Massachusetts 1820 Maine Separation
- Office:
- Referendum (State)
- Title:
- Referendum
- Jurisdiction:
- State
- Label:
- Massachusetts 1820 Maine Separation
- Date:
- 1820
- State:
- Massachusetts
- Type:
- General
- Iteration:
- First Ballot
- Office/Role:
- Referendum/Referendum
- Candidates:
- yea, nay
| Candidates: | yea[1] | nay |
|---|---|---|
| Affiliation: | ||
| Final Result: [2][3][4] | 11759 | 6593 |
| Barnstable County | 97 | 48 |
| Town of Barnstable | - | - |
| Town of Brewster | - | - |
| Town of Chatham | 11 | - |
| Town of Dennis | - | - |
| Town of Eastham | - | - |
| Town of Falmouth | - | - |
| Town of Harwich | - | - |
| Town of Orleans | - | - |
| Town of Provincetown | - | - |
| Town of Sandwich | - | - |
| Town of Truro | - | - |
| Town of Wellfleet | - | - |
| Town of Yarmouth | - | - |
| Berkshire County | 1218 | 584 |
| Town of Adams | - | - |
| Town of Alford | - | - |
| Town of Becket | - | - |
| Town of Chesire | - | - |
| Town of Clarksburg | - | - |
| Town of Dalton | 30 | 3 |
| Town of Egremont | - | - |
| Town of Florida | - | - |
| Town of Great Barrington | 12 | 103 |
| Town of Hancock | 80 | - |
| Town of Hinsdale | - | - |
| Town of Lanesborough | 49 | 15 |
| Town of Lee | 8 | 57 |
| Town of Lenox | 69 | 18 |
| Town of Mount Washington | - | - |
| District of New Ashford | - | - |
| Town of New Marlborough | 37 | 102 |
| Town of Otis | - | - |
| Town of Peru | - | - |
| Town of Pittsfield[5] | 116 | - |
| Town of Richmond | - | - |
| Town of Sandisfield | 103 | 11 |
| Town of Savoy | - | - |
| Town of Sheffield | - | - |
| Town of Southfield | - | - |
| Town of Stockbridge | 15 | 36 |
| Town of Tyringham | - | - |
| Town of Washington | 35 | 10 |
| Town of West Stockbridge | 82 | - |
| Town of Williamstown | - | - |
| Town of Windsor | - | - |
| Bristol County | 734 | 358 |
| Town of Attleborough | - | - |
| Town of Berkley | - | - |
| Town of Dartmouth | 7 | 4 |
| Town of Dighton | - | - |
| Town of Easton | 15 | 35 |
| Town of Fairhaven | - | - |
| Town of Freetown | - | - |
| Town of Mansfield | - | - |
| Town of New Bedford | 24 | 21 |
| Town of Norton | - | - |
| Town of Raynham | - | - |
| Town of Rehoboth | - | - |
| Town of Seekonk | - | - |
| Town of Somerset | - | - |
| Town of Swansea | - | - |
| Town of Taunton | - | - |
| Town of Troy | - | - |
| Town of Wellington | - | - |
| Town of Westport | - | - |
| Dukes County | 24 | 50 |
| Town of Chilmark | - | - |
| Town of Edgartown | - | - |
| Town of Tisbury | 20 | 1 |
| Essex County | 917 | 318 |
| Town of Amesbury | - | - |
| Town of Andover | 58 | 46 |
| Town of Beverly | 14 | 18 |
| Town of Boxford | - | - |
| Town of Bradford | - | - |
| Town of Danvers[6] | 68 | 3 |
| Town of Essex | - | - |
| Town of Gloucester | - | - |
| Town of Hamilton | 16 | 1 |
| Town of Haverhill | - | - |
| Town of Ipswich | - | - |
| Town of Lynn | - | - |
| Town of Lynnfield | - | - |
| Town of Manchester | - | - |
| Town of Marblehead | - | - |
| Town of Metheun | - | - |
| Town of Middleton | - | - |
| Town of Newbury | 34 | 29 |
| Town of Newburyport | 120 | 28 |
| Town of Parsons | - | - |
| Town of Rowley | - | - |
| Town of Salem | 170 | 11 |
| Town of Salisbury | - | - |
| Town of Saugus | - | - |
| Town of Topsfield | - | - |
