United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 1793
Encyclopedia
The 1793 United States House of Representatives elections in New York were held in January 1793, to elect 10 U.S. Representatives to represent the State of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

.

Background

Six U.S. Representatives had been elected in April 1790 to a term in the 2nd United States Congress
2nd United States Congress
-House of Representatives:During this congress, two new House seats were added for each of the new states of Vermont and Kentucky. -Leadership:-Senate:*President: John Adams *President pro tempore:** Richard Henry Lee...

 beginning on March 4, 1791. One representative-elect had died in May 1790, and a representative had been elected in April 1791 to fill the vacancy. Their term would end on March 3, 1793.

State elections in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 were at that time held during the last week of April, which meant that the State election preceding the beginning of the next congressional term was held more than ten months in advance, although the regular session of Congress was scheduled to convene only on the first Monday in December. Nevertheless, the New York Legislature had chosen in 1790 to have the congressional elections held that early, in case there might be a special session to convene at an earlier date. However in 1792, Congress re-apportioned the seats, and New York's representation was increased from six to ten. This required a re-apportionment of congressional districts in the State which was enacted only in December 1792, and the elections were held only in January 1793.

Congressional districts

On January 27, 1789, the New York State Legislature had divided the State of New York into six congressional districts which were not numbered. On December 18, 1792, the Legislature divided the State into ten districts, which were still not numbered, taking into account the new counties created in 1791.
  • One district (later back-numbered as the 1st
    New York's 1st congressional district
    The 1st Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in eastern Long Island. It includes most of Central and Eastern Suffolk County, including most of Smithtown, as well as the entirety of the towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead, Southold,...

    ) comprising Kings, Queens
    Queens
    Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....

     and Suffolk
    Suffolk County, New York
    Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...

     counties.
  • One district (later back-numbered as the 2nd
    New York's 2nd congressional district
    The 2nd Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in central Long Island. It includes all of the town of Huntington and parts of the towns of Babylon, Islip, and Smithtown in Suffolk County as well as part of the town of Oyster Bay...

    ) comprising New York County.
  • One district (later back-numbered as the 3rd
    New York's 3rd congressional district
    The 3rd District of New York is generally the eastern half of Nassau County, with some parts as far west as Island Park and Long Beach. The Nassau portion contains suburban communities such as Bellmore, Bethpage, Farmingdale, Hicksville, Levittown, Massapequa, Massapequa Park, Merrick, North...

    ) comprising Westchester
    Westchester County, New York
    Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...

     and Richmond counties.
  • One district (later back-numbered as the 4th
    New York's 4th congressional district
    The 4th Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in west-central Nassau County...

    ) comprising Orange
    Orange County, New York
    Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...

     and Ulster
    Ulster County, New York
    Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. Recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 are at...

     counties.
  • One district (later back-numbered as the 5th
    New York's 5th congressional district
    The 5th Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives that lies along the North Shore of Long Island. It consists of northeastern Queens County and northwestern Nassau County. The Queens portion of the district includes the...

    ) comprising Dutchess County
    Dutchess County, New York
    Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...

    .
  • One district (later back-numbered as the 6th
    New York's 6th congressional district
    New York's Sixth Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It includes most of Southeastern Queens including the neighborhoods of Cambria Heights, Edgemere, Far Rockaway, Hollis, Jamaica, Laurelton, Queens Village, Rosedale,...

    ) comprising Columbia County
    Columbia County, New York
    Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,096. The county seat is Hudson. The name comes from the Latin feminine form of the name of Christopher Columbus, which was at the time of the formation of the county a popular proposal...

    .
  • One district (later back-numbered as the 7th
    New York's 7th congressional district
    New York's Seventh Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It consists of parts of Northern Queens and Eastern portions of the Bronx. The Queens portion includes the neighborhoods of College Point, East Elmhurst, Jackson...

    ) comprising Clinton
    Clinton County, New York
    Clinton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 82,128. Its name is in honor of the first Governor of New York as a state, George Clinton. Its county seat is Plattsburgh.-History:...

     and Rensselaer
    Rensselaer County, New York
    Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 159,429. Its name is in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. Its county seat is Troy...

     counties.
  • One district (later back-numbered as the 8th
    New York's 8th congressional district
    New York's Eighth Congressional District for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It is split into two sections. The northern portion of it includes most of Manhattan's Upper West Side, and continues south to include most parts of Hell's Kitchen, East Village, Chelsea, SoHo,...

