About “Caius”
Mathew Carey (1760-1839) used the pseudonym of “Caius,” a character from King Lear who was loyal but blunt. When Mathew Carey feared New England would secede from the Union, he read everything he could find on the history of civil wars. In that spirit, “Caius” offers a historical perspective for political discussion.
By 1800, the state of Massachusetts was split politically between Jefferson’s party and the Federalists. Roughly 20,000 voters were Democratic-Republican. About 25,000 voters were Federalists.[1] Following the election of 1800, Democratic-Republicans set their sights on augmenting their gains in New … Continue reading →
Posted in From The Desk, Newspaper Politics, Secession
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Tagged Caius, Civil War, Democratic-Republicans, Economic sanctions, Embargo, Essex Junto, Federalists, Gideon Granger, Hartford Convention, Jefferson, Levi Lincoln, Madison, Mathew Carey, Matthew Carey, New England, Olive Branch, secession, secession 2012, secession petitions, War of 1812
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By 1797, two prominent New England Federalists were suspicious of immigrants and fearful the newcomers would create a second revolution in America. John Adams was president, and Timothy Pickering was secretary of state. Jefferson and Madison’s party organizers recruited Irish … Continue reading →
A Recap of the Jay Treaty Issues: The British impressed American sailors—an issue especially important to New Englanders More than two hundred merchant ships were confiscated by the British—another issue important to New Englanders Merchants wanted trade reopened in the … Continue reading →
Posted in From The Desk, House Appropriation, Secession
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Tagged Caius, Civil War, Democratic-Republicans, Economic sanctions, Embargo, Essex Junto, Federalists, Hartford Convention, Jay Treaty, Jefferson, Madison, Mathew Carey, Matthew Carey, New England, secession, secession 2012, secession petitions, War of 1812
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Differences of opinion among the Massachusetts Federalists became apparent in their responses to ratification of the Constitution. James Madison drew up the “Virginia Plan” for the Constitution on which debate by the delegates began. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were … Continue reading →
Posted in From The Desk, Secession
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Tagged Caius, Civil War, Democratic-Republicans, Economic sanctions, Embargo, Essex Junto, Federalists, Hartford Convention, Jefferson, Madison, Mathew Carey, Matthew Carey, New England, secession, secession 2012, secession petitions, War of 1812
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As the last decade of the eighteenth century began, Massachusetts Federalists continued to be guided by the state’s revolutionary patriots. John Hancock (1737/8-1793) the wealthy merchant, and first signer the Declaration of Independence was enormously popular, with nearly infallible political instincts. He presented … Continue reading →
Posted in From The Desk, Secession
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Tagged Caius, Civil War, Democratic-Republicans, Economic sanctions, Embargo, Essex Junto, Federalists, Hartford Convention, Mathew Carey, Matthew Carey, New England, Olive Branch, secession, secession 2012, secession petitions, War of 1812
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Theophilus Parsons (1750-1813) like Timothy Pickering and George Cabot, was born in Essex County, Massachusetts. Parsons, the son of a Congregational minister, graduated from Harvard College in 1769. While he studied law he taught school in what is now Maine. Like … Continue reading →
Posted in From The Desk, Secession
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Tagged Caius, Civil War, Democratic-Republicans, Economic sanctions, Embargo, Essex Junto, Faults on both Sides, Federalists, Fisher Ames, George Cabot, Hartford Convention, Jefferson, Madison, Mathew Carey, Matthew Carey, New England, Olive Branch, secession, secession 2012, secession petitions, Theophilus Parsons, Timothy Pickering, War of 1812
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Fisher Ames (1758-1808) was born outside of Essex County, near the southwest corner of Boston, in Dedham. Intellectually precocious, Ames entered Harvard when he was twelve. At an early age, he excelled at oratory and elocution. He participated in a … Continue reading →
Posted in From The Desk
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Tagged Caius, Civil War, Democratic-Republicans, Economic sanctions, Embargo, Essex Junto, Federalists, Hartford Convention, Jefferson, Madison, Mathew Carey, Matthew Carey, New England, Olive Branch, secession, secession 2012, secession petitions, War of 1812
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George Cabot (1752-1823), like Timothy Pickering, was born in Salem, in Essex County Massachusetts. He too, attended Harvard. He was a member of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress in 1775. He was a delegate to his state’s constitutional convention in 1777 … Continue reading →
Posted in From The Desk, Secession
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Tagged Civil War, Democratic-Republicans, Economic sanctions, Embargo, Essex Junto, Federalists, George Cabot, Hartford Convention, Jefferson, Mathew Carey, Matthew Carey, New England, Olive Branch, secession, secession 2012, secession petitions, Timothy Pickering, War of 1812
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Timothy Pickering (1745-1829) was born in Salem, in Essex County Massachusetts. After graduating from Harvard he studied law. Originally he was a loyalist. On the eve of the American Revolution, he joined the patriots as a member of Salem’s Committee … Continue reading →
Posted in From The Desk, Secession
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Tagged Caius, Civil War, Democratic-Republicans, Economic sanctions, Embargo, Essex Junto, Federalist party, Federalists, Hartford Convention, New England, secession, secession 2012, secession petitions, Timothy Pickering, War of 1812
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Unlike Virginia, New York or Pennsylvania, in 1790, most of the residents of Massachusetts were of English descent. They were also Protestant. Most were Congregationalists. Others were Quakers, Baptists or Methodists. A few Catholics lived in Boston or other ports.[1] Massachusetts … Continue reading →
