American Psephology

The 1788-89 Presidential Election in Massachusetts

On December 18, 1788, Massachusetts' voters each voted for two candidates to be electors for President and Vice President. The top two finishers from each Congressional district would then be selected by the legislature.

The Vote

The results for the first district are as follows:

Jabez Fisher - 801 votes (89.00%)
Caleb Davis (federalist) - 585 votes (65.00%)
Thomas Dawes (antifederalist) - 132 votes (14.67%)
19 others - 282 votes (31.33%)

The legislature chose Davis.

The results for the second district are as follows:

George Cabot (federalist) - 955 votes (76.83%)
Samuel Phillips, Jr. (federalist) - 676 votes (54.38%)
Jonathan Titcomb - 323 votes (25.99%)
Azor Orne (federalist) - 184 votes (14.80%)
Samuel Holten (federalist) - 155 votes (12.47%)
Benjamin Goodhue (federalist) - 100 votes (8.05%)
18 others - 93 votes (7.48%)

The legislature chose Phillips.

The results for the third district are as follows:

Francis Dana (federalist) - 572 votes (47.93%)
John Brooks (federalist) - 338 votes (28.32%)
Nathaniel Gorham (federalist) - 333 votes (27.90%)
Eleazer Brooks (federalist) - 267 votes (22.37%)
Oliver Prescott (federalist) - 259 votes (21.70%)
Joseph B. Varnum (federalist) - 182 votes (15.25%)
21 others - 93 votes (36.53%)

The legislature chose Dana.

The results for the fourth district are as follows:

Samuel Henshaw - 668 votes (35.10%)
Elijah Dwight - 557 votes (29.27%)
Samuel Lyman (federalist) - 484 votes (25.43%)
Thomson Joseph Skinner (federalist) - 456 votes (23.96%)
49 others - 1641 votes (86.23%)

The legislature chose Henshaw.

The results for the fifth district are as follows:

Samuel Savage - 373 votes (75.89%)
William Seaver (federalist) - 319 votes (64.90%)
16 others - 291 votes (59.21%)

The legislature chose Dana.

The results for the sixth district are as follows:

David Sewall - 231 votes (29.43%)
Daniel Coney (federalist) - 213 votes (27.13%)
Nathaniel Wells (federalist) - 196 votes (24.97%)
Josiah Thatcher (federalist) - 168 votes (21.40%)
William Wedgerry (antifederalist) - 157 votes (20.00%)
William Lithgow, Jr. - 127 votes (16.18%)
25 others - 478 votes (60.89%)

The legislature chose Sewall.

The results for the seventh district are as follows:

Elisha May (federalist) - 537 votes (51.09%)
Walter Spooner - 357 votes (33.97%)
Samuel Tobey (federalist) - 332 votes (31.59%)
Holder Housen - 300 votes (28.54%)
Phanuel Bishop (antifederalist) - 295 votes (28.07%)
David Cobb (federalist) - 162 votes (15.41%)
9 others - 119 votes (11.32%)

The legislature chose Spooner.

The results for the eighth district are as follows:

Moses Gill (federalist) - 340 votes (23.91%)
Abiel Wilder (federalist) - 335 votes (23.56%)
John Sprague (federalist) - 281 votes (19.76%)
Timothy Paine - 191 votes (13.43%)
Artemas Ward (federalist) - 176 votes (12.38%)
Samuel Baker - 163 votes (11.46%)
Amos Singletary - 154 votes (10.83%)
Jonathan Warner (federalist) - 144 votes (10.13%)
Martin Kinsley (antifederalist) - 135 votes (9.49%)
Peter Penniman (antifederalist) - 123 votes (8.65%)
Timothy Fuller (antifederalist) - 104 votes (7.31%)
31 others - 698 votes (49.09%)

The legislature chose Gill.

The original law stated that, on January 7, 1789, the legislature was to choose, as well as one of the two highest-polling candidates in each congressional district, two at-large electors who had failed to receive any votes for elector. However, when the votes were counted on January 5, it was discovered that just about anybody the legislature could think of had gotten at least one random vote somewhere. They thus removed that requirement at the last moment, and chose William Shepard and Nathan Cushing as at-large electors. All ten electors would vote for George Washington and John Adams on February 4.

Overview

This election was essentially a nonpartisan mess. I lack the budget to say any more on the matter.