W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 1931 The Work of Isaac Hill in the Presidential Election of 1828 Charles E. Perry College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Perry, Charles E., "The Work of Isaac Hill in the Presidential Election of 1828" (1931). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539624445. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-hr55-kn57 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. t m m m o f is m o b ii& IB TH2 PBBSXBBJrfliU* BLEGMOS OF 1828 b y C h a rles B* Perry* T m WOBE OW ISAAC Bill EbECIIOIf of ie a a b y Ctiarlas B* Parry* SUB3X223D IB W m nL lM Sm Of 2BB fiSWXEBBSBf9 O f OOiU-BGB O f WILLIAM ABB Hj£BT for the dagroe l i 4SfEB O f ABfS 1951 Tha Political Setting In Hew England "ll' ' "ih T ssac1' B lll* s lime* ''mrrZ^ T ^ 'mL ~ ~ * - 1 m m Bacfmrotmd of B ill *s BeTmblicantsgu fhe necessity Wm Understand lag It* - ** ~ • 5 TTI s To uth.• **««»'** «* ■»**• ■*■* <**»• *>* *► ** *► =** **■ «*•■ *** *•>.«•>- g Hie Appreat Iceship* ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ — ~ « - ix A Surrey of Hie Career As Editor Prior to 1828 First tears of the Patriot* - - ~ «* - ~ ~ 14 Other A ctivities of Sill* «*--•*-*.**- - 14 His Course in the 1824 Else 11 on* «•*-*-* ** 19 Ho su it a o f the- E le c t io n o f Adams * *.■***• ~ 21 The Campaign For the Presidency^ 1826-1828 f ile Campaign Begun* ** **.**«*.**■ «* ** ** «*#»,«*,„. gg fb e ** B a t t le o f t h e E d ito r s * ” ■**►**«■►**>•►*► 29 Observations On the Election Be suit a* ~ ** ~ 60 ooBoitrsioy fhe Influence of the Patriot* *-**■*-*. ♦*. ^ ** &Z E stim a te o f Isa a c - H ill* **- <■»********«**►«* **«► gB lis t of Hewspaper s in Bee Hampshire* 1820* Election Figures for Hass* and K. B* Better fro® the Editor of the Fatrlot* IXfA ffhe P olitical Setting In Few End and In Isaac B ill’s fjme* For a quarter of a century following the ds- feat of the Federalist Party* in the election of 1800* Hew England continued to give evidence of the presence of strong Federalist tendencies* Phis feeling found expression before the War of 18IE* in opposition to Jefferson’s economic policies* particularly the em~ bar go* and to the admission of Louisiana, which threat­ ened the loss of political power* this die-hard Federalism' of Hew England dis­ played its dissatisfaction during the war by protests against the furnishing of m ilitia; against the pay­ ment of taxes for her share In the expenses of the war - most of the activities of which took place out­ s id e o f M m England; by the carrying on of a vast amount of collusive commerce, between the Mm England States and the Maritime Provinces; and* finally* by the Hartford Convention. 1 Following the war there emerged another* d if­ ferent force* to retard the spread of democracy in Hew 1 - Charming; vol* I?**th© last two chapters* 2 Bttglfmd* and thus foster the growth of that else© of who had constituted the bulwark of Fader- ©list strength. It Is not my intention hare to take issue with the generally accepted conclusion of historians* that opposition to the war killed whatever remained of the Federalist Party* It is rather my desire to point out that while the Federalists dissembled as a Party, there were influences - and strong ones - constantly at work in lew England* tending to promote a lively opposition to that rapid democratic growth which the rest of the country was experiencing. It was daring the early part of this era that there entered the political arena* a man who dared to champion the cause of democracy in the stamping-ground of Federalism. That man was Isaac Hill* and the year was 1S0S* A more inappropriate time could not have been chosen! The Embargo Act was ceasing ant old suffering end hardship* and Jefferson's name was anathema to mer­ chants and manufacturers alike* Tet it was at just such a time that Isaac H ill chose to take over a strug­ gling Jef fersonian newspaper in Concord * alter its name to more suitably fit its anticipated circulation* and begin a c ax ear on behalf of detested Democracy* that in twenty years would place him at the top of hie calling* and in the decade following, aee Mm successively an officer in the United States frees-* ary Department. United States Senator, and