1787 statewide election in Massachusetts, US
Elections in Massachusetts |
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Massachusetts portal |
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Elections to the Massachusetts Senate were held during 1787 to elect 40 State Senators. Candidates were elected at the county level, with some counties electing multiple Senators.
For election, a candidate needed the support of a majority of those voting. If a seat remained vacant because no candidate received such majority, the Massachusetts General Court was empowered to fill it by a majority vote of its members.
The primary issue in this race was the ongoing ratification of the United States Constitution by a separate ratifying convention; the reaction divided the state (and nation) between Federalists and Anti-Federalists, though the factions did not appear as strictly formal political parties until 1789.
The elections were also held during the midst of Shays' Rebellion, an armed uprising in Western Massachusetts against the national government, formed in opposition to the ongoing debt crisis.
Apportionment
The apportionment of seats by population was as follows:
- Barnstable County: 1
- Berkshire County: 2
- Bristol County: 3
- Cumberland County: 1
- Dukes and Nantucket Counties: 1
- Essex County: 6
- Hampshire County: 4
- Lincoln County: 1
- Middlesex County: 5
- Plymouth County: 3
- Suffolk County: 6
- Worcester County: 5
- York County: 2
Results
Barnstable
1787 Barnstable Senate election[1] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Unknown | Thomas Smith | 358 | 68.32% |
| Scattering | All others | 166 | 31.68% |
Total votes | 524 | 100.00% |
Berkshire
1787 Berkshire Senate election[2] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Unknown | Thompson J. Skinner (incumbent) | 659 | 78.45% |
| Unknown | Elijah Dwight | 503 | 59.88% |
Total votes | 840 | 100.00% |
Both candidates were elected.
Bristol
1787 Bristol Senate election[3] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Unknown | Holder Slocum | 1,507 | 74.49% |
| Unknown | Abraham White | 1,504 | 74.35% |
| Unknown | Phanuel Bishop | 1,111 | 54.92% |
Total votes | 2,023 | 100.00% |
Cumberland
1787 Cumberland Senate election[4] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Unknown | Josiah Thacher | 286 | 63.56% |
| Scattering | All others | 164 | 36.44% |
Total votes | 450 | 100.00% |
Dukes and Nantucket
1787 Dukes and Nantucket Senate election[5] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Unknown | Matthew Mayhew | 155 | 43.78% |
| Unknown | Thomas Cooke | 137 | 38.70% |
| Scattering | All others | 62 | 17.51% |
Total votes | 354 | 100.00% |
Because Mayhew failed to achieve a majority, the election was put to the General Court, which certified his election with near unanimity.
General Court
1787 General Court election[6] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Unknown | Matthew Mayhew | 178 | 90.82% |
Total votes | 196 | 100.00% |
Essex
1787 Essex Senate election[7] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Federalist | Benjamin Goodhue (incumbent) | 1,493 | 63.83% |
| Unknown | Aaron Wood | 1,313 | 56.14% |
| Unknown | Peter Coffin | 1,241 | 53.06% |
| Unknown | Israel Hutchinson | 1,124 | 48.05% |
| Federalist | Tristram Dalton (incumbent) | 1,105 | 47.24% |
| Unknown | Samuel Holton | 882 | 38.70% |
| Unknown | John Manning | 858 | 37.71% |
| Unknown | Jonathan Greenleaf | 850 | 36.34% |
| Unknown | Stephen Choate | 808 | 34.54% |
Total votes | 2,339 | 100.00% |
Dalton, Choate, and Greenleaf would subsequently be elected by the General Court.
General Court
1787 General Court election[8] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Federalist | Tristram Dalton (incumbent) | 207 | 95.83% |
| Unknown | Stephen Choate | 121 | 56.02% |
| Unknown | Jonathan Greenleaf | 121 | 56.02% |
Total votes | 216 | 100.00% |
Hampshire
1787 Hampshire Senate election[9] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Federalist | Caleb Strong (incumbent) | 696 | 50.51% |
| Unknown | John Hastings | 620 | 44.99% |
| Unknown | Oliver Phelps | 517 | 37.52% |
| Unknown | William Shepard | 477 | 34.62% |
| Unknown | David Smead | 362 | 26.27% |
| Unknown | David Sexton | 339 | 24.60% |
| Unknown | John Bliss | 313 | 22.71% |
Total votes | 1,378 | 100.00% |
Hastings, Smead, and Phelps were subsequently elected by the General Court.
