1781 Gubernatorial Election: Hancock vs Bowdoin 2
The following contest, scheduled for one term is for the 1781 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION! Introducing first, the challenger. Representing no party at all....JAMES BOWDOIN!
And his opponent, also representing no party at all....he is the current, reigning, defending undisputed GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS....JOHNNNNNNNN HANCOCK!
So there is a huge backstory to how the first gubernatorial election came about in 1780 but its already been covered the first go-round. In 1781, only Bowdoin seemed to have a chance of dethroning the champ although several others independently ran as well. The Massachusetts Constitution was ratified one month after the 1780 election won by John Hancock. What was going on in the world heading into the 1781 election coming up in April? Thomas Hutchinson, the ex-Governor that was booted out by James Bowdoin and the Patriots in 1774 had passed away in June of 1780. Pour one out for Thomas
The Battle of Blackstock's Farm took place on November 20, 1780 in South Carolina. General Thomas Sumter led a battalion of 1,000 continental troops against 270 retreating British troops that had been decimated at the Battle of King's Mountain. General Banastre Tarleton engaged the Patriots and proceeded to get his ass kicked. Out of 1,000 troops, only 3 were killed, 50 captured and 4 wounded including Sumter himself. The most laughable moment is Tarleton had to report to General Charles Cornwallis and completely lied. He said the British were successful in dispelling the Patriots and Sumter suffered horrible wounds. Technically this was the first battle the Continental Army had actually won straight up against British troops, even if they had an 800 person advantage.
"Sumter 3:16 says I just whipped your ass" - General Thomas Sumter
Unfortunately, the euphoria was short-lived as Benedict Arnold completed his heel turn and joined the British army in September of 1780. His surprise naval force decimated Richmond, Virginia on January 5, 1781. Luckily the Patriots had an ace in the hole, Colonel Sampson Matthews. Matthews led a battalion of Virginia troops to chase Arnold and the British away to Portsmouth, Virginia. One of the troops involved was Marquis de Lafayette, who was under orders from General George Washington to hang Arnold if he caught him. Arnold managed to escape Lafayette, but the British army was driven back by the Virginia portion of the militia.
While neither of the Revolutionary War battles mentioned had anything to do with Boston, it did show that the tide was turning in the war. The American army couldn't beat the British head to head but the best they could do was play to a stalemate and hope the British would just say to hell with it. It was working slowly but surely. The British were using resources to fund the war across the pond yet had the French army breathing down their neck on their own continent. On March 1, 1781, the Continental Congress FINALLY ratified the Articles of Confederation, which took three years to do. It would hold for 8 years. Samuel Adams was the Massachusetts representative to the drafting of it.
Not much politically had happened in a year in Massachusetts so when it came time for the next election, it seemed like history would repeat itself when Bowdoin once again ran against Hancock. So let's see how it turned out.
Just like before....ITS A LANDSLIDE! It was actually worse than the year before as Hancock nabbed 7,996 votes compared to just 339 for Bowdoin. 250 votes went to various others so the final tally was 93.1 percent for Hancock, 3.9 percent for Bowdoin and 3 percent for independents.
So once again Hancock reigned supreme. The full United States Constitution wouldn't be written for another eight years and the first Senate, House and Presidential elections wouldn't be happening until that time either. The Revolutionary War was still going on with Benedict Arnold's heel turn on the Americans being the talk of the country. As of now, in Massachusetts, Hancock was still the Governor.
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