Congressman Theodore Sedgwick’s Copy in the Journal of the First Session of the U.S. Senate

The U.S. Congress met for its first session at Federal Hall in New York City from March 4 to September 29, 1789. The U.S. Senate did not achieve a quorum until April 6, when both houses of Congress assembled to count the electoral votes for president.

The Bill of Rights appeared in two 1789 book printings—this volume of the Senate Journal and the Acts Passed at a Congress of the United States (New York: Childs and Swaine). Both were printed soon after the close of the First Session of the First Federal Congress on September 29. Although priority has not been definitively established, the Senate printing likely came first. Thomas Greenleaf began soliciting subscribers for the Senate Journal in July 1789 and advertised it through his newspaper, the New-York Journal, and Weekly Register through October 8, when he informed subscribers that they could pick up their copies on October 11.

John Langdon of New Hampshire declared “that the Senate and House of Representatives had met, and that he, in their presence, had opened and counted the votes of the Electors for President and Vice President of the United States…Whereby it appears, that George Washington, Esq. was unanimously elected President, and John Adams, Esq. was duly elected Vice President, of the United States of America.” (p7)

George Washington’s First Inaugural Address, April 30, 1789 (p23-25)

Important pieces of legislation (with dates of enactment):

• July 4: Tariff of 1789, which provided much-needed funding for the federal government;

• July 27: Department of Foreign Affairs established (the State Department). (On Sept. 29, though still in Paris as U.S. Minister to France, Thomas Jefferson became the first Secretary of State);

• Aug. 7: War Department established. (On Sept. 12, Henry Knox became the first Secretary of War);

• Sept. 2: Treasury Department established. (On Sept. 11, Alexander Hamilton became the first Secretary of the Treasury); and

• Sept. 24: Judiciary Act, which established the federal judiciary and office of Attorney General.

Of particular interest are two versions of what would become the Bill of Rights. On June 8, 1789, James Madison proposed a series of amendments. After considerable debate, the House approved 17 proposed amendments, sending them to the Senate for consideration. Over the next few weeks, the Senate reduced those 17 articles to 12, which it passed on September 9. A few weeks later, on September 25, both houses approved the final version of 12 articles (p163-164 – shown below).