| Town of Wenham | - | - |
| Franklin County | 623 | 685 |
| Town of Ashfield | 52 | 62 |
| Town of Bernardston | 23 | 14 |
| Town of Buckland | - | - |
| Town of Charlemont | 17 | 12 |
| Town of Colrain | 25 | 20 |
| Town of Conway | 37 | 45 |
| Town of Deerfield | 28 | 5 |
| Town of Gill | - | - |
| Town of Greenfield | 34 | 2 |
| Town of Hawley | 1 | 52 |
| Town of Heath | 18 | 23 |
| Town of Leverett | 50 | 17 |
| Town of Leyden[7] | 37 | 17 |
| Town of Montague | 39 | 44 |
| Town of New Salem | - | - |
| Town of Northfield | - | - |
| Town of Orange | 21 | 19 |
| Town of Rowe | - | - |
| Town of Shelburne | - | - |
| Town of Shutesbury | - | - |
| Town of Sunderland | 35 | 5 |
| Town of Warwick | 43 | 32 |
| Town of Wendell | - | - |
| Town of Whately | 10 | 13 |
| Hampden County | 790 | 447 |
| Town of Blandford | 45 | 21 |
| Town of Brimfield | 68 | 3 |
| Town of Chester | 56 | 35 |
| Town of Granville | 48 | 52 |
| Town of Holland | - | - |
| Town of Longmeadow | 2 | 41 |
| Town of Ludlow | - | - |
| Town of Monson | 26 | 51 |
| Town of Montgomery | - | - |
| Town of Palmer | 54 | 4 |
| Town of Russell | - | - |
| Town of South Brimfield | - | - |
| Town of Southwick | - | - |
| Town of Springfield | 123 | 20 |
| Town of Tolland | - | - |
| Town of West Springfield | 61 | 48 |
| Town of Westfield | 90 | 1 |
| Town of Wilbraham[8] | 75 | 42 |
| Hampshire County | 412 | 1078 |
| Town of Amherst | 13 | 81 |
| Town of Belchertown | - | - |
| Town of Chesterfield | - | - |
| Town of Cummington | - | - |
| Town of Easthampton | - | - |
| Town of Enfield | - | - |
| Town of Goshen | - | - |
| Town of Granby | - | - |
| Town of Greenwich | - | - |
| Town of Hadley | - | - |
| Town of Hatfield | - | - |
| Town of Middlefield | - | - |
| Town of Northampton | 80 | 26 |
| Town of Norwich | - | - |
| Town of Pelham | - | - |
| Town of Plainfield | - | - |
| Town of South Hadley | - | - |
| Town of Southampton | - | - |
| Town of Ware | - | - |
| Town of Westhampton | - | - |
| Town of Williamsburg | - | - |
| Town of Worthington | - | - |
| Middlesex County | 1509 | 575 |
| Town of Acton | - | - |
| Town of Ashby | - | - |
| Town of Bedford | - | - |
| Town of Billerica | - | - |
| District of Boxboro | - | - |
| Town of Brighton | - | - |
| Town of Burlington | - | - |
| Town of Cambridge | 36 | 16 |
| Town of Carlisle | - | - |
| Town of Charlestown | 154 | 15 |
| Town of Chelmsford | - | - |
| Town of Concord | - | - |
| Town of Dracut | - | - |
| Town of Dunstable | - | - |
| Town of East Sudbury | - | - |
| Town of Framingham | 78 | 17 |
| Town of Groton | - | - |
| Town of Holliston | - | - |
| Town of Hopkinton | - | - |
| Town of Lexington | - | - |
| Town of Lincoln | - | - |
| Town of Littleton | - | - |
| Town of Malden | - | - |
| Town of Marlborough | 46 | 9 |
| Town of Medford | - | - |
| Town of Natick | - | - |
| Town of Newton | - | - |
| Town of Pepperell | - | - |
| Town of Reading | - | - |
| Town of Sherborn | - | - |
| Town of Shirley | - | - |
| Town of South Reading | - | - |
| Town of Stoneham | - | - |
| Town of Stow | - | - |
| Town of Sudbury | - | - |
| Town of Tewksbury | - | - |
| Town of Townsend | - | - |
| Town of Tyngsborough | - | - |
| Town of Waltham | 42 | 6 |
