| 8th United States Congress | |||
 United States Capitol (1800) |
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| Duration: March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1805 | |||
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| President of the Senate: | Aaron Burr | ||
| President pro tempore: | John Brown Jesse Franklin Joseph Anderson |
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| Speaker of the House: | Nathaniel Macon | ||
| Members: | 34 Senators 142 Representatives 1 Non-voting members |
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| Senate Majority: | Democratic-Republican | ||
| House Majority: | Democratic-Republican | ||
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| Sessions | |||
| 1st: October 17, 1803 – March 27, 1804 2nd: November 5, 1804 – March 3, 1805 |
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The Eighth 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 in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1803 to March 3, 1805, during the last two years of the first administration of U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Second Census of the United States in 1800. Both chambers had a Democratic-Republican majority.
Major events
- April 30, 1803: Louisiana Purchase was made by the United States from France
- February 16, 1804: In the First Barbary War, Stephen Decatur led a raid to burn the pirate-held frigate Philadelphia
- May 14, 1804: Lewis and Clark Expedition departed from Camp Dubois to begin their historic journey by traveling up the Missouri River
- July 11, 1804: Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton
- November 30, 1804: Impeachment trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase
- December 3, 1804: United States presidential election, 1804: Incumbent Thomas Jefferson (DR) beat challenger Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (F)
- March 1 1805: Samuel Chase acquitted of impeachment charges by the U.S. Senate
Major legislation
Constitutional amendments
- December 9, 1803: Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed by Congress.
- June 15, 1804: Twelfth Amendment was ratified by the states.
Treaties
- October 20, 1803: Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase Treaty
States admitted and territories organized
- March 26, 1804: Territory of Orleans was organized. It was formerly a portion of the District of Louisiana.
- January 11, 1805: Michigan Territory was organized.
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
- Democratic-Republican (DR): 25 (majority)
- Federalist (F): 9
TOTAL members: 34
House of Representatives
- Democratic-Republican (DR): 103 (majority)
- Federalist (F): 39
TOTAL members: 142
Leadership
Senate
- President: Aaron Burr (Democratic-Republican)
- President pro tempore:
- John Brown (Democratic-Republican) of Kentucky, elected October 17, 1803
- Jesse Franklin (DR), elected March 10, 1804
- Joseph Anderson (Democratic-Republican), elected January 15, 1805
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Nathaniel Macon (Democratic-Republican) of North Carolina, elected October 17, 1803
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 began with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1808; Class 2 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1804; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1806.
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 "A/L," 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
- replacements: 7
- Democratic-Republicans: no net change
- Federalists: no net change
- deaths: 2
- resignations: 7
- seats of newly admitted states: 2
- Total seats with changes: 12
| State | Vacator | Reason for Vacancy | Successor | Date of Successor's Installation |
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| Ohio class 1 |
Vacant | Failure to elect | John Smith (DR) | Seated April 1, 1803 |
| Ohio class 3 |
Vacant | Failure to elect | Thomas Worthington (DR) | Seated April 1, 1803 |
| New Jersey class 1 |
Vacant | Failure to elect | John Condit (DR) | Seated September 1, 1803 |
| Virginia class 1 |
Stevens T. Mason (DR) | Died May 10, 1803 | John Taylor (DR) | Appointed June 4, 1803 |
| New York class 3 |
DeWitt Clinton (DR) | Resigned November 4, 1803 to become Mayor of New York City | John Armstrong, Jr. (DR) | Appointed December 7, 1803 |