General Court
1787 General Court election[10] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Unknown | John Hastings | 218 | 99.09% |
| Unknown | Oliver Phelps | 158 | 71.82% |
| Unknown | David Smead | 145 | 65.90% |
Total votes | 220 | 100.00% |
Lincoln
1787 Lincoln Senate election[11] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Unknown | Samuel Thompson | 307 | 56.43% |
| Scattering | All others | 237 | 43.57% |
Total votes | 544 | 100.00% |
Middlesex
1787 Middlesex Senate election[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Unknown | Joseph B. Varnum (incumbent) | 2,005 | 75.95% |
| Unknown | Isaac Stearns | 1,892 | 71.67% |
| Unknown | Ebenezer Bridge | 1,403 | 53.14% |
| Unknown | Walter MacFarland | 1,300 | 49.24% |
| Unknown | Joseph Hosmer | 924 | 35.00% |
| Unknown | Marshal Spring | 831 | 31.48% |
| Unknown | Eleazer Brooks | 720 | 27.27% |
Total votes | 2,640 | 100.00% |
Based on returns from Weston, Ezra Sergant, Abraham Fuller, James Prescot, Joseph Curtis, Thomas Fairweather, Joseph Roberts, John Brooks, and Abner Sanderson also received votes, but how many they received county-wide is unknown.[13]
Hosmer and MacFarland were subsequently elected by the General Court.
General Court
1787 General Court election[14] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Unknown | Joseph Hosmer | 127 | 58.26% |
| Unknown | Walter MacFarland | 116 | 53.21% |
Total votes | 218 | 100.00% |
Plymouth
1787 Plymouth Senate election[15] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Unknown | Nathan Mitchel | 890 | 63.44% |
| Unknown | Noah Fearing | 537 | 38.28% |
| Unknown | Charles Turner | 401 | 28.58% |
| Unknown | Nathan Cushing | 369 | 26.30% |
| Unknown | Abraham Holmes | 350 | 24.95% |
Total votes | 1,403 | 100.00% |
Turner and Cushing were subsequently elected by the General Court.
General Court
1787 General Court election[16] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Unknown | Nathan Cushing | 143 | 64.71% |
| Unknown | Charles Turner | 118 | 53.39% |
Total votes | 221 | 100.00% |
Suffolk
Austin and Dunbar were subsequently elected by the General Court. (No result is listed for Dunbar's election.)
General Court
1787 General Court election[18] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Unknown | Benjamin Austin Jr. | 129 | 61.72% |
Total votes | 209 | 100.00% |
Worcester
1787 Worcester Senate election[19] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Unknown | Jonathan Grout (incumbent) | 2,341 | 67.72% |
| Unknown | Samuel Curtis | 2,290 | 66.24% |
| Unknown | Abel Wilder | 1,841 | 53.25% |
| Unknown | Joseph Stone | 1,635 | 47.30% |
| Anti-Federalist | Amos Singletary | 1,133 | 32.77% |
| Unknown | Seth Washburn | 991 | 28.67% |
| Unknown | Peter Penniman | 892 | 25.80% |
Total votes | 3,457 | 100.00% |
General Court
1787 General Court election[20] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Anti-Federalist | Amos Singletary | 110 | 52.13% |
| Unknown | Seth Washburn | 109 | 51.66% |
Total votes | 211 | 100.00% |
York
1787 York Senate election[21] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Unknown | John Frost | 271 | 48.13% |
| Unknown | Tristram Jordan | 232 | 41.21% |
| Unknown | Ichabod Goodwin | 149 | 26.47% |
| Unknown | Edward Cutts | 110 | 19.54% |
Total votes | 563 | 100.00% |
No candidate received a majority. Cutts and Jordan were subsequently elected by the General Court.
General Court
1787 General Court election[22] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Unknown | Edward Cutts | 112 | 52.13% |
| Unknown | Tristram Jordan | 109 | 51.66% |
Total votes | 211 | 100.00% |
References
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Barnstable County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Berkshire County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Bristol County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Cumberland County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Dukes and Nantucket Counties". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Dukes and Nantucket Counties". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Essex County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Essex County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Hampshire County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Hampshire County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Lincoln County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Middlesex County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ Town of Weston: Records of the First Precinct, 1746-1754 and of the Town, 1754-1803. Boston, MA: Alfred Mudge and Son. 1893. p. 389.
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Middlesex County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Plymouth County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Plymouth County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Suffolk County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Suffolk County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Worcester County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Worcester County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, York County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).
- ^ "Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, York County". Tufts Digital Collections and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved April 6, 2020., citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA).