111th Congress, 2nd Session
Subjects – Washington, George
General George Washington wrote a letter to the Continental Congress about conditions in the city of Boston
March 24, 1776
On this date, General George Washington wrote a letter to the Continental Congress about conditions in the city of Boston, which British troops had evacuated after a one-year occupation.
The first Speaker of the House, Frederick A.C. Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania
June 04, 1781
Frederick A. C. Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania—the House of Representatives’ first Speaker—died in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Constantino Brumidi’s fresco of the British Surrender at Yorktown
October 17, 1781
On this date, General George Washington accepted Lord Cornwallis’s surrender at Yorktown, marking the penultimate battle of the Revolutionary War.
General George Washington resigning his commission in Annapolis, Maryland
December 23, 1783
In one of the nation’s great acts of statesmanship, General George Washington voluntarily resigned his military commission to the Continental Congress at the State House in Annapolis, Maryland.
The first inauguration at Federal Hall in New York City
April 30, 1789
On this date, George Washington was sworn in as President of the United States before a Joint Meeting of Congress at Federal Hall in New York City.
The Oath of Office bill
May 18, 1789
The Oath of Office Bill, the first legislative act of Congress, passed the House of Representatives on this date.
The establishment of the Department of War
August 07, 1789
On this date, President George Washington signed into law a bill that established the U.S. War Department.
The establishment of the Supreme Court
September 17, 1789
On this date the House concluded debate and agreed to establish the Supreme Court as defined by Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution.
President George Washington delivered his first regular Annual Message to a Joint Session of Congress
January 08, 1790
On this date, George Washington delivered his first regular Annual Message to a Joint Session of Congress.
Rhode Island’s ratification of the Constitution
May 29, 1790
On this date, Rhode Island became the 13th state to enter the Union after ratifying the Constitution.
The Permanent Seat of Government Act
July 16, 1790
On this date, President George Washington signed into law the Permanent Seat of Government Act, which established the location of the federal city.
The 1791 Excise Whiskey Tax
January 27, 1791
After a spirited debate, the House passed, by a 35 to 21 majority, the 1791 Excise Whiskey Tax
The first Bank of the United States
February 08, 1791
On this date, the House of Representatives passed a bill establishing the first Bank of the United States.
Speaker of the House Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. of Connecticut
October 24, 1791
On this date, the House chose Connecticut Representative Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., as Speaker of the House.
Artist Gilbert Stuart’s portraits of George Washington
April 12, 1796
On this date, President George Washington posed for artist Gilbert Stuart for the famous Lansdowne portrait, the basis for two of the first chief executive’s portraits in the U.S. Capitol.
The House appropriated funds for Jay’s Treaty
April 30, 1796
The House appropriated funds for Jay’s Treaty with Great Britain by a 51 to 48 vote.
Delegate Patrick Henry of Virginia
June 06, 1799
On this date, Patrick Henry, a Virginia Continental Congress delegate and a renowned skeptic of centralized government, died at his Red Hill home near Brookneal in the Old Dominion.
The resolution to bury President George Washington at the U.S. Capitol
December 23, 1799
Following the death of President George Washington, the House and Senate resolved that “the family of General Washington be requested to permit his body to be deposited under” a marble monument erected “by the United States in the Capitol, at the city of Washington.”
President George Washington’s Memorial Service
December 26, 1799
On the morning after Christmas Day, the House attended a memorial Joint Session for former President George Washington.
The first time the House met in the North wing of the Capitol
November 17, 1800
On this date, the House assembled for the first time in the North wing of the Capitol.
Marquis de Lafayette’s historic address to the House
December 10, 1824
On this date, the Marquis de Lafayette, the French general and Revolutionary War hero, became the first foreign dignitary to address the House of Representatives in its chamber.
The Apotheosis of George Washington
January 17, 1866
On this date, Constantino Brumidi’s fresco, The Apotheosis of George Washington, was first reviewed in the National Intelligencer.
Granting House Floor privileges to a 108-year-old Revolutionary War veteran
February 10, 1870
The House of Representatives accorded a rare honor to Revolutionary War veteran, John Kitts, granting him House Floor privileges for the day
The Centennial Celebration of the Surrender at Yorktown
October 19, 1881
On this date, Members of Congress descended upon the historic Yorktown, Virginia, battlefield to commemorate the centennial of the British ceremonial surrender at Yorktown.
A Joint Session to commemorate the completion of the Washington Monument
February 21, 1885
On this date, the House and Senate met in a Joint Session to commemorate the completion of the Washington Monument.
The portrait of Speaker of the House Jonathan Trumbull of Connecticut
December 21, 1888
Connecticut Representative Jonathan Trumbull’s Speaker portrait was unveiled at the Capitol.
Centennial celebrations of the laying of the Capitol cornerstone in 1793
September 18, 1893
On this date, the federal government celebrated the centennial of the laying of the Capitol cornerstone by President George Washington in 1793.
Early efforts to preserve the records of the House of Representatives
February 21, 1910
The House allocated $2,500 “for the better preservation of early files of the House” by means of H. Res. 403.
A Joint Session to commemorate the completion of the Washington Monument
February 22, 1927
On this date, Congress held a Joint Session to commemorate the birthday of George Washington and to inaugurate elaborate planning of festivities for the 1932 bicentennial of the first President’s birth.
The Thanksgiving holiday
November 28, 1940
The establishing of the last Thursday of November as the legal holiday for Thanksgiving.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fourth inauguration
January 20, 1945
On this date, the White House hosted President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fourth inauguration and disregarded the tradition of using the U.S. Capitol.
The Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru addressed a House Reception
October 13, 1949
Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru of India addressed a House Reception.
The Laying of the East Front Cornerstone
July 04, 1959
On this date, President Dwight D. Eisenhower laid the cornerstone for the long-planned East Front extension of the U.S. Capitol.
President Ronald W. Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan the Congressional Gold Medal
July 27, 2000
On this date, during the 106th Congress (1999–2001), H.R. 3591 was signed into law, awarding President Ronald W. Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan the Congressional Gold Medal.
