Massachusetts 1816 Maine Separation, May
- Office:
- Referendum (State)
- Title:
- Referendum
- Jurisdiction:
- State
- Label:
- Massachusetts 1816 Maine Separation, May
- Date:
- 1816
- State:
- Massachusetts
- Type:
- General
- Iteration:
- First Ballot
- Office/Role:
- Referendum/Referendum
- Candidates:
- for, against, Qualified to Vote
| Candidates: | for | against | Qualified to Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affiliation: | |||
| Final Result: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] | 10689 | 6542 | 38258 |
| Cumberland County | 2065 | 1487 | 7509 |
| Town of Baldwin | 21 | 19 | 106 |
| Town of Bridgeton | 55 | 45 | 175 |
| Town of Bruniswick | 69 | 91 | 495 |
| Town of Cape Elizabeth | 55 | 26 | 180 |
| Town of Durham | 45 | 54 | 282 |
| Town of Falmouth | 108 | 51 | 254 |
| Town of Freeport | 59 | 109 | 370 |
| Town of Gorham | 83 | 111 | 493 |
| Town of Gray | 101 | 28 | 218 |
| Town of Harpswell | 6 | 65 | 168 |
| Town of Harrison | 21 | 4 | 100 |
| Town of Minot | 89 | 108 | 366 |
| Town of N. Gloucester | 88 | 85 | 284 |
| Town of N. Yarmouth | 48 | 316 | 663 |
| Town of Otisfield | 4 | 80 | 163 |
| Town of Pejypscot | 8 | 22 | 119 |
| Town of Poland | 118 | 13 | 171 |
| Town of Portland | 533 | 140 | 1365 |
| Town of Pownal | 42 | 35 | 161 |
| Town of Raymond | 56 | 6 | 150 |
| Town of Scarboro | 134 | 12 | 324 |
| Town of Standish | 79 | 38 | 270 |
| Thompson Pond Plantation[8] | - | - | - |
| Town of Westbrook | 228 | 7 | 400 |
| Town of Windham | 15 | 22 | 232 |
| Hancock County[9][10] | 985 | 726 | 4072 |
| Town of Bangor | 66 | 29 | 150 |
| Town of Belfast | 86 | 55 | 260 |
| Town of Belmont | 53 | - | 93 |
| Town of Blue Hill | - | 59 | 126 |
| Town of Brewer[11] | 32 | 7 | 107 |
| Town of Buckstown[12] | 18 | 20 | 286 |
| Town of Castine | 3 | 49 | 139 |
| Town of Corinth[13] | 24 | - | 43 |
| Town of Deer Isle | - | 115 | 254 |
| Town of Dixmont | 37 | - | 62 |
| Town of Eddington[14] | 22 | 7 | 53 |
| Town of Eden | 1 | 9 | 78 |
| Town of Ellsworth | - | 59 | 109 |
| Town of Exeter | 30 | - | 68 |
| Town of Frankfort[15] | 58 | 20 | - |
| Town of Garland[16] | 26 | 5 | - |
| Town of Gouldsborough | 1 | 24 | 96 |
| Town of Hampden[17] | 58 | 43 | - |
| Jackson Plantation | 18 | 1 | 47 |
| Knox. Plantation | 33 | - | 74 |
| Lee Gore | 45 | - | 65 |
| Town of Levant | 8 | - | 16 |
| Town of Lincoln | 36 | - | 66 |
| Town of Lincolnville | 35 | 12 | 156 |
| Town of Mount Desert | - | 17 | 159 |
| Town of New Charlestown | 36 | - | 47 |
| Town of Northport | 23 | 11 | 123 |
| Town of Orland | 8 | 13 | 68 |
| Town of Orono | 16 | 4 | 46 |
| Town of Penobscot | 28 | 16 | 170 |
| Town of Porspect | 27 | 24 | 115 |
| Sangerville Plantation | 10 | 5 | 40 |
| Town of Searsmont | 19 | 7 | 85 |
| Town of Sebek | 26 | - | 63 |
| Town of Sedgwick | - | 8 | 186 |
| Town of Sullivan | 13 | 23 | 127 |
| Town of Surry | 1 | 16 | 59 |
| Swan Plantation | 15 | 13 | 67 |
| Town of Trenton | 1 | 10 | 73 |
| Town of Vinalhaven | 15 | 26 | 156 |
| Washington Plantation | 18 | 5 | 37 |
| No 1, 3Rd R. | 12 | - | 34 |
| No. 2, 1St R | 16 | 2 | - |
| Plantation No. 3 | 7 | - | 19 |
| No. 8 and 9 | 4 | 12 | 50 |
| Kennebec County[18][19] | 2507 | 657 | 6028 |
