1st United States Congress
The 1st United States Congress, comprising the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met from March 4, 1789, to March 4, 1791, during the first two years of George Washington's presidency, first at Federal Hall in New York City and later at Congress Hall in Philadelphia.
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Federal Hall
Historic building at 26 Wall Street in the Financial District of Manhattan in New York City.
With the establishment of the United States federal government in 1789, it was renamed Federal Hall, as it hosted the 1st Congress and was the place where George Washington was sworn in as the nation’s first president.
Judiciary Act of 1789
The Judiciary Act of 1789 (ch.
20, ) was a United States federal statute enacted on September 24, 1789, during the first session of the First United States Congress.
United States Customs Service
Agency of the U.S. federal government that collected import tariffs and performed other selected border security duties.
Responding to the urgent need for revenue following the American Revolutionary War, the First United States Congress passed and President George Washington signed the Tariff Act of July 4, 1789, which authorized the collection of duties on imported goods.
United States Department of State
Executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the nation's foreign policy and international relations.
To that end, on July 21, 1789, the First Congress approved legislation to reestablish the Department of Foreign Affairs under the new government, which President George Washington signed into law on July 27, making the department the first federal agency to be created under the new Constitution.
United States Senate
Upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber.
This was achieved by dividing the senators of the 1st Congress into thirds (called classes), where the terms of one-third expired after two years, the terms of another third expired after four, and the terms of the last third expired after six years.
First Bank of the United States
National bank, chartered for a term of twenty years, by the United States Congress on February 25, 1791.
According to the plan put before the first session of the First Congress in 1790, Hamilton proposed establishing the initial funding for the First Bank of the United States through the sale of $10 million in stock of which the United States government would purchase the first $2 million in shares.
Article Five of the United States Constitution
Article Five of the United States Constitution describes the process for altering the Constitution.
When the 1st Congress considered a series of constitutional amendments, it was suggested that the two houses first adopt a resolution indicating that they deemed amendments necessary.
Classes of United States senators
The 100 seats in the United States Senate are divided into three classes for the purpose of determining which seats will be up for election in any two-year cycle, with only one class being up for election at a time.
The actual division was originally performed by the Senate of the 1st Congress in May 1789 by lot.
United States Bill of Rights
The United States Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution.
The 1st United States Congress, which met in New York City's Federal Hall, was a triumph for the Federalists.
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives.
The first speaker of the House, Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania, was elected to office on April 1, 1789, the day the House organized itself at the start of the 1st Congress.