 Democratic-Republicans)
(3 Democratic-Republicans)
(2-2 Democratic-Republican)
(21-1 Democratic-Republican)
Non-voting membersedit(no representation)
|
Changes in membership
editThe count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
Senate
editThere were 5 resignations, 2 deaths, and 1 interim appointment. Neither party had a net change.
| State (class) |
Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia (2) |
Abraham Baldwin (DR) | Died March 4, 1807. Temporary successor appointed August 27, 1807, to continue the term. |
George Jones (DR) | August 27, 1807 |
| Connecticut (3) |
Uriah Tracy (F) | Died July 19, 1807. Successor elected October 25, 1807, to finish the term. |
Chauncey Goodrich (F) | October 25, 1807 |
| Rhode Island (2) |
James Fenner (DR) | Resigned September, 1807 to become Governor of Rhode Island. Successor elected to finish the term. |
Elisha Mathewson (DR) | October 26, 1807 |
| Vermont (1) |
Israel Smith (DR) | Resigned October 1, 1807, to become Governor of Vermont. Successor elected to finish the term. |
Jonathan Robinson (DR) | October 10, 1807 |
| Georgia (2) |
George Jones (DR) | Successor elected November 7, 1807, to finish the term, in place of a temporary appointee. | William H. Crawford (DR) | November 7, 1807 |
| Ohio (1) |
John Smith (DR) | Resigned April 25, 1808. Successor appointed to finish the term ending March 4, 1809. |
Return J. Meigs Jr. (DR) | December 12, 1808 |
| Massachusetts (1) |
John Quincy Adams (F) | Resigned June 8, 1808, having broken with his party and lost re-election to the next term. Winner elected to finish the term, having already won election to the next term. |
James Lloyd (F) | June 9, 1808 |
| Pennsylvania (1) |
Samuel Maclay (DR) | Resigned January 4, 1809, believing he would lose re-election. Winner was elected to finish the term, having already won election to the next term. |
Michael Leib (DR) | January 9, 1809 |
House of Representatives
editOf the voting members, there were 4 resignations, 4 deaths, and 2 vacancies from the beginning of this Congress. Democratic-Republicans had no net change and Federalists picked up 2 seats.
| District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina 6th |
Vacant | Levi Casey (DR) died before the end of the preceding Congress | Joseph Calhoun (DR) | Seated June 2, 1807 |
| Delaware at-large |
Vacant | James M. Broom (F) resigned before the beginning of this Congress | Nicholas Van Dyke (F) | Seated October 6, 1807 |
| Massachusetts 12th |
Barnabas Bidwell (DR) | Resigned July 13, 1807, after becoming Attorney General of Massachusetts | Ezekiel Bacon (DR) | Seated September 16, 1807 |
| North Carolina 7th |
John Culpepper (F) | Seat declared vacant January 2, 1808 | John Culpepper (F) | Seated February 23, 1808 |
| New Jersey at-large |
Ezra Darby (DR) | Died January 27, 1808 | Adam Boyd (DR) | Seated March 8, 1808 |
| Indiana Territory at-large |
Benjamin Parke |
Resigned March 1, 1808 | Jesse B. Thomas | October 22, 1808 |
| Pennsylvania 1st |
Joseph Clay (DR) | Resigned March 28, 1808 | Benjamin Say (DR) | Seated November 16, 1808 |
| Massachusetts 2nd |
Jacob Crowninshield (DR) | Died April 15, 1808 | Joseph Story (DR) | Seated May 23, 1808 |
| New York 12th |
David Thomas (DR) | Resigned May 1, 1808, after becoming New York State Treasurer | Nathan Wilson (DR) | November 7, 1808 |
| Vermont 1st |
James Witherell (DR) | Resigned May 1, 1808, after becoming judge of Supreme Court for Michigan Territory | Samuel Shaw (DR) | Seated September 6, 1808 |
| Rhode Island at-large |
Nehemiah Knight (DR) | Died June 13, 1808 | Richard Jackson Jr. (F) | Seated November 11, 1808 |
| Virginia 17th |
John Claiborne (DR) | Died October 9, 1808 | Thomas Gholson Jr. (DR) | Seated November 7, 1808 |
Committees
editLists of committees and their party leaders.
Senate
edit- Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate (Chairman: John Quincy Adams)
- Engrossed Bills (Chairman: Andrew Gregg then Francis Malbone)
- Whole
House of Representatives
edit- Accounts (Chairman: Nicholas R. Moore)
- Affairs with Algiers (Select)
- Claims (Chairman: David Holmes)
- Commerce and Manufactures (Chairman: Thomas Newton Jr.)
- Conduct of Peter J. Bruin (Select)
- District of Columbia (Chairman: Joseph Lewis Jr.)
- Elections (Chairman: William Findley)
- Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: John Rhea)
- Public Lands (Chairman: John Boyle then Jeremiah Morrow)
- Revisal and Unfinished Business (Chairman: John Clopton)
- Rules (Select)
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Ways and Means (Chairman: George W. Campbell)
- Whole
Joint committees
edit- Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Sen. James Turner)
- The Library (Chairman: N/A)
Employees
editLegislative branch agency directors
editSenate
edit- Chaplain: John J. Sayrs (Episcopalian), until November 10, 1807
- Alexander T. McCormick (Episcopalian), elected November 10, 1807
- Robert Elliott (Presbyterian), elected November 10, 1808
- Secretary: Samuel A. Otis
- Sergeant at Arms: James Mathers
House of Representatives
edit- Chaplain: Robert Elliott Presbyterian, until October 30, 1807
- Obadiah B. Brown, Baptist, from October 30, 1807
- Clerk: John J. Beckley, until April 8, 1807 (died)
- Patrick Magruder, from April 8, 1807
- Doorkeeper: Thomas Claxton
- Reading Clerks: [data missing]
- Sergeant at Arms: Joseph Wheaton, until October 27, 1807
- Thomas Dunn, from October 27, 1807
See also
edit- 1806 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress)
- 1808 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
Notes
editReferences
edit- Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.