The First United States Congress

The First U.S. Congress convened in New York City on from March 4, 1789 at Federal Hall, Wall Street.

The First United States Congress had a formidable task, in that, as the first legislative body convened in the United States under the Constitution, it had to establish its own procedural rules, select a speaker, form committees, and so on.

Among the most important tasks the Congress had to accomplish was consideration of the proposed amendments to the Constitution that the states had forwarded with their formal notice of ratification.  Speaker James Madison took over 200 proposals and consolidated them into 12 amendments which were put before the House.  The first 10 of them to be ratified became known as the Bill of Rights.

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