| Town of Augusta | 245 | 24 | 348 |
| Town of Belgrade | 66 | 9 | 168 |
| Town of Chesterville | 24 | 24 | 96 |
| Town of Clinton | 50 | - | 202 |
| Town of Dearborn[20] | - | - | - |
| Town of Fairfax | 62 | 12 | 162 |
| Town of Farmington | 134 | 56 | 308 |
| Town of Fayette | 54 | 26 | 143 |
| Town of Freedom | 77 | - | 105 |
| Town of Gardiner | 62 | 41 | 275 |
| Town of Greene | 118 | 9 | 162 |
| Town of Hallowell | 20 | 89 | 551 |
| Town of Harlem | 46 | 28 | 190 |
| Town of Joy | 23 | 1 | 59 |
| Town of Leeds | 154 | 3 | 220 |
| Town of Malta | 50 | - | 98 |
| Town of Monmouth | 134 | 10 | 250 |
| Town of Mount Vernon | 127 | 1 | 181 |
| Town of New Sharon | 56 | 5 | 181 |
| Town of Pittston | 54 | 5 | 163 |
| Town of Reedfield | 61 | 25 | 233 |
| Town of Rome | 14 | - | 80 |
| Town of Sydney | 57 | 57 | 286 |
| Town of Temple | 13 | 28 | 90 |
| Town of Unity | 85 | 1 | 125 |
| Town of Vassalborough | 84 | 56 | 340 |
| Town of Vienna | 35 | 5 | 95 |
| Town of Waterville | 135 | 38 | 214 |
| Town of Wayne | 52 | 16 | 162 |
| Town of Wilton | 78 | 6 | 117 |
| Town of Winslow | 50 | 1 | 110 |
| Town of Winthrop | 77 | 81 | 287 |
| Town of 25 Mile Pond | 19 | - | 27 |
| Lincoln County[21][22] | 1428 | 1763 | 7109 |
| Town of Alna | 24 | 48 | 147 |
| Town of Bath | 105 | 85 | 455 |
| Town of Boothbay | 10 | 52 | 224 |
| Town of Bowdoin | 45 | 30 | 181 |
| Town of Bowdoinham | 63 | 20 | 250 |
| Town of Bristol | 73 | 97 | 426 |
| Town of Camden | 37 | 83 | 256 |
| Town of Cushing | 21 | 14 | 86 |
| Town of Dresden | 39 | 24 | 203 |
| Town of Edgecomb | 16 | 28 | 181 |
| Town of Friendship | 13 | 2 | 83 |
| Town of Georgetown | 17 | 34 | 177 |
| Town of Hope | 17 | 34 | 135 |
| Town of Jefferson | 61 | 45 | 224 |
| Town of Lewistown | 49 | 62 | 177 |
| Town of Lisbon | 63 | 44 | 264 |
| Town of Litchfield | 147 | 18 | 297 |
| Town of Montville | 67 | 4 | 163 |
| Montville Plantation | 49 | - | 59 |
| Town of Newcastle | 21 | 52 | 165 |
| Town of Nobelborough | 84 | 33 | 211 |
| Town of Palermo | 70 | 8 | 127 |
| Town of Phipsburg | 5 | 65 | 195 |
| Town of Putman | 12 | 36 | 91 |
| Town of Saint George | 8 | 31 | 134 |
| Town of Thomastown | 26 | 107 | 337 |
| Town of Topsham | 29 | 73 | 203 |
| Town of Union | 41 | 68 | 216 |
| Town of Waldoborough | 8 | 261 | 442 |
| Town of Wales | 26 | 5 | 58 |
| Town of Warren | 36 | 139 | 295 |
| Town of Whitefield | 60 | 8 | 152 |
| Town of Wiscasset | 78 | 95 | 309 |
| Town of Woolwich | 8 | 58 | 186 |
| Oxford County | 1446 | 566 | 3524 |
| Town of Albany | 12 | 17 | 37 |
| Town of Bethel | 70 | 23 | 182 |
| Town of Brownfield | 60 | 9 | 106 |
| Town of Buckfield | 100 | 16 | 215 |
| Town of Denmark | 44 | 3 | 106 |
| Town of Dixfield | 37 | 8 | 75 |
| Town of East Andover | 40 | 19 | 63 |
| Town of Fryeburgh | 29 | 70 | 172 |
| Town of Gilead | 16 | 5 | 33 |
| Town of Greenwood | - | - | - |
| Town of Hartford | 45 | 17 | 183 |
| Town of Hebron | 47 | 50 | 264 |
| Town of Hiram | 32 | 13 | 86 |
| Howard's Gore | 7 | - | 8 |
| Town of Jay | 114 | 4 | 208 |
| Town of Livermore | 163 | 8 | 320 |
| Town of Lovell | - | 34 | 59 |
| Town of Newry | 37 | - | 46 |
| Town of Norway | 35 | 85 | 199 |
| Town of Paris | 129 | 55 | 297 |
| Town of Porter | 46 | - | 68 |
| Town of Rumford | 54 | 22 | 108 |
