# 1790 Midterm Elections The **first midterm election in American history**, held during the [[George Washington]] administration. Party identities were not yet formalized — the cleavage was between **pro-administration** Federalists (Hamilton, Adams, Jay) and **anti-administration** factions that would consolidate into the Democratic-Republican Party by 1792-93 (Jefferson, Madison). The 2nd Congress that resulted continued Federalist majority dominance in both chambers. ## Result - **House:** Federalists held majority (~37 of 65 seats in the 2nd Congress) - **Senate:** Federalists held majority (~16 of 26 seats) - **Chambers flipped:** None — Federalists held both - **Net change:** Federalist advantage substantially maintained ## Notable - First operational test of the federal-election machinery under the new Constitution - North Carolina and Rhode Island elected congressional delegations for the first time (both had ratified the Constitution after the First Congress was seated) - Vermont and Kentucky admitted to the Union (1791-1792) added congressional representation between midterms - The 1791 Hamilton financial program (assumption of state debts, Bank of the United States, excise taxes) was the substantive policy fight of the 2nd Congress that this election produced ## Connections - [[George Washington]] — Sitting president.