On this day: 1789 – The first US congress met and declared that the U.S. Constitution was in effect

The first congress of the United States, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met from March 4, 1789 to March 3, 1791, during the first two years of George Washington’s presidency, first at Federal Hall in New York City and later at Congress Hall in Philadelphia.

There were no political parties in this Congress. Members are informally grouped into factions of similar interest, based on an analysis of their voting record.