Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives Art & History

Joint Meetings, Joint Sessions, and Inaugurations

Scope of Congress

1st to 19th Congresses (April 6, 1789 to March 4, 1825)


Date	Type	Occasion, topic, or location	Name and position of dignitary (Where Applicable)
1st Congress
		New York City
Apr. 6, 1789	Joint session	Counting electoral votes	N.A.
Apr. 30, 1789	Joint session	Inauguration and church service ²	President George Washington; Right Reverend Samuel Provoost, Senate-appointed Chaplain.
Jan. 8, 1790	Joint session	Annual Message	President George Washington.
		Philadelphia
Dec. 8, 1790	Joint session	Annual Message	President George Washington.
2nd Congress
Oct. 25, 1791	Joint session	Annual Message	President George Washington.
Nov. 6, 1792	Joint session	Annual Message	President George Washington.
Feb. 13, 1793	Joint session	Counting electoral votes	N.A.
3rd Congress
Mar. 4, 1793	Inauguration	Senate Chamber	President George Washington.
Dec. 3, 1793	Joint session	Annual Message	President George Washington.
Nov. 19, 1794	Joint session	Annual Message	President George Washington.
4th Congress
Dec. 8, 1795	Joint session	Annual Message	President George Washington.
Dec. 7, 1796	Joint session	Annual Message	President George Washington.
Feb. 8, 1797	Joint session	Counting electoral votes	N.A.
5th Congress
Mar. 4, 1797	Inauguration	Hall of the House	President John Adams.
May 16, 1797	Joint session	Relations with France	President John Adams.
Nov. 23, 1797	Joint session	Annual Message	President John Adams.
Dec. 8, 1798	Joint session	Annual Message	President John Adams.
6th Congress
Dec. 3, 1799	Joint session	Annual Message	President John Adams.
Dec. 26, 1799	Joint session	Funeral procession and oration in memory of George Washington³	Representative Henry Lee.
		Washington, DC
Nov. 22, 1800	Joint session	Annual Message	President John Adams.
Feb. 11, 1801	Joint session	Counting electoral votes⁴	N.A.
7th Congress
Mar. 4, 1801	Inauguration	Senate Chamber	President Thomas Jefferson.
8th Congress
Feb. 13, 1805	Joint session	Counting electoral votes	N.A.
9th Congress
Mar. 5, 1805	Inauguration	Senate Chamber	President Thomas Jefferson.
10th Congress
Feb. 8, 1809	Joint session	Counting electoral votes	N.A.
11th Congress
Mar. 4, 1809	Inauguration	Hall of the House	President James Madison.
12th Congress
Feb. 10, 1813	Joint session	Counting electoral votes	N.A.
13th Congress
Mar. 4, 1813	Inauguration	Hall of the House	President James Madison.
14th Congress
Feb. 12, 1817	Joint session	Counting electoral votes⁵	N.A.
15th Congress
Mar. 4, 1817	Inauguration	In front of Brick Capitol	President James Monroe.
16th Congress
Feb. 14, 1821	Joint session	Counting electoral votes⁶	N.A.
17th Congress
Mar. 5, 1821	Inauguration	Hall of the House	President James Monroe.
18th Congress
Dec. 10, 1824	House address⁷	Address	Speaker Henry Clay; General Gilbert duMotier, Marquis deLafayette.
Feb. 9, 1825	Joint session	Counting electoral votes⁸	N.A.
19th Congress
Mar. 4, 1825	Inauguration	Hall of the House	President John Quincy Adams.

Notes 2 - 8:

² the oath of office was administered to George Washington outside on the gallery in front of the Senate Chamber, after which the Congress and the President returned to the chamber to hear the inaugural address. they then proceeded to St. Paul's Chapel for the "divine service" performed by the Chaplain of the Congress. Adjournment of the ceremony did not occur until the Congress returned to Federal Hall.
[ Return to Apr. 30, 1789 ]

³ The House convened in its chamber in Congress Hall in Philadelphia. Once assembled, the Representatives somberly proceeded to the city’s German Lutheran Church to attend a memorial Joint Session for former President George Washington. [ Return to Dec. 26, 1799 ]

⁴ Because of a tie in the electoral vote between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, the House of Representatives had to decide the election. thirty-six ballots were required to break the deadlock, with Jefferson's election as President and Burr's as Vice President on February 17. the Twelfth Amendment was added to the Constitution to prevent the 1800 problem from recurring. [ Return to Feb. 11, 1801 ]

⁵ During most of the period while the Capitol was being reconstructed following the fire of 1814, the Congress met in the "Brick Capitol," constructed on the site of the present Supreme Court building. this joint session took place in the Representatives' chamber on the 2d floor of the building. [ Return to Feb. 12, 1817 ]

⁶ the joint session to count electoral votes was dissolved because the House and Senate disagreed on Missouri's status regarding statehood. the joint session was reconvened the same day and Missouri's votes were counted. [ Return to Feb. 14, 1821 ]

⁷ While this occasion has historically been referred to as the first joint meeting of Congress, the Journals of the House and of the Senate indicate that Lafayette actually addressed the House of Representatives, with some of the Senators present as guests of the House. Similar occasions, when members of the one body were invited as guests of the other, include the Senate address by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands on Aug. 6, 1942, and the House address by General H. Norman Schwarzkopf on May 8, 1991. [ Return to Dec. 10, 1824 ]

⁸ Although Andrew Jackson won the popular vote by a substantial amount and had the highest number of electoral votes from among the several candidates, he did not receive the required majority of the electoral votes. the responsibility for choosing the new President therefore devolved upon the House of Representatives. As soon as the Senators left the chamber, the balloting proceeded, and John Quincy Adams was elected on the first ballot. [ Return to Feb. 9, 1825 ]