what did the essex junto want to do
The Essex Junto
In April, 1778, a number of prominent Essex County men gathered in Ipswich to hash out the drafting of a new Massachusetts constitution, and became the local backbone of t he Federalist Political party, advocating the fiscal policies of Alexander Hamilton. Although President John Adams was as well a Federalist, he is said to have coined the name "Essex Junto" for this group, who he deemed his adversaries.
Members of the Junto held high political office in Washington, and institute themselves frequently in the minority on bug of corking importance, opposing the French Revolution, while at the same time opposing the Louisiana Purchase. Even Alexander Hamilton, one of their original leaders, broke with the Junto over their back up for Aaron Burr for President. Adamant to prevent the Democrat-Republican party of Jefferson, who they called Jacobeans, from gaining a political majority, several members of the Junto, including Timothy Pickering of Salem advocated for New England's secession from the rest of the country.
The Federalist Party dominated Ipswich politics until its demise in 1816. Other politicians identified with the Essex Junto were Salem's George Cabot, Benjamin Goodhue, Stephen Higginson, Jonathan Jackson and John Lowell of Newburyport, Israel Thorndike of Beverly, Theophilus Parsons of Newbury, and Nathan Dane of Ipswich.
Abbreviated excerpts beneath are from Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, past Thomas Franklin Waters follow:
Clouds and Gloom
Gen. George Washington died on Dec. 14, 1799, and the town went into mourning. The pirates of Algiers and Tripoli continuing their depredations on the ships of all The United states and the European Powers were making the most humiliating concessions to secure exemption from assail.
The feeble navy of the The states brought the Mediterranean pirates to terms in 1806, but British men-of-war were constantly impressing sailors from American vessels, claiming them as deserters from the British navy. State of war with England seemed unavoidable.
The Jeffersonian party, known as Anti-Federalists, Democratic Republicans or just Republicans, favored agile measures of retaliation. Though Ipswich was strongly Federalist, the Jeffersonian minority was active and vigorous. Federalists warned that Jefferson was a dangerous revolutionary, hostile to faith, and that Jefferson would elevate the states into war with Britain.
On July four, 1805, the Town of Ipswich celebrated the national anniversary with a procession to Swazey's Tavern and the church building at the South Green. The newly-arrived Baptist minister "Citizen Pottle," by special request addressed the Supreme Beingness and then made a very ingenious, pertinent and solemn soapbox from the words, followed by a toast: "The Venerable Town of Ipswich. May it exist purged of all old Toryism and mock Federalism."
The other ministers in town were strong Federalists, and Pottle's toasts were suspected of being nothing more than a spirited demonstration of Baptist enthusiasm. They replied with the terminal toasts of the twenty-four hour period, "May more than Piety and less Politics adorn the American Clergy" and "Citizen Pottle. May his Labours of Love abide on our minds." Expert order and decency existence withal observed, the day was closed approvingly.
Embargo with England
In December, 1807, President Jefferson proclaimed an Embargo with Britain, which had been voted past Congress, forbidding all American vessels to leave United States ports for foreign countries and prohibiting foreign vessels from sailing, except with the cargo really on board. The ports of Ipswich, Newburyport and Salem were instantly paralyzed. By 1808, New England ports were at a standstill and its cities and towns were heading into a low. The people of Ipswich were united in their opposition to the Embargo, and Town Meeting dictated a complaint to the President Jefferson. (Read the full complaint.)
- That the laws of the The states, laying an embargo on all ships and vessels in the state, accept operated in a very grievous manner on all classes of our citizens;
- That farmers, mechanics, fishermen, and manufacturers take, in their turns, experienced and still experience their sick effects; and nosotros cannot contemplate their further continuance without near disquieting apprehensions;
- Nor volition nosotros believe, that the regular expression of the wishes of a free people can exist offensive to enlightened and patriotic rulers.
- Therefore, your petitioners beg leave to suggest, whether the great events which have lately taken place in Europe volition not afford your Excellency an opportunity for relieving the people of this once prosperous land from their present embarrassed and distressed condition.
