U.S. Supreme Court Holds First Session

Context

The Constitution’s Article III created a Supreme Court but left its size, organization, and procedures to Congress. When the new federal government began operating in 1789, lawmakers moved quickly to fill that gap. The first bill introduced in the Senate became the Judiciary Act of 1789, which established a six-justice Supreme Court, lower district courts, and three regional circuits.

What Happened

President George Washington nominated John Jay of New York as chief justice and five associate justices—John Rutledge of South Carolina, William Cushing of Massachusetts, John Blair of Virginia, Robert Harrison of Maryland, and James Wilson of Pennsylvania—on September 24, 1789. The Senate confirmed all six appointments two days later. On February 1, 1790, the justices gathered in the Royal Exchange Building on Broad Street in New York City, then the national capital. Travel delays prevented a quorum, so Chief Justice Jay postponed formal business until the next day.

Aftermath

With a full bench present on February 2, the Court turned to organizational tasks: adopting rules, admitting attorneys to its bar, and setting procedures. The first substantive cases reached the Court the following year, and its first opinion was issued on August 3, 1791, in West v. Barnes. Justices also began the arduous duty of riding circuit twice a year under often primitive conditions.

Legacy

The modest 1790 gathering marked the operational start of an independent federal judiciary that would grow into a co-equal branch of government. Later chief justices, especially John Marshall, expanded the Court’s role in interpreting the Constitution and checking the other branches. The institution established in New York City has since resolved landmark questions of law and governance for more than two centuries.