 Election Advertisement (Courtesy of the Library of Congress) |
New York City Representative John Lauranceby John Trumbull (Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution) |
When the First Federal Congress convened, the first congressional election was still going on in New York State. Although most of New York's residents considered themselves Federalists, a lively election contest took place on the question of whether a merchant or a lawyer would best represent the city's interests. The victor, lawyer John Laurance, became the most active member of the state's delegation to the House of Representatives. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
