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Separation of Maine from Massachusetts Albert Ames Whitmore University of Maine

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Separation of Maine from Massachusetts Albert Ames Whitmore University of Maine The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Electronic Theses and Dissertations Fogler Library 6-1917 Separation of Maine from Massachusetts Albert Ames Whitmore University of Maine Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd Part of the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Whitmore, Albert Ames, "Separation of Maine from Massachusetts" (1917). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2744. http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd/2744 This Open-Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SEPARATION OF MAINE FROM MASSACHUSETTS. A THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (in History). By ALBERT AMES WHITMORE B.S., University of Maine, 1906 University of Maine Orono June, 1917. OUTLINE. I. Introduction Early History of Maine. II. Separation Question in 1786. Grievances of Maine. Question in 1793. Question in 1797. War of 1813. Question in 1816. New reasons for separation. Question in 1819. Maine and Massachusetts separated 1830. III. Conclusion. Causes for Separation. Introduction. During the sixteenth century the coast of Maine was explored by Verrazano, Gomez, Gosnold,1 Pring, Sieur de Monts,1 Weymouth,1 and John Smith,1 the latter having mapped the coast and given the name New England to this section. However, the English made no permanent settlement until the period between 1623 and 1629. Weymouth, returning to England took five Indians with him, some of them lived with Sir Ferdinando Gorges and doubtless helped to arouse his interest in the New World as he became the leader in founding Maine. In 1607 the Plymouth Company received a grant to /' this region from King James I and in 1608 sent, out a colony under George Popham. The colony settled at the mouth of the Kennebec at Pemaquid, but the severe winter and the loss of their leader caused the project to be abandoned. Raleigh Gilbert then became interested in the colony thru an old charter which had been granted in 1578 to Sir Humphry Gilbert. The council of New England obtained a grant of the country between latitude 40 and 48 N. and Gorges and Mason received *2 Williamson, p. 191 2 „ Williamson, p. 222 2 from the council the territory between the Merriraac and Kennebec, called the Province of Maine. Later the land was divided and Gorges took the portion between the Piscataqua River and the Kennebec. Grants of land were made by Gorges and several settlements were made. In 1635 the Council of New England surrendered its charter but Gorges retained the portion that had been granted to him. Gorges drew up an elaborate constitution for his province providing for many unnecessary officials. He soon came into conflict with others who had been granted land in this region and Massachusetts was very hostile because Gorges and his followers were Anglicans. Puritan Massachusetts looked with suspicion upon Anglican neighbors and soon made ' claim to all of the land granted Gorges. Factional quarrels arose and between 1652 and 1658 Massachusetts little by little annexed the parts of Maine belonging to Gorges. In 1664 a grandson of Gorges brought hie claim to Maine before parliament and his claim was allowed, but Massachusetts resisted until 1677, when she bought the Gorges claim for £1350 and, as a proprietor, held Maine until 1691. At this time by a new charter Maine was made a part of Massachusetts. Massachusetts later extended her territory east of the Penobscot so that by 1816 Greenleaf, in his Statistical 3 View of the District of Maine, gives the boundaries as follows: "Maine is situated between 43° 05' and 48° 00' north latitude and 66° 491 and 70° 55* west longitude from London. Bounded on the west by New Hampshire from which it is separated by the Piscataqua River from the sea to the source of its main branch, a distance of about 35 miles, in a direct line and from there from a line running north two degrees west about 115 miles farther to the high lands, which in this place separate the United States from Canada. On the south by the Atlantic Ocean from Kittery Point to Quoddy Head in the east. On the east by the bay and river of Passamaquody on the St. Croix, following its middle branch to a monument established at its source and then by a line to be run due north to the high lands, separating the waters which fall into the St. Lawrence from those which fall into the Atlantic, and on the north by the British province from which it is separated by the same high lands." So much then for the early history and the boundaries of Maine as given by Massachusetts just previous to the separation. 4 Separation of Maine from Massachusetts. The first real attempt at separation was made in 1785 when a oall was sent out by the Falmouth Gazette for a conference. This oall met with a prompt response and_a committee was appointed with Peleg Wentworth chairman. The committee wrote to the towns and invited them to send delegates to a convention to consider the question of separation.^ The convention met in January 1786 at Falmouth and a committee drew up a list of grievances. It will throw light upon the question of separation to see what were the g grievances as early as 1786. ’ The committee reported nine grievances (Jan. 4, 1786). Briefly stated they are as follows: 1st. That the interests of Maine and Massachusetts were different and that Massachusetts did not understand and therefore could not promote the interests of Maine. 3nd and 3rd. Distance from the seat of government and the consequent inconveniences. n , Stanwood, The Separation of Maine frdm Massachusetts. pp. 4 and 5. ^ An Address to the Inhabitants of the District of Maine upon the subject of their separation from present government in Massachusetts. 1791. pp. S-7. Boston Publio Library. A pamphlet. 4th. The great expense of obtaining justice, since all of the records of the Supreme Court were kept in Boston. 5th. The unjust and unequal operation of the regulat­ ions of trade whioh depressed the price of lumber, the chief industry of Maine. 6th. The denial of representation in the House of Representatives to a great part of the inhabitants in these counties.^ 7th, 8th and 9th. An unjust system of taxation of polls and estates, all an undue burden by reason of the excise and import acts and the unequal incidence of the tax on deeds on account of the smaller value of land conveyed and its more frequent conveyance. This committee had also been ordered to report on the cost of a separate government but found it impossible to make any estimate. This report of grievances was printed and ordered sent to all the towns and plantations of the District.^ No town having less than 150 ratable polls could send a representative, save that any town incorporated before 1780 might elect a member. A large part of the population in Maine was in unorganized planta­ tions. 2 Stanwood, p. 11. 6 At the next session of the General Court in Massachusetts the Governor in a speech mentioned the attempt at separation but nothing was done.^ Before the next meeting of the General Court a convention had assembled a second time at Portland and this time sent a petition to the 2 legislature asking for separation. This petition was offered in 1788 and referred to a committee which recommended that it lie upon the table. This was voted. Publio interest in the matter now rapidly died out in Maine and we hear little more of separation until 1791. Much, however, had been accomplished. A start had been made and the people of Maine from then on began to think seriously of separation and the cause was destined to gain favor with each additional attempt. Stanwood in his article upon the Separation of Maine from Massachusetts^ raises an interesting question in regard - 1 Stanwood, p. 9. 2 Stanwood, p. 9; Williamson, p. 536. 3 Williamson’s History of Maine, p. 527. 4 Stanwood, p. 11. 7 to the status of Maine if she had been granted separation at i this time. The Federal Union under the constitution had not been formed and so had Maine separated at any time before 1789 would she have been a little republic? Another interesting question would have been the attitude of the other states toward Maine. In fact in Massachusetts at this time one of the arguments against the separation of Maine was the fact that to add another to the already quarreling members of the Confederation would be but adding to an already almost intolerable condition of affairs. It seems that at the beginning separation appealed to the imagination and fanoy of the people rather than as a movement caused by any oppression on the part of Massachus­ etts. In fact the first movement seems to have been largely supported and carried on by olergyraen, physicians, lawyers and farmers.'*' The people opposed were those in trade who dreaded any change that might injure business, and those who held office under Massachusetts. Both factions were con­ trolled by self interest. It is well to remember that in 1786 Shay’s Rebellion occurred in Massachusetts and that some of the more Stanwood, p. 9. i e radical men in Maine considered this a favorable time to force her hand. The YQte in 1787 from 32 out of 93 towns and plantations was 618 for separation and 353 against it.1 This agitation for separation resulted in benefits to the people of Maine.
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