| Town of Sumner | 57 | 22 | 147 |
| Town of Sweden | 11 | 7 | 34 |
| Town of Turner | 154 | 9 | 257 |
| Town of Waterford | 32 | 70 | 152 |
| Town of Weld | 27 | - | 54 |
| Town of Woodstock | 23 | - | 45 |
| Plantation No. 1 | 25 | - | - |
| Somerset County | 758 | 288 | 2228 |
| Town of Anson | 66 | - | 128 |
| Town of Athens | 25 | - | 53 |
| Town of Avon | 23 | 3 | 46 |
| Town of Bingham[23] | - | - | - |
| Town of Bloomfield | 24 | 71 | 138 |
| Town of Canaan | 93 | 7 | 177 |
| Town of Cornville | 18 | 14 | 90 |
| Town of Embden | 23 | - | 66 |
| Town of Fairfield | 69 | 23 | 210 |
| Town of Freeman | 15 | 5 | 59 |
| Town of Guilford | 35 | - | 42 |
| Town of Harmony | 12 | - | 71 |
| Town of Industry | 26 | 24 | 115 |
| Town of Kingfield | 18 | 3 | 57 |
| Town of Madison | 53 | 25 | 119 |
| Town of Mercer | 30 | 16 | 118 |
| Town of New Portland | 33 | - | 95 |
| Town of New Vineyard | 16 | 1 | 64 |
| Town of Norridgewock | 33 | 51 | 193 |
| Town of Palmyra | 16 | 3 | 40 |
| Town of Phillips | 33 | - | 53 |
| Town of Solon | 33 | 4 | 49 |
| Town of St. Albans | 7 | - | 29 |
| Town of Starks | 32 | 33 | 124 |
| Town of Strong | 25 | 5 | 92 |
| Washington County[24] | 137 | 156 | 871 |
| Town of Addison | - | - | - |
| Town of Calais | 24 | 1 | 63 |
| Town of Cherryfield | 3 | 21 | 34 |
| Town of Columbia | - | 38 | 82 |
| Town of Dennysville | - | 6 | 60 |
| Town of Eastport | - | - | - |
| Town of Harrington | 2 | 22 | 90 |
| Town of Jonesborough | 21 | 4 | 56 |
| Town of Lubeck[25] | 8 | 1 | 106 |
| Town of Machias[26] | 33 | 43 | 235 |
| Town of Robbinston | 18 | 2 | 50 |
| Town of Steuben | - | - | - |
| Plantation No. 1 | - | 18 | 38 |
| Plantation No. 11 | 28 | - | 57 |
| York County | 1363 | 899 | 6917 |
| Town of Alfred | 10 | 41 | 206 |
| Town of Arundel | 23 | 63 | 357 |
| Town of Berwick | 35 | 17 | 474 |
| Town of Biddeford | 14 | 63 | 234 |
| Town of Buxton | 210 | 15 | 379 |
| Town of Cornish | 58 | 8 | 145 |
| Town of Elliot | 30 | 18 | 276 |
| Town of Hollis | 111 | 13 | 265 |
| Town of Kittery | 89 | 3 | 277 |
| Town of Lebanon | 21 | 41 | 318 |
| Town of Limerick | 13 | 50 | 181 |
| Town of Limington | 111 | 11 | 286 |
| Town of Lyman | 4 | 107 | 223 |
| Town of Newfield | 15 | 60 | 153 |
| Town of Parsonsfield | 91 | 50 | 329 |
| Town of South Berwick | 35 | 27 | 272 |
| Town of Saco | 220 | 7 | 404 |
| Town of Sanford | 40 | 50 | 271 |
| Town of Shapleigh | 59 | 42 | 382 |
| Town of Waterboro | 21 | 23 | 211 |
| Town of Wells[27] | 27 | 152 | 829 |
| Town of York | 126 | 38 | 445 |
Notes:
[1]The separation of Maine from Massachusetts was a prominent issue in 1816 and generated a great amount of newspaper articles and commentary. There were two elections in Maine on this question, the first on May 20, 1816 which failed and a second held September 2, 1816, which after some controversy was also declared to have been unsuccessful.
[2]"Separation Of Maine. Yesterday the joint committee on the subject, reported to the Senate, that they found the number of votes in Maine for a separation was 10,584 - the number against it 6,491 - and the whole number of qualified voters in the towns which furnish the returns 37,938." Hampden Federalist (Springfield, MA). June 20, 1816.