    ) comprising Albany County
    Albany County, New York
    Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...

    .
  • One district (later back-numbered as the 9th
    New York's 9th congressional district
    New York's 9th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It includes parts of southern Brooklyn and south central Queens...

    ) comprising Washington
    Washington County, New York
    Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Glens Falls, New York, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,216. It was named for the Revolutionary War general George Washington...

     and Saratoga
    Saratoga County, New York
    Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...

     counties.
  • One district (later back-numbered as the 10th
    New York's 10th congressional district
    New York's 10th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in Brooklyn, New York City. It includes the neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Heights, Brownsville, Canarsie, East New York and Ocean Hill, as well as parts of Fort...

    ) comprising Montgomery
    Montgomery County, New York
    As of the census of 2000, there were 49,708 people, 20,038 households, and 13,104 families residing in the county. The population density was 123 people per square mile . There were 22,522 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile...

    , Ontario
    Ontario County, New York
    As of the census of 2000, there were 100,224 people, 38,370 households, and 26,360 families residing in the county. The population density was 156 people per square mile . There were 42,647 housing units at an average density of 66 per square mile...

    , Herkimer
    Herkimer County, New York
    Herkimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 64,519. It is named after General Nicholas Herkimer, who died from battle wounds in 1777 after taking part...

    , Otsego
    Otsego County, New York
    Otsego County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. The 2010 population was 62,259. The county seat is Cooperstown. The name Otsego is from a Mohawk word meaning "place of the rock."-History:...

     and Tioga
    Tioga County, New York
    As of the census of 2010, there were 51,125 people residing in the county, with 22,203 housing units, of these 20,350 occupied, 1,853 vacant. The population density was 98 people per square mile...

     counties.


Note: There are now 62 counties in the State of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. The counties which are not mentioned in this list had not yet been established, or sufficiently organized, the area being included in one or more of the abovementioned counties.

Result

7 Federalists and 3 Anti-Federalist (later known as the Democratic-Republicans) were elected. The incumbents Tredwell and Gordon were re-elected; the incumbent Schoonmaker was defeated; and the incumbents John Laurance
John Laurance
John Laurance was an American lawyer and politician from New York.-Life:He emigrated to the United States in 1767 and settled in New York City where he read law and entered private practice in 1772. At the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, he was a warm adherent of the revolutionaries...

, Egbert Benson
Egbert Benson
Egbert Benson was a lawyer, jurist, politician from Upper Red Hook, New York, and a Founding Father of the United States who represented New York in the Continental Congress, Annapolis Convention, and the United States House of Representatives, and who served as a member of the New York State...

 and Peter Silvester
Peter Silvester
Peter Silvester was an American politician who was a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York...

 did not run for re-election.
1793 United States House election result
District Federalist Democratic-Republican Federalist Democratic-Republican Democratic-Republican Democratic-Republican Democratic-Republican
1
New York's 1st congressional district
The 1st Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in eastern Long Island. It includes most of Central and Eastern Suffolk County, including most of Smithtown, as well as the entirety of the towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead, Southold,...

Joshua Sands 769 Thomas Tredwell
Thomas Tredwell
Thomas Tredwell was an American lawyer and politician from Plattsburg, New York. He served in the New York State Senate and represented New York in the United States House of Representatives from 1791 to 1795....

1,446 Harry Peters 673
2
New York's 2nd congressional district
The 2nd Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in central Long Island. It includes all of the town of Huntington and parts of the towns of Babylon, Islip, and Smithtown in Suffolk County as well as part of the town of Oyster Bay...

John Watts 1,872 William S. Livingston 707
3
New York's 3rd congressional district
The 3rd District of New York is generally the eastern half of Nassau County, with some parts as far west as Island Park and Long Beach. The Nassau portion contains suburban communities such as Bellmore, Bethpage, Farmingdale, Hicksville, Levittown, Massapequa, Massapequa Park, Merrick, North...

Richard Hatfield 804 Philip Van Cortlandt
Philip Van Cortlandt
Philip Van Cortlandt was an American surveyor, landowner, and politician from Westchester County, New York.During the Revolutionary War, Colonel Cortlandt commanded the 2nd New York Regiment in the Continental Army...

