1812 Massachusetts gubernatorial election explained

Election Name:1812 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
Country:Massachusetts
Type:Presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1811 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
Previous Year:1811
Next Election:1813 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
Next Year:1813
Election Date:April 6, 1812
Nominee1:Caleb Strong
Party1:Federalist Party
Popular Vote1:52,696
Percentage1:50.60%
Nominee2:Elbridge Gerry
Party2:Democratic-Republican Party
Popular Vote2:51,326
Percentage2:49.28%
Governor
Before Election:Elbridge Gerry
Before Party:Democratic-Republican Party
After Election:Caleb Strong
After Party:Federalist Party

The 1812 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on April 6, 1812.

Incumbent Democratic-Republican Governor Elbridge Gerry was defeated by Federalist nominee Caleb Strong.

General election

Candidates

Results

Analysis

Although the Federalists in Massachusetts had successfully taken the house and the governor's seat from the Democratic-Republican party in the 1812 election cycle, these gains did not translate into control of the Massachusetts State Senate, which remained in the hands of the Democratic-Republicans.[1] The cause for this laid in new constitutionally mandated electoral district boundaries that the state had adopted prior to the election. The Republican-controlled legislature had created district boundaries designed to enhance their party's control over state and national offices, leading to some oddly shaped legislative districts.[2] Although Gerry was unhappy about the highly partisan districting (according to his son-in-law, he thought it "highly disagreeable"), he signed the legislation. The shape of one of the state senate districts in Essex County was compared to a salamander[3] by a local Federalist newspaper in a political cartoon, calling it a "Gerry-mander".[4] Ever since, the creation of such districts has been called gerrymandering.

On May 30, 1812, Nathaniel Ames wrote in his diary that "Strong declared Governor by majority of 600! and not near so many as the illegal vote of Boston."[5]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Griffith, Elmer. The Rise and Development of the Gerrymander. 72-73. Chicago. Scott, Foresman and Co. 1907. 45790508.
  2. Book: Hart. Albert Bushnell . Commonwealth History of Massachusetts. 3:458. The States History Company. New York. 1927. 1543273. (five volume history of Massachusetts until the early 20th century)
  3. Gerry, Elbridge . 11 . 903–904.
  4. Book: Billias, George. Elbridge Gerry, Founding Father and Republican Statesman. registration. 1976. McGraw-Hill Publishers. 317. 0-07-005269-7.
  5. Book: Warren, Charles . Jacobin and Junto: Or, Early American Politics as Viewed in the Diary of Dr. Nathaniel Ames, 1758-1822 . 1931 . Harvard University Press . 249 .