| Town of Watertown | 50 | 5 |
| Town of West Cambridge | 80 | - |
| Town of Westford | - | - |
| Town of Weston[9] | 35 | 15 |
| Town of Wilmington | - | - |
| Town of Woburn | - | - |
| Nantucket County | 45 | 3 |
| Town of Nantucket[10][11] | 45 | 3 |
| Norfolk County | 1172 | 534 |
| Town of Bellingham | - | - |
| Town of Braintree | - | - |
| Town of Brookline | 19 | 3 |
| Town of Canton[12] | 80 | - |
| Town of Cohasset | - | - |
| Town of Dedham | - | - |
| Town of Dorchester | - | - |
| District of Dover | - | - |
| Town of Foxborough | - | - |
| Town of Franklin | - | - |
| Town of Medfield | - | - |
| Town of Medway | - | - |
| Town of Milton | - | - |
| Town of Needham | - | - |
| Town of Quincy | - | - |
| Town of Randolph | - | - |
| Town of Roxbury | 92 | - |
| Town of Sharon | 61 | 4 |
| Town of Stoughton | 81 | 14 |
| Town of Walpole | - | - |
| Town of Weymouth | - | - |
| Town of Wrentham | - | - |
| Plymouth County | 785 | 433 |
| Town of Abington | - | - |
| Town of Bridgewater | - | - |
| Town of Carver | - | - |
| Town of Duxbury | - | - |
| Town of Halifax | - | - |
| Town of Hanover | - | - |
| Town of Hingham | - | - |
| Town of Hull | - | - |
| Town of Kingston | 33 | 8 |
| Town of Marshfield | 11 | 16 |
| Town of Middleborough | - | - |
| Town of Pembroke | - | - |
| Town of Plymouth | 22 | 52 |
| Town of Plympton | - | - |
| Town of Rochester | 18 | 126 |
| Town of Scituate | - | - |
| Town of Wareham | - | - |
| Suffolk County | 1054 | 50 |
| Town of Boston | 1029 | 50 |
| Town of Chelsea | 25 | - |
| Worcester County | 2379 | 1430 |
| Town of Ashburnham | - | - |
| Town of Athol | 25 | 43 |
| Town of Barre | 107 | 22 |
| Town of Berlin | - | 28 |
| Town of Bolton[13][14] | 62 | 24 |
| Town of Boylston | 16 | 28 |
| Town of Brookfield | 86 | 33 |
| Town of Charlton | 192 | - |
| Town of Dana | - | - |
| Town of Douglas | - | - |
| Town of Dudley | 80 | 2 |
| Town of Fitchburg | 85 | - |
| Town of Gardner | - | - |
| Town of Grafton | 50 | 15 |
| Town of Hardwick | 50 | 38 |
| Town of Harvard | 58 | 21 |
| Town of Holden | - | - |
| Town of Hubbardston | 36 | 19 |
| Town of Lancaster | 30 | 53 |
| Town of Leicester | 36 | 11 |
| Town of Leominster | 87 | 7 |
| Town of Lunenberg | - | - |
| Town of Mendon | 113 | - |
| Town of Milford | - | - |
| Town of Millbury | 28 | 31 |
| Town of New Braintree | 31 | 7 |
| Town of North Brookfield | 49 | 13 |
| Town of Northborough | 24 | 39 |
| Town of Northbridge | - | - |
| Town of Oakham | 16 | 17 |
| Town of Oxford | - | - |
| Town of Paxton | 24 | 7 |
| Town of Petersham | 68 | 11 |
| Town of Phillipston | - | - |
| Town of Princetown | - | - |
| Town of Royalston | - | - |
| Town of Rutland | - | - |
| Town of Shrewsbury | 53 | 36 |
| Town of Southbridge | 60 | - |
| Town of Southborough | - | - |
| Town of Spencer | 54 | 28 |
| Town of Sterling | 3 | 161 |
| Town of Sturbridge | 80 | 28 |
| Town of Sutton | 115 | - |
| Town of Templeton | 26 | 35 |
| Town of Upton | - | - |
| Town of Uxbridge | 28 | 38 |
| Town of Ward | 8 | 20 |
| Town of West Boylston | 29 | 32 |
| Town of Westborough | 85 | 7 |
| Town of Western | 57 | 3 |
| Town of Westminster | 35 | 39 |
| Town of Winchendon | 22 | 84 |
| Town of Worcester | 80 | 13 |
Notes:
[1]Approved.
