Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, First Session of the First U.S. Congress, Signed by William Floyd, 1789. (From the Collection of the Suffolk County Historical Society Library Archives. Image © copyright Suffolk County Historical Society. All rights reserved.)
The First United States Congress, consisting of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, met from 1789 to 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. With the initial meeting of the first session of the First U.S. Congress on March 4, 1789, the U.S. government officially began operations under the frame of governance established by the 1787 Constitution.
The original 1789 Journal of the House of Representatives in our research library bears the signature of William Floyd of Suffolk County, who was
elected to the First U.S. Congress in 1789. Floyd was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence and had served as general in the Suffolk County Militia during the American Revolution. He spent many years in public service, including as a delegate to the Continental Congress (1774-1776), as a presidential elector for George Washington, and as a New York State Senator. Born in Mastic in 1734, to Nicoll Floyd and Tabitha Smith Floyd, William became a major land proprietor at age twenty when he inherited the family's 4,400-acre estate in Mastic. Today the property is known as the William Floyd Estate.
To view this 164-page Journal, a treasure from our national and local past, visit our research library during operating hours, Wednesday through Saturday, 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm. No appointment is necessary, and a librarian is always available to assist you with your local history and family research. For more information, visit our website or call us at 631-727-2881 x103.