To which the President replied, (Read in full)
"I would, with bang-up willingness, have executed the wishes of the inhabitants of the town of Ipswich, had peace or a repeal of the obnoxious edicts, or other changes, produced the case in which alone the laws have given me that authority… Simply while these edicts remain, the legislature solitary tin can prescribe the course to be pursued." (read in full)
At this juncture, the Republican Convention of Essex County met at Ipswich on February 24th, 1808, and adopted the platform: "We consider the Embargo at the nowadays crunch as a measure out best calculated to preserve our holding from plunder, our seamen from impressment and our nation from the horrors of State of war."
The Federalists of Ipswich met on Friday evening, March 25th, and adopted a lengthy Report of their Committee. Their forecast was gloomy: "National ruin is not far distant, when our honey country seems destined to be whirled into the all-devouring vortex of unbounded and lawless ambition and similar every other republic to be blotted out from the already reduced and nearly annihilated catalogue of free and independent nations."
For the 4th of July celebration of 1808, upward of a hundred citizens marched to the meeting-house of the Outset Parish, where Dr. Dana read Washington'due south Farewell Address. On hearing that the leader of the Autonomous political party in the Town had besides read Washington'southward Good day Address to its assembly, the post-obit toast was given by 1 of the Federalist Company: "May the tomb of Washington never again be profaned by a hypocritical tear, nor his legacy by a Jacobin reader." Harmony and adept order once again prevailed through the 24-hour interval, and the Clergy judiciously retired after twenty toasts had been drunk.
The extremists in the Essex Junto are credited by historians with destroying the Federalist Political party. Unable to stop the political ascension of the Southerners and Westerners in the Democratic-Republican Political party, they proposed splitting the country into Northern and Southern Confederacies. In a letter of the alphabet to George Cabot, Timothy Pickering wrote, "The last refuge of Federalism is New England" He advocated that the "British provinces in Canada and Nova Scotia, with the assent of Britain may go members of the Northern Confederacy. Certainly that government tin only feel cloy at our present leaders.
When war was alleged against United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland in 1812, all members of the Essex Junto came forward in back up of England and became referred to as the "Peace Faction." Members of the Junto were so enraged that they renewed their calls for a Northern Confederation. The Federalists were without a prominent leader after an exasperated Alexander Hamilton forsake the Junto and endorsed Jefferson for President. Jefferson wrote, "The 'Essex Junto' lonely want separation. The majoring of the Federalists do non aim at separation. Monarchy and separation is the policy of the Essex Federalists."
The Federalists were routed in the 1812 polls, resulting in a diminished national role for the Essex Junto. Their final attempt at relevancy was a series of hole-and-corner meetings of 26 delegates from New England known as the Hartford Convention. Their terminal report included:
- Several proposals to better the U.S. Constitution.
- Prohibiting any trade embargo lasting over threescore days
- Requiring a two-thirds Congressional majority for announcement of war or admission of a new land
- Repealing the three-fifths compromise
- Limiting future presidents to one term
Nathan Dane of Ipswich and Beverly was one of the most important delegates to the Hartford Convention, being on the committee to set the calendar., maintaining that he was not a secessionist and that, "Someone must get to preclude mischief." By the time representatives from the Hartford Convention reached Feb 1815, news of Andrew Jackson'south victory at the Boxing of New Orleans, and the signing of the Treaty of Ghent fabricated whatsoever venture by the Federalists irrelevant. Southerners viewed the Federalists as the party of succession and treason, and it ceased to hold any political relevance except in Massachusetts, where Federalists were elected governor annually until 1823.
Sources and farther reading
- The Northern Confederacy according to the plans of the "Essex junto", 1796-1814, by Charles Raymond Chocolate-brown
- Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, by Thomas Franklin Waters
- Understanding the Essex Junto: Fear, Dissent, and Propaganda in the Early on Republic , New England Quarterly
Related posts:
Ipswich and the alienation with Britain - On June tenth, 1776, the men of Ipswich, in Town-meeting assembled, instructed their Representatives, that if the Continental Congress should for the condom of the said Colonies declare them Independent of the Kingdom of Uk, they will solemnly engage with their lives and Fortunes to back up them in the Measure.
Source: https://historicipswich.org/2022/02/21/essex-junto/
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