Tag Archives: Hartford Convention

What Happened When Pickering and Griswold Tried to Engage New York’s Federalists

Posted on January 27, 2014 by “Caius”

If the Federalist Party had trouble with solidarity in Massachusetts, the problem was far worse in New York State.  As Timothy Pickering and Roger Griswold looked to New Yorkers to support their scheme for disunion, they walked into a hornet’s … Continue reading →

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Pickering and Griswold Promote A Scheme for Secession

Posted on January 19, 2014 by “Caius”

Secessionist schemes were slow to gain popular support.  While they had been the topic of conversation in Massachusetts since 1786, they did not gain traction until 1804.[1]  After Jefferson purchased Louisiana Federalists in both houses of Congress agreed that a … Continue reading →

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What Other New Englanders Wrote About Disunion between the East and West

Posted on January 11, 2014 by “Caius”

In private correspondence to Noah Webster and Cyrus King respectively, Thomas Dawes and Ephraim Lock promoted a return of the government to the original thirteen states.  They wanted to remove the three-fifths clause.  They suggested permission from all states was needed … Continue reading →

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How New England’s Federalists Regarded the Union (continued)

Posted on December 22, 2013 by “Caius”

New England’s Federalists were concerned about the loss of representation and power.  In 1788, during the Constitutional Convention,  Northerners made a concession to the South.  They gave Southern states the ability to count five slaves as three free white men, … Continue reading →

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How New England’s Federalists Regarded the Rest of the United States

Posted on December 14, 2013 by “Caius”

Federalists and other New Englanders considered themselves exceptional.  They claimed superiority over other American regions, especially the South.  Their claims were based on religion. A writer for the Columbian Centinel in Boston explained: “The God of nature, in his infinite goodness … Continue reading →

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Were New England’s Federalists Really Abolitionists?

Posted on October 6, 2013 by “Caius”

During the 1780s Massachusetts abolished slavery.  After that, the abolition society in Massachusetts stopped taking part in Philadelphia’s annual abolition convention.[1] After the economically crippling policies of Jefferson and Madison, the Federalists regained power in New England.  The authorities segregated … Continue reading →

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How Opposition to the Three-Fifths Clause Merged with a Moral Campaign

Posted on September 28, 2013 by “Caius”

Opposition to slavery, as a tenet of Congregationalism, began with Samuel Hopkins.   Hopkins (1721-1803) graduated from Yale College in 1741.  As a senior, he was attracted to the revivalism of the Great Awakening, a movement led by the Congregational clergyman Jonathan … Continue reading →

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How the French Influenced Sectional Discord

Posted on September 22, 2013 by “Caius”

First with the Constitution, and next with the Jay Treaty, the more liberal New England Federalists migrated to Jefferson and Madison’s Democratic-Republican Party.   That caused the more conservative faction, the Essex Junto, to gain prominence.   Fisher Ames, one of the post-revolutionary leaders … Continue reading →

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How Jefferson’s Newspaper Politics Challenged New England’s Federalists

Posted on September 15, 2013 by “Caius”

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 →

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How the Jay Treaty Affected New England

Posted on August 25, 2013 by “Caius”

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 →

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