The 1791 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 19, 1791, by the

New York State Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: The New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an officia ...

to elect a U.S. Senator (Class 1) to represent the State of New York in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

. The election was conducted by a system of approval voting. Incumbent Senator

Philip Schuyler Philip John Schuyler (; November 18, 1804) was an American general in the Revolutionary War and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler. Born in Alb ...

was not re-elected. Aaron Burr, Attorney General of New York, won majority support in both the

State Senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

and State Assembly to succeed him.

Background

In July 1789,

and Rufus King had been elected to the U.S. Senate. Schuyler had drawn the short term which would expire on March 3, 1791. At the State election in April 1790, nominal Federalist majorities were elected to both houses of the

14th New York State Legislature The 14th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 5 to March 24, 1791, during the fourteenth year of George Clinton (vice president), George Clinton's Governor of New Y ...

, but many Federalists were friendly to the Democratic-Republican Governor George Clinton, party lines not being drawn very strictly.

Candidates

Egbert Benson Egbert Benson (June 21, 1746 – August 24, 1833) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician, who represented New York State in the Continental Congress, Annapolis Convention, and United States House of Representatives. He served as a membe ...

, U.S. Representative * Aaron Burr, Attorney General of New York *

, incumbent Senator Schuyler, the incumbent, and Benson were both Federalists. Burr was not affiliated with the Federalist Party but was considered a moderate member of the emergent Jeffersonian faction that would coalesce as the

Democratic-Republican Party The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the earl ...

the next year.

Result

Burr was declared elected after receiving a majority of "Yeas" in each chamber of the legislature. Schuyler and Benson were both rejected by the Assembly and no vote was taken on either in the Senate. The incumbent Schuyler was defeated, despite the nominal majority of his party. Many of the Federalists took the opportunity to show their disapproval of both Schuyler's haughtiness and the financial policies of Alexander Hamilton, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and Schuyler's son-in-law. Besides, the Livingston faction of the Federalist Party felt betrayed after the election of Rufus King over their candidate

James Duane James Duane (February 6, 1733 – February 1, 1797) was an American Founding Father, attorney, jurist, and American Revolutionary leader from New York. He served as a delegate to the First Continental Congress, Second Continental Congress an ...

in 1789, and now allied themselves with Clinton and later became Democratic-Republicans.

Aftermath

After a one-day special session of the U.S. Senate on March 4, 1791, the

2nd United States Congress The 2nd United States Congress, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from March 4, 1791, to March 4, 1793, during the third and fourth years ...

convened for the regular session on October 24, 1791, at

Congress Hall Congress Hall, located in Philadelphia at the intersection of Chestnut and 6th Streets, served as the seat of the United States Congress from December 6, 1790, to May 14, 1800. During Congress Hall's duration as the capitol of the United State ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. On November 8, 1791, the State's

Council of Appointments The Council of Appointment (sometimes also Council of Appointments) was a body of the Government of New York that existed from 1777 to 1822. History Under the New York Constitution of 1777, the Council of Appointment consisted of the Governor of Ne ...

declared the office of attorney general vacant, and appointed Morgan Lewis to succeed Burr.

References

Sources

''The New York Civil List''
compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 114 for State Senators 1790–91; page 165f for Members of Assembly 1790–91)
''History of Political Parties in the State of New-York''
by

Jabez Delano Hammond Jabez Delano Hammond (August 2, 1778 – August 18, 1855) was an American physician, lawyer, author and politician. Life Hammond was born in New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts. He practiced medicine in Reading, Vermont, but afterward stu ...

(pages 50ff)
''The Life and Times of Aaron Burr''
by James Parton (1866, pages 177ff) {{New York elections

1791 Events January–March * January 1 – Austrian composer Joseph Haydn arrives in England, to perform a series of concerts. * January 2 – Northwest Indian War: Big Bottom Massacre – The war begins in the Ohio Country ...

New York