- House Service & Seniority
- Party Divisions
- Session Dates of Congress
- Saturday & Sunday Legislative Days
- Joint Meetings, Joint Sessions, & Inaugurations
- Presidents, Vice Presidents, & Coinciding Sessions of Congress
- Presidential Vetoes
- List of Individuals Impeached by the House of Representatives
- List of Individuals Expelled, Censured, or Reprimanded in the U.S. House of Representatives
Congress Profiles
5th Congress (1797–1799)
Congressional Profile
Total Membership:
- 106 Representatives
Party Divisions:*
- 57 Federalists
- 49 Jeffersonian Republicans
*Party division totals are based on election day results.
About this object
Congress Overview
France resented America’s 1795 Jay Treaty with England and broke off diplomatic relations with the young country, sparking an undeclared naval war which dominated the 5th Congress (1797–1799). Connecticut’s Roger Griswold and Vermont’s Matthew Lyon brawled on the House Floor after President John Adams recommended that Congress prepare the military while renewing negotiation efforts. When French demands for bribes ended negotiations, Congress established the Navy Department to oversee the fleet, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the draconian Alien and Sedition Acts. As the Congress ended, President Adams announced another round of negotiations with France.
Historical Highlights
- Representative Roger Griswold of Connecticut Attacked Matthew Lyon of Vermont
- The Sedition Act of 1798
- President George Washington's Memorial Service
See more Historical Highlights.
Member Information
- Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, (1774–2005), Official Annotated Membership Roster by State with Vacancy and Special Election Information for the 1st Congress. [PDF]
- Learn more about the House of Representatives with an interactive map
Learn more about the People of the People's House
Leadership & Officers
- Speaker of the House:
-
Jonathan Dayton (F–New Jersey)
- Clerk of the House:
-
Jonathan W. Condy
- Sergeant at Arms:
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Joseph Wheaton
- Chaplain of the House:
-
Ashbel Green – Presbyterian
- Doorkeeper:
-
Thomas Claxton
To view complete lists of individuals who have served in these leadership and official positions since the 1st Congress, visit the People section
Legislative Activities
- A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation
- U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875 (LOC)
- For information on the current Congress, please visit the Office of the Clerk’s website.