| Virginia class 1 |
John Taylor (DR) | Successor elected December 7, 1803 | Abraham B. Venable (DR) | Elected December 7, 1803 |
| New York class 1 |
Theodorus Bailey (DR) | Resigned January 16, 1804 to become Postmaster of New York City | John Armstrong, Jr. (DR) | Seated February 25, 1804 |
| New York class 3 |
John Armstrong, Jr. (DR) | Successor elected February 23, 1804 | John Smith (DR) | Elected February 23, 1804 |
| Virginia class 2 |
Wilson C. Nicholas (DR) | Resigned May 22, 1804 to become Collector of Port of Norfolk | Andrew Moore (DR) | Appointed August 11, 1804 |
| Virginia class 1 |
Abraham B. Venable (DR) | Resigned June 7, 1804 | William B. Giles (DR) | Appointed August 11, 1804 |
| New York class 1 |
John Armstrong, Jr. (DR) | Resigned June 30, 1804 after being appointed Minister to France | Samuel Latham Mitchill (DR) | Seated November 23, 1804 |
| Rhode Island class 1 |
Samuel J. Potter (DR) | Died October 14, 1804 | Benjamin Howland (DR) | Seated October 29, 1804 |
| Delaware class 2 |
William H. Wells (F) | Resigned November 6, 1804 | James A. Bayard (F) | Seated November 13, 1804 |
| South Carolina class 3 |
Pierce Butler (DR) | Resigned November 21, 1804 | John Gaillard (DR) | Seated December 6, 1804 |
| Virginia class 1 |
William B. Giles (DR) | Successor elected December 4, 1804 | Andrew Moore (DR) | Elected December 4, 1804 |
| Virginia class 2 |
Andrew Moore (DR) | Successor elected December 4, 1804 | William B. Giles (DR) | Elected December 4, 1804 |
House of Representatives
- replacements: 7
- Democratic-Republicans: no net change
- Federalists: no net change
- deaths: 5
- resignations: 5
- contested elections: 1
- seats of newly admitted states: 1
- Total seats with changes: 12
| District | Vacator | Reason for Vacancy | Successor | Date of Successor's Installation |
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| New York 6th |
Isaac Bloom (DR) | Died April 26, 1803 | Daniel C. Verplanck (DR) | October 17, 1803 |
| New York 1st |
John Smith (DR) | Resigned February 23, 1804 after being elected to US Senate | Samuel Riker (DR) | November 5, 1804 |
| Virginia 5th |
Thomas Lewis, Jr. (F) | Lost contested election March 5, 1804 | Andrew Moore (DR) | March 5, 1804 |
| Maryland 4th |
Daniel Hiester (DR) | Died March 7, 1804 | Roger Nelson (DR) | November 6, 1804 |
| Virginia 13th |
John J. Trigg (DR) | Died May 17, 1804 | Christopher H. Clark (DR) | November 5, 1804 |
| Massachusetts 12th |
Thomson J. Skinner (DR) | Resigned August 10, 1804 | Simon Larned (DR) | November 5, 1804 |
| Virginia 5th |
Andrew Moore (DR) | Resigned August 11, 1804 after being appointed to US Senate | Alexander Wilson (DR) | December 4, 1804 |
| Pennsylvania 10th |
William Hoge (DR) | Resigned October 15, 1804 | John Hoge (DR) | November 2, 1804 |
| New York 3rd |
Samuel L. Mitchill (DR) | Resigned November 22, 1804 after being elected to US Senate | George Clinton (DR) | February 14, 1805 |
| Georgia At-large |
Samuel Hammond (DR) | Resigned February 2, 1805 after becoming Civil and Military Governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory | Vacant | Not filled for remainder of term |
Officers
- Architect of the Capitol: Benjamin H. Latrobe, appointed March 6, 1803
Senate
- Secretary: Samuel A. Otis of Massachusetts, elected April 8, 1789
- Sergeant at Arms: James Mathers of New York, elected April 7, 1789
- Chaplain:
- Edward Gantt, Episcopalian
- Alexander T. McCormick, Episcopalian, elected November 7, 1804
House of Representatives
- Clerk: John Beckley of Virginia, elected October 17, 1803
- Sergeant at Arms: Joseph Wheaton of Rhode Island, elected October 17, 1803
- Doorkeeper: Thomas Claxton, elected October 17, 1803
- Chaplain:
- William Parkinson, Baptist
- The Rev. James Laurie, Presbyterian, elected November 5, 1804
References
- 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.
External links
- Statutes at Large, 1789-1875
- Senate Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
- House Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
- Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
- U.S. House of Representatives: House History
- U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists
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