1,003
4
New York's 4th congressional district
The 4th Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in west-central Nassau County...

Peter Van Gaasbeck
Peter Van Gaasbeck
Peter Van Gaasbeck was an American merchant and politician from Kingston, New York. During the Revolutionary War he served as a Major in the Ulster County militia. Van Gaasbeck represented New York in the United States House of Representatives from 1793 to 1795.-External links:...

1,464 John Hathorn
John Hathorn
John Hathorn was an American politician who was a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.-Life:...

1,448 John Carpenter 72 Cornelius C. Schoonmaker
Cornelius C. Schoonmaker
Cornelius Corneliusen Schoonmaker was a United States Representative from New York. Born in Shawangunk , Ulster County, New York), he received a limited schooling, became a surveyor and was engaged in agricultural pursuits. During the American Revolutionary War, he was a member of the committees...

53 William Thompson 40 Jesse Woodhull 19
5
New York's 5th congressional district
The 5th Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives that lies along the North Shore of Long Island. It consists of northeastern Queens County and northwestern Nassau County. The Queens portion of the district includes the...

James Kent
James Kent
James Kent was an American jurist and legal scholar.-Life:...

852 Theodorus Bailey
Theodorus Bailey (senator)
Theodorus Bailey was an American lawyer and politician from Poughkeepsie, New York. He represented New York in both the U.S. House and Senate...

984
6
New York's 6th congressional district
New York's Sixth Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It includes most of Southeastern Queens including the neighborhoods of Cambria Heights, Edgemere, Far Rockaway, Hollis, Jamaica, Laurelton, Queens Village, Rosedale,...

Ezekiel Gilbert
Ezekiel Gilbert
Ezekiel Gilbert was an American lawyer and politician from Hudson, New York. He served in the state Assembly and represented New York in the United States House of Representatives from 1793 until 1797....

977 Peter R. Livingston
Peter R. Livingston
Peter Robert Livingston was an American politician who served as Acting Lieutenant Governor of New York from February to October 1828.-Life:...

948 Peter Van Ness 856
7
New York's 7th congressional district
New York's Seventh Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It consists of parts of Northern Queens and Eastern portions of the Bronx. The Queens portion includes the neighborhoods of College Point, East Elmhurst, Jackson...

John E. Van Alen
John E. Van Alen
John Evert Van Alen was an American surveyor, merchant, and politician from Rensselaer County, New York.He was born in Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York. He served in the state Assembly and represented New York in the United States House of Representatives from 1793 until 1799...

1,165 Henry K. Van Rensselaer 870 Thomas Sickles 12
8
New York's 8th congressional district
New York's Eighth Congressional District for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It is split into two sections. The northern portion of it includes most of Manhattan's Upper West Side, and continues south to include most parts of Hell's Kitchen, East Village, Chelsea, SoHo,...

Henry Glen
Henry Glen
Henry Glen was an American merchant, county clerk, and politician from Schenectady, New York. He served in the state Assembly and represented New York in the United States House of Representatives from 1793 until 1801....

927 Jeremiah Van Rensselaer
Jeremiah Van Rensselaer
Jeremiah Van Rensselaer was a Representative from New York to the United States Congress. He was the cousin of Killian K...

526
9
New York's 9th congressional district
New York's 9th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It includes parts of southern Brooklyn and south central Queens...

James Gordon
James Gordon (New York)
James Gordon was an Irish-born American merchant, soldier, and politician.He was born in Killead, County Antrim, Ireland, and left in 1758, settling in Schenectady, New York. From that base and from Detroit, Michigan, he traded with various Native American tribes...

1,278 John Williams 1,146 John M. Thompson 355
10
New York's 10th congressional district
New York's 10th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in Brooklyn, New York City. It includes the neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Heights, Brownsville, Canarsie, East New York and Ocean Hill, as well as parts of Fort...

Silas Talbot
Silas Talbot
Silas Talbot was an officer in the Continental Army and in the Continental Navy. Talbot is most famous for commanding the USS Constitution from 1798 to 1801.-Biography:...