[2]"Though we are confident it is decided that a Convention shall be called to examine the Constitution, we have continued our returns to show the extreme apathy which pervades the State on this question." Columbian Centinel. American Federalist (Boston, MA). August 26, 1820.
[3]During the Legislative session which convened on May 1820, a movement was undertaken to revise the State Constitution and on June 14, 1820 a bill to consider calling a Constitution Convention was passed by the Legislature. August 21, 1820 was set as the date for those qualified to vote Yes or No on the calling of such a Convention. The vote calling for a Convention prevailed. The election for Delegates to this Constitutional Convention was scheduled for October 16, 1820. Those Delegates elected from the various towns were to convene on November 15, 1820.
[4]Although the State Wide Total, given in several newspapers, is listed as 11756 Yea votes, the county totals add up to 11759..
[5]The Hampden Federalist and Berkshire Star list 110 Yea votes.
[6]"A correspondent informs us, that the true state of the votes was, for a Convention 68, against it 3." Salem Gazette (Salem, MA). September 1, 1820.
[7]The Franklin Herald (Greenfield, MA) lists 33 Yea votes.
[8]The Franklin Herald (Greenfield, MA) lists 74 Yea votes.
[9]The Franklin Herald (Greenfield, MA) lists 14 Nay votes.
[10]The New-Bedford Mercury (New Bedford, MA) lists 40 Yea votes.
[11]The Berkshire Star (Stockbridge, MA) lists 55 Yea votes.
[12]The Columbian Centinel. American Federalist (Boston, MA) lists 81 Yea votes.
[13]The Massachusetts Spy Sept 6, 1820 lists 16 Yea votes.
[14]The Franklin Herald (Greenfield, MA) and the New-Bedford Mercury (New Bedford, MA) list 21 Nay votes.
References:
Amherst Town Records. 209.
Blandford Town Records. 192.
Brookline Town Records. 540.
Charlemont Town Records. 378.
Chatham Town Records. 33.
Colrain Town Records. 185.
Leyden Town Records. 194.
Marshfield Town Records. 83.
Tisbury Town Records. 403.
Watertown Town Records. Vol. 8. 371.
Weston Town Records. 271.
Columbian Centinel. American Federalist (Boston, MA). August 23, 1820.
Hampden Federalist and Public Journal (Springfield, MA). August 23, 1820.
Hampden Patriot (Springfield, MA). August 23, 1820.
Berkshire Star (Stockbridge, MA). August 24, 1820.
New-Bedford Mercury (New Bedford, MA). August 25, 1820.
The Salem Gazette (Salem, MA). August 25, 1820.
Columbian Centinel. American Federalist (Boston, MA). August 26, 1820.
Franklin Herald (Greenfield, MA). August 29, 1820.
Hampden Federalist and Public Journal (Springfield, MA). August 30, 1820.
Pittsfield Sun (Pittsfield, MA). August 30, 1820.
The Salem Gazette (Salem, MA). September 1, 1820.
Thomas's Massachusetts Spy, or, Worcester Gazette (Worcester, MA). September 6, 1820.
Boston Daily Advertiser (Boston, MA). September 14, 1820.
Berkshire Star (Stockbridge, MA). September 21, 1820.
Davis, Walter A., ed. The Old Records of the Town of Fitchburgh. Vol. 5. Fitchburg, MA: Sentinel Printing, 1899. 198.
Metcalf, John G. Annals of the Town of Mendon, from 1659 to 1880. Providence: E. L. Freeman, 1880. 506.
These election records were released on 11 January 2012. Versions numbers are assigned by state. Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia are complete and are in Version 1.0. All other states are in a Beta version. For more information go to the about page.
