1782 Gubernatorial Election: Hancock vs Cushing
THE FOLLOWING CONTEST, SCHEDULED FOR ONE TERM IS FOR THE 1782 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION! INTRODUCING FIRST, THE CHALLENGER. HE IS THE CURRENT LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS....THOMAS CUSHING!
Lt. Governor Thomas Cushing
The incumbent
Long before the Railroad, old Thomas Cushing was a fixture of Old North Church
"Dear John, tell your cousin Samuel he's an asshole. Yours, Ben" - BF
"Maybe I was better off arresting those lunkheads" - Thomas Gage
"Zank you, Monsieur Cushing" - Marquis De Lafayette
Hancock vs Cushing....fight!
Still an ass whooping, but better than Bowdoin the previous two years
and STILL....Governor...John Hancock
AND HIS OPPONENT! HE IS THE CURRENT, REIGNING, DEFENDING, UNDISPUTED GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS...JOHNNNNNNN HANCOCK!
As mentioned before, the first ever governor of Massachusetts was elected in 1780 and it was to be John Hancock. The wealthy imported goods merchant had a long, documented history and when he defeated James Bowdoin, he took office with Thomas Cushing as his Lieutenant Governor. The following year, Hancock defeated Bowdoin in a rematch. In 1782, he faced a new challenger, his own Lt. Governor Thomas Cushing. Who was Thomas Cushing anyway?
Thomas Cushing's great grandfather immigrated to Boston from Norfolk, England and his own father was a famed member of Old North Church. Old Thomas was apart of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in the 1740's when young Thomas was a teenager. Fun fact, old Thomas was the one to officially christen Faneuil Hall after Peter Faneuil gifted it to Boston. Unfortunately, old Thomas kicked the bucket in 1746 when young Thomas was 21 years old. Young Thomas was another graduate of Boston Latin and Harvard University. One year before the Seven Year's War, Thomas was chosen to be a town Selectman in 1753 to start his political career. In 1761, Cushing was appointed to the Massachusetts General Court. The shit began to hit the fan in 1763 at the conclusion of the Seven Year's War when the British government realized they took a bath financially fighting the frazzled Frenchmen. When they imposed the Sugar and Stamp Acts, not only were John Hancock and Samuel Adams pissed, so was Cushing. Cushing became a drinking buddy of John and Samuel in local Boston watering holes. Imagine Cheers in 1763 only with Adams, Hancock and Cushing instead of Norm, Cliff and Frasier.
In 1766, Cushing was chosen to be speaker of the Assembly when Governor Francis Bernard told James Otis to make like a tree and leave. As mentioned here, the three man team of John Hancock, Samuel Adams and James Bowdoin conspired to get rid of Francis Bernard by publishing his letters antagonizing the Crown. They did the same thing to Governor Thomas Hutchinson in 1733 but got a little bit of help. Cushing's best friend in London was none other than Benjamin Franklin and Franklin managed to get ahold of Hutchinson's letters he was sending home. Franklin sent them to Cushing with orders to show only to a few people. Naturally, once Samuel Adams saw them, he published them for the whole world to see. The trickle effect was severe. Franklin had to resign as colonial agent, Hutchinson was told "get out and stay out" and Hutch's brother in law Lt. Governor Andrew Oliver was so stressed out that he sadly passed away a year later.
Things changed in 1774 when British General Thomas Gage became Governor of Massachusetts and promptly dissolved the Assembly, forcing the displaced members to meet without British Parliament permission. This group would now be known as the Massachusetts Provincial Congress. Ironically Cushing was one of the only members of the Continental Congress in 1774 to oppose independence citing fear they'd lose and all be hung for it. When Thomas Gage was told to seize weapons and arrest the leaders of Congress, Cushing was one of the names on the list to be arrested. Famously, Gage refused to make arrests because he figured someone else would just take their places. The mission to seize arms ended badly when Colonials at Concord and Lexington opened fire on the interlopers, sparking the Revolutionary War.
Seven months after the Revolutionary War started, the second Continental Congress met with some future implications. James Bowdoin couldn't go due to failing health and was replaced by John Hancock. Thomas Cushing was asked to make like a banana and split for once again opposing independence. Future Vice President Elbridge Gerry took Cushing's spot at the Congress. Despite being opposed to independence, Cushing was still a vocal supporter of Hancock, so John kept him around. Cushing rewarded Hancock by basically rigging the imported goods ring that Hancock was in to gouge prices favorably to merchant families. It was for the better as Cushing and Hancock were funding the incoming French troops that came to aid them against the British.
When Massachusetts needed its own state constitution, Cushing was apart of the team that crafted it only to be rejected in 1788. The trio of James Bowdoin, John and Samuel Adams drafted a second attempt that was ratified in 1780. Also, Hancock defeated Bowdoin in the first gubernatorial race and needed a Lieutenant Governor. Bowdoin refused to accept the demotion and ex-War Paymaster General James Warren also turned down the position. Cushing gladly accepted it to be the right hand man of John Hancock. One of the things Hancock and Cushing was known for was the re-building of Boston which had been devastated by the original Revolutionary War battles from 1775-76. In 1781, Hancock defeated Bowdoin to keep the Governor crown and the Americans were starting to win the War, having pushed the British further south despite Benedict Arnold turning heel on them. In 1782, it wouldn't be Hancock vs Bowdoin for a third time, it would be Cushing himself running against his boss. Cushing may have been Hancock's right hand man, but he was 12 years older than John and had his own ideas. Could the first Lt. Governor become the first to dethrone the mighty Hancock? Let's find out.
Much like in his battles against James Bowdoin, Hancock had his political slander & propaganda handed to him on a silver platter. Hancock argued that Cushing was against the independence they as Americans were fighting for and backstabbed not only Thomas Hutchinson but Benjamin Franklin as well. Cushing wasn't going to tell the Massachusetts citizens anything they didn't already know about Hancock, so his campaign was dead in the water. Once again, ITS A LANDSLIDE! Hancock got 5,855 votes for 83.8 percent of the vote. Cushing got 1,129 votes, good for 16.2 percent of the votes.
The aftermath was business as usual for Hancock & Cushing as Thomas went back to his Lt. Governor role with no hard feelings. The duo had much more challenges awaiting them with the War about to come to an end and more legal precedents to make. The country was still a year away from ending the war and several years before electing a singular president. It was every man for themselves in all the colonies so Hancock had to trudge on. Once again, the champ retained.
Comments
Post a Comment