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1807–1808 Massachusetts legislature
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American state legislature
February 2025
January 2025
28thMassachusetts General Court General Court 1807 05 1808 05 27th 29th Senate 40 Composition of the Massachusetts State Senate Mass.gov June 6, 2020 Resources on Massachusetts Political Figures in the State Library https://www.mass.gov/service-details/resources-on-massachusetts-political-figures-in-the-state-library https://web.archive.org/web/20200606063917/https://www.mass.gov/doc/composition-of-the-massachusetts-state-senate-0/download President Samuel Dana House Speaker Perez Morton
The 28th Massachusetts General Court, consisting of the Massachusetts Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives, convened in 1807 and 1808 during the governorship of James Sullivan. The term of this legislative body was significant in shaping the political landscape of the state during the early 19th century. Samuel Dana served as the president of the Senate, and Perez Morton served as the speaker of the House. https://archive.org/details/manualforuseofge00mass2/page/340/mode/2up 2009 Boston Commonwealth of Massachusetts Manual for the Use of the General Court Organization of the Legislature Since 1780 340+
During this legislative session, key issues included economic regulation, infrastructure improvement, and the early development of Massachusetts' role within the emerging United States. The 28th General Court was also involved in the ongoing development of laws related to slavery, banking, and early industrialization. Despite the changes in national politics during this period, the Massachusetts legislature continued to assert its own political identity.
Senators
15em width: 600px; George Bliss Civil Government in Massachusetts https://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.hn43gl?urlappend=%3Bseq=22 Massachusetts Register and United States Calendar for 1808 2027/hvd.hn43gl?urlappend=%3Bseq=22 HathiTrust For the political year, commencing May, 1807, and ending May, 1808
Elijah Brigham
Peter C. Brooks
Timothy Childs
Isaac Coffin
Samuel Dana
Azariah Eggleston
Ebenezer Fisher
James Freeman
Barzillai Gannet
Christopher Gore
William Gray
Thomas Hale
John Hastings
John Heard
William Hildreth
Aaron Hill
John Howe
Levi Hubbard
Jonas Kendall
William King
Jonathan Maynard
Hugh McLellan
James Means
Nathaniel Morton Jr.
Harrison Gray Otis
David Perry
John Phillips Jr.
John Phillips
William Spooner
Seth Sprague
Ezra Starkweather
Joseph Storer
Israel Thorndike
Nathaniel Thurston
Enoch Titcomb
Salem Towne
George Ulmer
Nathan Willis
John Woodman
Representatives
June 2020
The 28th Massachusetts General Court had a significant roster of representatives who played an influential role in shaping state law and policy. The composition of the House of Representatives during this period included figures from various regions of the state, representing both urban and rural constituencies. The balance of power between the House and Senate was reflective of the political tensions and evolving partisan divisions of the time. Many representatives were also involved in local governance, influencing the direction of Massachusetts politics at the time.
Some key representatives during the 28th session included:
Perez Morton (Speaker) – A leading figure in Massachusetts' political landscape.
William King – A prominent figure in the Senate and House during the session.
Christopher Gore – A well-known political figure in Massachusetts.
George Ulmer – Known for his significant contributions to legislative debates during this period.
Significant Legislation and Events
The 28th General Court of Massachusetts passed several important pieces of legislation that would influence the state's development in the coming years. These laws dealt with issues such as:
Infrastructure development, including funding for roads and bridges.
Economic policies related to early industrialization, taxation, and local economic development.
Slavery laws and ongoing discussions about abolition, a significant issue in Massachusetts' political culture at the time.
Judicial reforms aimed at improving the functioning of the state court system.
This period also saw a continuation of Massachusetts' involvement in national debates, especially as the state navigated the changing political realities of the early 19th century.
See also
10th United States Congress
List of Massachusetts General Courts
Massachusetts Senate
Massachusetts House of Representatives
Governor James Sullivan
Harrison Gray Otis
Perez Morton
References
2
External links
https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/?f%5Boffice_id_ssim%5D%5B%5D=ON064&f%5Bstate_name_sim%5D%5B%5D=Massachusetts A New Nation Votes: American Electoral Returns, 1788-1825 Massachusetts American Antiquarian Society 2007 Tufts University . (Includes data for state senate and house elections in 1807)
2452/819129 Bills (Legislative Documents) and Journals: 1807 Massachusetts General Court
2452/103852 Massachusetts Acts and Resolves: 1807
2452/819130 Bills (Legislative Documents) and Journals: 1808 Massachusetts General Court
2452/103853 Massachusetts Acts and Resolves: 1808
Category:Political history of Massachusetts
Category:Massachusetts legislative sessions
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Category:1807 in Massachusetts
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Category:1808 in Massachusetts