1,231 John Winn 928 William Cooper
William Cooper (judge)
William Cooper was the founder of Cooperstown, New York and father of writer James Fenimore Cooper, who apparently used his father as the pattern for the Judge Marmaduke Temple character in his book The Pioneers....

961 Andrew Fink 408 Josiah Crane 85


Note: At this time political parties were still very new in the United States. Politicians aligned in two opposing groups: Those supporting the federal government and those opposing it. The first group are generally known as the Federalists, or (as a group in Congress) the "Pro-Administration Party
Pro-Administration Party (United States)
Pro-Administration "Party" is a term by historians to describe the supporters of the policies of George Washington's administration — especially Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton's financial policies — prior to the formation of the Federalist and Democratic-Republican Parties.Almost the entire...

." The second group at first were called the Anti-Federalists, or (as a group in Congress) the "Anti-Administration Party
Anti-Administration Party (United States)
Anti-Administration "Party" was the informal faction comprising the opponents of the policies of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in the first term of President George Washington. This was not an organized political party but an unorganized faction...

", but soon called themselves "Republicans." However, at the same time, the Federalists called them "Democrats" which was meant to be pejorative. After some time both terms got more and more confused, and sometimes used together as "Democratic Republicans" which later historians have adopted (with a hyphen) to describe the party from the beginning, to avoid confusion with both the later established and still existing Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 and Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 parties.

Aftermath

The House of Representatives of the 3rd United States Congress
3rd United States Congress
The Third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives...

 met for the first time at Congress Hall in Philadelphia on December 2, 1793, and nine of the ten representatives took their seats on this day. Only Thomas Tredwell arrived later, and took his seat on December 13.

On December 6, Henry K. Van Rensselaer contested the election of John E. Van Alen
John E. Van Alen
John Evert Van Alen was an American surveyor, merchant, and politician from Rensselaer County, New York.He was born in Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York. He served in the state Assembly and represented New York in the United States House of Representatives from 1793 until 1799...

, alleging several irregularities to have happened in the towns of Stephentown
Stephentown, New York
Stephentown is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 2,873 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Stephen Van Rensselaer. The town is in the southeast corner of the county...

 and Hoosick
Hoosick, New York
Hoosick is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 6,759 at the 2000 census.The Town of Hoosick is in the northeast corner of the county.- History :...

, and in the area of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck. Van Rensselaer's petition was rejected on December 24 by the House, confirming Van Alen's election.

On June 5, 1794, President Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

 chose Silas Talbot
Silas Talbot
Silas Talbot was an officer in the Continental Army and in the Continental Navy. Talbot is most famous for commanding the USS Constitution from 1798 to 1801.-Biography:...

 one of the first six captains of the newly established United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

. Talbot vacated his seat upon his appointment to the Navy, but Democratic-Republican Governor George Clinton
George Clinton (vice president)
George Clinton was an American soldier and politician, considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was the first Governor of New York, and then the fourth Vice President of the United States , serving under Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. He and John C...

 declined to call e special election, in which another Federalist would have been elected, and the seat remained vacant until the end of the term on March 3, 1795.

Sources

  • The New York Civil List compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 65 for district apportionment; pg. 68 for Congressmen)
  • Members of the Third United States Congress
  • Election result 1st D. at Tufts University
    Tufts University
    Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...

     Library project "A New Nation Votes"
  • Election result 2nd D. at Tufts University
    Tufts University
    Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...

     Library project "A New Nation Votes"
  • Election result 3rd D. at Tufts University
    Tufts University
    Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...

     Library project "A New Nation Votes"
  • Election result 4th D. at Tufts University
    Tufts University
    Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...

     Library project "A New Nation Votes"
  • Election result 5th D. at Tufts University
    Tufts University
    Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...

     Library project "A New Nation Votes"
  • Election result 6th D. at Tufts University
    Tufts University
    Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...

     Library project "A New Nation Votes"
  • Election result 7th D. at Tufts University
    Tufts University
    Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...

     Library project "A New Nation Votes"
  • Election result 8th D. at Tufts University
    Tufts University
    Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...

     Library project "A New Nation Votes"
  • Election result 9th D. at Tufts University
    Tufts University
    Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...

     Library project "A New Nation Votes"
  • Election result 10th D. at Tufts University
    Tufts University
    Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...

    Library project "A New Nation Votes"
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