Meeting Locations of Congress and Predecessor Legislatures

Meeting Locations of Congress and Predecessor Legislatures

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November 13, 2023
Meeting Locations of Congress and Predecessor Legislatures
In 1987, as part of the Bicentennial Celebration of the
State House or the Court House) at various times between
Constitution, Congress held a joint commemorative
1775 and 1781.
meeting in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA—site of
the Constitutional Convention. The joint commemorative
Figure 1. Meeting Locations of the First and Second
meeting marked the first time since the U.S. Capitol moved
Continental Congresses
to Washington, DC, in 1800 that Congress convened
outside of the District of Columbia.
Since 1774, Congress and its predecessor legislatures—the
First Continental Congress, the Second Continental
Congress, and Congress under the Articles of
Confederation—have convened in nine different cities:
Philadelphia, PA; Baltimore, MD; Lancaster, PA; York,
PA; Princeton, NJ; Annapolis, MD; Trenton, NJ; New
York, NY; and Washington, DC. Since 1800, Congress has
continuously met in Washington, DC, except for two joint
commemorative meetings (see “Joint Commemorative
Meetings Outside Washington, DC” below). For a full list
of congressional meeting locations, see Table 1.
“I congratulate the people of the United States on the
assembling of Congress at the permanent seat of their
Government; and I congratulate you, gentlemen, on
the prospect of a residence not to be changed.
Although there is cause to apprehend that
accommodations are not now so complete as might
be wished, yet there is great reason to believe that
this inconvenience will cease with the present
session.”
-President John Adams, remarks to a joint session of
Congress, November 22, 1800

Meeting Locations of Congress
Source: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, “Buildings
Since 1774, Congress and its predecessor legislatures have
of the Department of State,” at https://history.state.gov/
met in nine different cities in four states. Since 1800,
departmenthistory/buildings.
Congress has met almost exclusively in Washington, DC, at
the U.S. Capitol.
Congress Under the Articles of Confederation
On March 1, 1781, the last of the required 13 states ratified
First and Second Continental Congresses
the Articles of Confederation. Between the ratification of
Between 1774 and the ratification of the Articles of
the Articles of Confederation and the ratification of the
Confederation in 1781, the First and Second Continental
Constitution in 1789, Congress met in five locations. Those
Congresses met in four different locations. Shown in
were Philadelphia, PA (State House/Court House);
Figure 1, the First Continental Congress met at Carpenters’
Princeton, NJ (Nassau Hall); Annapolis, MD (State House);
Hall in Philadelphia between September and October 1774.
Trenton, NJ (French Arms Tavern); and New York, NY
(City Hall and Fraunces Tavern). Figure 2 shows four
The Second Continental Congress began in Philadelphia in
locations where Congress met under the Articles of
May 1775, before moving several times. The meeting
Confederation.
locations included Baltimore, MD (Henry Fite’s House);
the Lancaster, PA, Court House; and the York, PA, Court
House. Additionally, the Continental Congress met at
Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA (then called the
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Meeting Locations of Congress and Predecessor Legislatures
Figure 2. Select Meeting Locations of Congress Under
Table 1. Meeting Location of Congress and
the Articles of Confederation, 1781-1789
Predecessor Legislatures, 1774-Present
Date
City (State)
Location
First Continental Congress
September 5, 1774-
Philadelphia, PA
Carpenters’ Hall
October 26, 1774
Second Continental Congress
May 10, 1775-
Philadelphia, PA
State House
December 12, 1776
December 20, 1776 Baltimore, MD
Henry Fite’s
-March 4, 1777
House
March 5, 1777-
Philadelphia, PA
Court House
September 18, 1777
September 27, 1777 Lancaster, PA
Court House
September 30, 1777 York, PA
Court House
-June 27, 1778
July 2, 1778
Philadelphia, PA
Col ege Hall; State
-March 1, 1781
House
Congress Under the Articles of Confederation
March 1, 1781
Philadelphia, PA
State House
-June 21, 1783
June 30, 1783-
Princeton, NJ
Nassau Hall
November 4, 1783

Source: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, “Buildings
November 26, 1783 Annapolis, MD
State House
of the Department of State,” at https://history.state.gov/
-June 3, 1784
departmenthistory/buildings.
November 1, 1784-
Trenton, NJ
French Arms
Congress Under the Constitution
December 24, 1784
Tavern
In 1789, the U.S. Constitution was ratified. Following the
January 11, 1785-
New York, NY
City Hall,
ratification, the first Congress met at Federal Hall in New
March 2, 1789
Fraunces Tavern
York, NY. Since then, Congress has met in Philadelphia,
PA (1790-1800), and Washington, DC (since 1800).
Congress Under the Constitution
Joint Commemorative Meetings Outside
March 4, 1789-
New York, NY
Federal Hall
Washington, DC
August 12, 1790
On two occasions, Congress has held joint commemorative
December 6, 1790-
Philadelphia, PA
Congress Hall
meetings outside of the District of Columbia. Those were:
May 14, 1800
•
November 17, 1800 Washington, DC
U.S. Capitol
July 16, 1987—Congress met at Independence Hall in
-Present
Philadelphia, PA, to “honor the bicentennial of the
Constitution” and commemorate “the 200th anniversary
Sources: U.S. Congress, House, Biographical Directory of the United
of the Great Compromise of the Constitutional
States Congress, 1774-2005, 108th Cong., 2nd sess., H.Doc. 108-222
Convention” (H.Con.Res. 131, 100th Congress); and
(2005), p. 33; Robert Fortenbaugh, The Nine Capitols of the United
States (York, PA: Maple Press Company, 1948), p. 9.
• September 6, 2022—Congress met at Federal Hall in
Notes: In Autumn 1788, Congress under the Articles of
New York, NY, “in remembrance of the victims and
Confederation met at Fraunces Tavern in New York. Following the
heroes of September 11, 2001, and in recognition of the
War of 1812, while the Capitol was being repaired, Congress met at
courage and spirit of the City of New York”
Blodget’s Hotel (1814) and at the Old Brick Capitol (1815-1819) in
(H.Con.Res. 448, 110th Congress; and H.Con.Res. 449,
Washington, DC.
110th Congress).
Jacob R. Straus, Specialist on the Congress
Table 1 lists the meeting locations of Congress and its
predecessor legislatures between 1774 and 2023.
IF12533
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Meeting Locations of Congress and Predecessor Legislatures

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