Author: The Constitutional Convention

The 1st United States Congress (1789-1791) was the first legislature to meet under the laws established by The Constitution of the United States. Comprised of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, the 1st United States Congress was led by Senate President John Adams during the first two years of George Washington’s presidency. Its most enduring accomplishment was the creation and ratification of The United States Bill of Rights. Spearheaded by James Madison, these ten amendments, ratified in 1791, added essential freedoms, protections, and limitations to the Constitution which continue to shape the United States and the lives of its people today.