When you think of March celebrations, you probably think of March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, where everyone wears green, swills green beer and munches on green bagels – no matter how unappetizing they may look. But before you start contemplating leprechauns and four-leaf clovers, you should take note of an anniversary that occurs earlier in the month, and usually passes us by, unnoticed.
I refer, of course, to March 4, 1789, the day our nation’s First Congress did not show up for work.
Let me explain…The U.S. Constitution mandated that the Congress meet once a year. Before the final Confederation Congress adjourned in 1788, they chose March 4, 1789 as the opening day of the First Congress and the day on which George Washington would be sworn in as President of the United States. However because of the distances that members of Congress had to travel to convene in New York, the site of the new capital, quorum was not met on the fourth of March. (Those of you who sit on boards may find it reassuring to know that times do not change.) Frederick Muhlenberg was, of course, among those who were traveling to New York, likely by horse or stage coach.
It was not until April 1, 1789 that the House, which had 66 members, reached a quorum, and elected Representative Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania as first Speaker of the House. The Senate achieved a quorum on the sixth of April and, at that time, elected its own officers. George Washington was not sworn in as president until April 30th of that same year.
So take this opportunity to celebrate the day that Congress did not show up for work, preferably with beverages and food that have not been luridly colored. You can always do that on March 17th.