[3]The Salem Gazette (Salem, MA) lists 10393 Yea votes, 6501 Nay votes, 36828 Qualified Voters.
[4]The American Advocate lists 10393 Yea votes, 6491 Nay votes, 37938 Qualified Voters.
[5]The Hampton Federalist lists 10398 Yea votes, 6501 Nay votes, 37828 Qualified Voters.
[6]The Hampton Federalist lists 10584 Yea votes, 6491 Nay votes, 37938 Qualified Voters.
[7]The New-Bedford Mercury (New Bedford, MA) lists 10393 Yea votes, 6501 Nay votes, 37828 Qualified Voters.
[8]There were no votes recorded in Thompson Pond Plantation.
[9]Penobscot County was formed April 1, 1816, and The Original Election Returns did not separate Penobscot County from Hancock County, while several of the newspapers did.
[10]The Salem Gazette (Salem, MA), June 11, and the American Advocate and Kennebec Advertiser (Hallowell, ME) and the Washington City Weekly Gazette (Washington, DC), both June 15, list 908 Yea votes and 684 Nay votes in "Hancock and Penobscot" County.
[11]History of Penobscot County, Maine, 572, and the Bangor Weekly Register, May 25, list 36 Yeas for town of Brewer.
[12]The Bangor Weekly Register, May 25, reports 15 Yea votes in Buckstown.
[13]The Bangor Weekly Register, May 25, reports 34 Yea votes and no Nay votes in Corinth.
[14]The Bangor Weekly Register, May 25, reports 10 Yea votes and 4 Nay votes in Eddington.
[15]Original Election Returns list no votes for the town of Frankfort. The Bangor Weekly Register May 25, 1816 published the results for several towns, including Frankfort.
[16]Original Election Returns list no votes for the town of Garland. The Bangor Weekly Register May 25, 1816 published the results for several towns, including Garland.
[17]History of Penobscot County, Maine, 572, and the Bangor Weekly Register list 43 Yea votes and 32 Nay votes in Hampden.
[18]On the Original Election Returns for the County of Kennebec, 191 Yea votes were added to the total of 2316. On the Original Election Returns Recapitulation sheet, next to the 191 votes is written the word "mistake".
[19]The Washington City Weekly Gazette (Washington, DC), June 15, reports 667 Nay votes in Kennebec County.
[20]The American Advocate and Kennebec Advertiser (Hallowell, ME), May 25, reports 18 Yea votes in Dearborn.
[21]The Columbian Centinel. Massachusetts Federalist (Boston, MA), the Salem Gazette (Salem, MA), the Washington City Weekly Gazette (Washington, DC) and American Advocate and Kennebec Advertiser (Hallowell, ME) list 1772 Nay Votes in Lincoln County.
[22]The Columbian Centinel lists 6952 as the total number of Qualified Voters.
[23]There were no votes recorded in Bingham.
[24]The Salem Gazette (Salem, MA), June 11, the Columbian Centinel. Massachusetts Federalist (Boston, MA), June 12, and the American Advocate and Kennebec Advertiser (Hallowell, ME) and Washington City Weekly Gazette (Washington, DC), both June 15, list 109 Yea votes, 138 Nay votes, and 670 Qualified to Vote.
[25]The American Advocate and Kennebec Advertiser (Hallowell, ME) June 1, 1816 lists 48 Yea votes and 11 Nay votes in Lubeck.
[26]The Portland Gazette, and Maine Advertiser (Portland, ME) May 28, 1816 lists 36 Yea votes and 46 Nay votes in town of Machias.
[27]The Columbian Centinel. Massachusetts Federalist (Boston, MA), June 8, reports 154 Nay votes in Wells.
References:
Original Election Returns. Massachusetts State Archives, Boston.
American Advocate and Kennebec Advertiser (Hallowell, ME). May 25, 1816.
Bangor Weekly Register (Bangor, ME). May 25, 1816.
Portland Gazette, and Maine Advertiser (Portland, ME). May 28, 1816.
American Advocate and Kennebec Advertiser (Hallowell, ME). June 1, 1816.
Columbian Centinel. Massachusetts Federalist (Boston, MA). June 8, 1816.
Salem Gazette (Salem, MA). June 11, 1816.
Columbian Centinel. Massachusetts Federalist (Boston, MA). June 12, 1816.
New-Bedford Mercury (New Bedford, MA). June 14, 1816.
American Advocate and Kennebec Advertiser (Hallowell, ME). June 15, 1816.
Washington City Weekly Gazette (Washington, DC). June 15, 1816.
Hampden Federalist (Springfield, MA). June 20, 1816.
American Advocate and Kennebec Advertiser (Hallowell, ME). September 7, 1816.
"The Annals of Bangor", History of Penobscot County Maine. Williams, Chase and, Cleveland: 1882. 572.
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