1793 Gubernatorial Election: Hancock vs Everybody 4
THE FOLLOWING CONTEST, SCHEDULED FOR ONE TERM IS FOR THE 1793 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION! INTRODUCING FIRST THE CHALLENGERS. REPRESENTING ANY AND ALL PARTIES....EVERYBODY!
Even the carriage drivers are in on it
The incumbent
"I'm number one, and you're not" - Isaac Shelby
RIP George Mason
"I declare Washington the president" - John Langdon
One last time
One final landslide
AND STILLLLL GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS, JOHN HANCOCKKKKKK
AND THEIR OPPONENT. HE IS THE CURRENT, REIGNING, DEFENDING UNDISPUTED GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS, JOHNNNNNN HANCOCK
Save for running in name only in 1786, John Hancock had won every Gubernatorial election he was in and 1793 seemed no different. James Bowdoin had been dead for three years at that point and nobody else in the state had the popularity that Hancock did. Most everyone wanted to be Senator, a member of Congress or go after John Adams' job as Vice President. So what was going on in between the 1792 election and this one? Caleb Strong was re-elected as Class 2 Senator while George Washington and John Adams were re-elected President and Vice President respectively. On May 11th, explorer Robert Gray made it to the Columbia River nearly fifty years before the Oregon Trail. Six days later, the New York Stock Exchange was founded. On June 1st, Kentucky is admitted into the Union as the 15th state. Isaac Shelby was named the first Governor of Kentucky, congratulations to Isaac.
The country of Denmark recognized the United States independence from the British 17 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Better late than never. October 12, 1793 was the first ever celebration of Columbus Day and people are still whining about it to this day. The foundation for what would become the White House was laid down in October of 1793. Unfortunately George Mason, the famous Founding Father who DIDN'T sign the constitution passed away that month as well. Poor one out for Georgie.
As the calendar turned to 1793, a huge component of the eventual Civil War was passed by Congress. On February 12, 1793 the Fugitive Slave Act was passed. Slave owners in the south were pissed that their slaves could just run away to states that had abolished it like Massachusetts, so the government passed the act to catch runaway slaves. Know who was a well known slave catcher? Thomas Lincoln, the father of Abraham.
"Bad boys, bad boys, watcha gonna do, watcha gonna do when we come for you" - Thomas Lincoln
On February 27, the Giles Resolution went down in Congress because the House of Representatives weren't happy with Alexander Hamilton's handling of the US Treasury. On March 1, John Langdon was named president pro tempore of the US Senate. What the hell does that mean? If the vice president is unable to count the votes during an election to name the president, the duty falls to the president pro tempore to declare the winner. Some egghead on Twitter wanted Joe Biden to resign as president, name Kamala Harris the new president and have her refuse to count the votes after the 2024 election, name AOC the vice president who also would refuse to name Donald Trump as president. The problem with this hairbrained theory is the country thought of these things 200 years ago. If that actually happened, current president pro tempore Chuck Grassley would count the votes for Trump. Back then, John Langdon was the first.
So that was the national news heading into the 1793 election. What about local? Not a whole hell of a lot was going down. As mentioned earlier, without James Bowdoin to run against Hancock, there was really no one that had a realistic chance to do so. Benjamin Lincoln, Samuel Adams and others would try, but was there ever going to be a doubt? Let's find out.
The result? ITS A LANDSLIDE! Everyone else combined for 1,838 votes counting for 10%. Hancock himself garnered 18,266 for the remaining 90% of the vote. Once again, nobody else comes close.
Once again Hancock reigned supreme but there was a dark cloud hanging overhead. The health of Hancock had been in decline for a number of years but because the Governor title was more or less just a figurehead after the government established Congress, Senate and Presidency were established, Hancock was able to fly under the radar? What happened to him? That's a story for next time. As of right now, Hancock was 12-1 in elections and pretty much 12-0 when he gave a damn. That would be a record that very few would match to this day.
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