thrice Governor of his adopted State* fhai he survived the first few years. In the midst of such discouraging conditions, is rather remarkable* But he did more than survive; he pros­ pered. and became the spokesman and m ilitant leader of the Democratic Party in Hew Hampshire* And for M s services in nurturing the growth of Democratic strength, until it finally surpassed and eventually overcame Hederallot influences, he acquired nation­ al recognition. it is my purpose, therefore, to present and analyse the part he played in marshalling the forces of Democracy in Hew Hampshire* around the "Hero of Hew Orleans*, in the campaign of 1828* Although the electoral vote of the State, and of Hew England f went for Adams, the popular vote of Hew Hampshire was close enough to reveal the progress that had been made on behalf of the Democrat ic Party i n that State* fhat progress did not and'with the election of 1828,but 4 the foundations of BepabXican strength In How Hampshire ted boon laid by the energetic B ill, and as a partial reward for M s labors* te was accorded the recognition which his services warranted* and which a ll loyal Jacksontans received. B m o m m m n o f h is& *s n m m m c m i m * fhe necessity For Under &t aa&la& It* fM s la not a blography of Isaac Mil,* Bat any paper which sought to trace bis actions in tbs campaign of 18S8 would m anifestly be Incomplete and incomprehensi b le, were It to ignore the expe­ riences of bis earlier life* In a person of H ill's temperament and characteristics, these influences assume a vital significance* In order to adequately portray the man about whom the interest in this thesis centers, then, it Is Justifiable to make a critical examina­ tion of his youth and young manhood, devoting es­ pecial attention to those forces which unquestion­ ably played a part in shaping M s character and his political convictions* 6 H ie Youth* Isaac B ill was the son of lease, and the grandson of Abraham H ill, of Charlestown* Abra­ ham was the fourth la descent from the first of that name, the intermediate generations being Abe, Abe, and 2&chariah. Isaac’s paternal grand­ father was a veteran of both the Wx ench-Xndi an, and the Bevolut lonar y wars* Isaac’s mother was Hannah H assell, a daugh­ ter of William Bussell* He, too, was a veteran, having commanded a company of men at the battle of L ex in g to n . Isaac was beta on April 6, 1788, In Menoto- my, then a part of the town of West Cambridge, Mass*, He was the first child of a family of nine children, and hi© mother was but seventeen years old at the time of his birth* His grandfather, Abraham, after M s return from the war , became at least partially insane, the insanity "continuing in a ll the gradations from per­ fect clearness of mind to raging madness, till his d e a t h .a 1 His father, always soberly industrious, was overtaken by the same "visitation of Providence", wifMa six years after his marriage, and his Intel- 1 - Bradley; p 9* Xectaal faculties were almost entirely destroyed* fhe mother was evidently a woman of an- nasal qualities, for it was she who contrived to keep the family from the destitution that might be expected to accompany such calam ities as have been m en tion ed . in 1798 tbey moved to a small farm in Ash- burnham, where Isaac was to spend the greater part of Ms time until he was fourteen* His life here at Ashburnham furnishes a striking resemblance to that of another, more renowned newspaper editor, who was to become prominent during H ill’s life - Horace G reeley* like Greeley, H ill was undersised and un­ prepossessing in appearance* Lite the "Great Edi­ tor", he had to straggle for the meagre formal schooling he received* the winter school at Ash- burnham ran a few weeks in each of several d istricts, the boys being permitted to attend at another dis­ trict if they cared to go* Isaac did, nod eagerly traveled as much as four and five m iles daily to 1 reach some of the districts. He early gave indications of possessing more than average intellect* At six, he had com­ mitted to memory a history of the Be volution, {probably in the form of a list of dates and e- vents), and before he was eight he had read the . rrn*+-.*. —w. --------- — ^ .. _ . f ;T ) _ .r - r ._.1|_|_._^.t_n n r .