1796 Class 2 Senate Election: Lincoln vs Sedgwick vs Robbins
WaMS
THE FOLLOWING CONTEST IS SCHEDULED FOR ONE TERM AND IT IS FOR THE CLASS 2 SENATE ELECTION! INTRODUCING FIRST, REPRESENTING THE DEMOCRACTIC REPUBLICANS....EDWARD ROBBINS!
The challenger
The other challenger
The final challenger
"We're abolishing slavery, so free them up or else we'll beat you senseless" - Massachusetts Senator Caleb Strong"
HERE IS YOUR WINNER...AND....NEWWWWW....CLASS 2 SENATOR FROM MASSACHUSETTS...THEODORE SEDGWICKKKKKKKKK
AND HIS OPPONENTS, FIRST...ALSO REPRESENTING THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICANS, LEVI LINCOLN!
AND THEIR OPPONENT. REPRESENTING THE FEDERALISTS AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THEODORE SEDGWICK!
So where was Caleb Strong going into this election? Strong had resigned his Senate seat on June 1, 1796 to retire to Northampton at the age of 51. This wouldn't be the last we'll see of Strong in Massachusetts politics. With the resignation of Caleb Strong, the Class 2 Senate seat was wide open for anyone's taking. Edward Robbins was unsuccessful in running for the Class 1 Senate seat so he decided to try one more time. Teddy Sedgwick was unsuccessful in the 1788 Class 2 election so he too was looking for another chance. Who was Levi Lincoln?
Levi Lincoln was born in Hingham in 1749 and his family wanted to raise him to be a Blacksmith. Lincoln said "ha ha ha yeah right" and enrolled into Harvard University, graduating in 1772. Three years later he was briefly a member of the Cambridge militia that fired upon the British as they were retreating from the Battle of Concord. He made his name out in Worcester (and a lot of money) as a prominent lawyer mostly because British loyalists fled out there. The Sons of Liberty & Continental Army cleared out loyalist carcasses out of their pristine city of Boston and Lincoln made a fortune as probate judge of Worcester County until 1781. Along with Theodore Sedgwick and ex-Senator Caleb Strong, Lincoln also went to bat for Quoc Walker and the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts. Levi himself said, "Is not a law of nature that all men are equal and free. Is not the law of nature the law of God? Is not the law of God against slavery." Levi unsuccessfully ran for the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1794 and had just lost again. He figured to try the national senate next and threw his hat in the ring.
It wasn't just Sedgwick, Robbins and Lincoln gunning for the Seat, two others were technically on the ballot including Nathan Dane. Dane was unsuccessful in the 1788 Class 1 Senate election but not before helping abolishing slavery in Massachusetts himself in the town of Ipswich. He also wrote the Northwest Ordinance of 1785 although it would be Elbridge Gerry as the Massachusetts representative that would ratify it. He was elected to the Massachusetts State Senate in 1790 and that's where he was going into the national Class 2 election in 1796.
"Hey Gerry, ratify this document for me, will ya?" Massachusetts State Senator Nathan Dane
The fifth member of this election would be Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate member Thomson Skinner. He was born in Colchester, Connecticut in 1752 and grew up a carpenter until moving to Williamstown, Massachusetts right on the New York border. He and his brother Benjamin became local carpenters and co-owners of a local bar by 1773. When the Revolutionary War broke out, he served as a postman, carrying letters and messages to various military personnel. Even after the war ended, he remained in the military and reached the rank of Major General (2 stars...2 STARS). Fun fact, he was part of the Court Martial for none other than Paul Revere in the aftermath of the Penobscot Expedition, which was an unmitigated disaster for another day. Still, despite not graduating from Harvard and working as a saloon owner, he still managed to make the State House and Senate while serving as a judge for Berkshire County. He declared himself a Federalist in 1792 and supported the re-election of George Washington in 1792. It was a testament that it didn't matter what your background was, lawyer or bartender, you always had a chance to succeed.
"Drinks on me!" - Massachusetts Senator Thompson Skinner
With George Washington on his way out, political parties had dominated the field, and it looked like the presidential election would come down to Federalist John Adams and Democratic Republican Thomas Jefferson. The Republicans had already lost the Class 1 election to Benjamin Goodhue, so Class 2 was their only hope of getting a seat in the Senate. Could Lincoln or Robbins knock off Sedgwick and Dane? Let's find out.
Fight
Thomson Skinner and Nathan Dane were eliminated by receiving just 1 vote apiece. Levi Lincoln was out after receiving just 2 votes. That left it up to Robbins and Sedgwick. ITS A LANDSLIDE! Sedgwick buried Robbins 107 votes to 43 to give the Federalists full control of the Massachusetts side of the Senate. The ramifications were huge because even though Washington leaned toward the Federalists, he himself wouldn't be defined by a single party. Most of the first state Governors, Senators and Representatives also has no political party, but by the 1790's it was time to pick a side. Massachusetts had the Republican Samuel Adams in the Governor's office, but it looked like the Federalists were taking over nationally with Goodhue and Sedwgick in the Senate and Sam's cousin John the odds on favorite to win the presidency after serving as Vice President the previous 8 years. As of now, Theodore Sedgwick was your new Class 2 Senator.
Comments
Post a Comment