1787 Massachusetts Senate election

1787 statewide election in Massachusetts, US January 2025 Elections to the Massachusetts Senate were held during 1787 to elect 40 State Senators. Candidates were elected at the county level, with some counties electing multiple Senators. For election, a candidate needed the support of a majority of those voting. If a seat remained vacant because no candidate received such majority, the Massachusetts General Court was empowered to fill it by a majority vote of its members. The primary issue in this race was the ongoing ratification of the United States Constitution by a separate ratifying convention; the reaction divided the state (and nation) between Federalists and Anti-Federalists, though the factions did not appear as strictly formal political parties until 1789. The elections were also held during the midst of Shays' Rebellion, an armed uprising in Western Massachusetts against the national government, formed in opposition to the ongoing debt crisis. Apportionment List of former districts of the Massachusetts Senate The apportionment of seats by population was as follows: Barnstable County: 1 Berkshire County: 2 Bristol County: 3 Cumberland County: 1 Dukes and Nantucket Counties: 1 Essex County: 6 Hampshire County: 4 Lincoln County: 1 Middlesex County: 5 Plymouth County: 3 Suffolk County: 6 Worcester County: 5 York County: 2 Results Barnstable 1787 Barnstable Senate election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Barnstable County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/rj430467w, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Thomas Smith Unknown 358 68.32% All others Scattering 166 31.68% 524 100.00% Berkshire 1787 Berkshire Senate election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Berkshire County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/cv43nx19h, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Thompson J. Skinner (incumbent) Unknown 659 78.45% Elijah Dwight Unknown 503 59.88% 840 100.00% Both candidates were elected. Bristol 1787 Bristol Senate election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Bristol County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/9k41zf71h, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Holder Slocum Unknown 1,507 74.49% Abraham White Unknown 1,504 74.35% Phanuel Bishop Unknown 1,111 54.92% 2,023 100.00% Cumberland 1787 Cumberland Senate election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Cumberland County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/vx021g533, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Josiah Thacher Unknown 286 63.56% All others Scattering 164 36.44% 450 100.00% Dukes and Nantucket 1787 Dukes and Nantucket Senate election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Dukes and Nantucket Counties https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/q524jp22r, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Matthew Mayhew Unknown 155 43.78% Thomas Cooke Unknown 137 38.70% All others Scattering 62 17.51% 354 100.00% Because Mayhew failed to achieve a majority, the election was put to the General Court, which certified his election with near unanimity. General Court 1787 General Court election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Dukes and Nantucket Counties https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/qv33rx74b, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Matthew Mayhew Unknown 178 90.82% 196 100.00% Essex 1787 Essex Senate election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Essex County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/s7526c62c, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Benjamin Goodhue (incumbent) Federalist Party 1,493 63.83% Aaron Wood Unknown 1,313 56.14% Peter Coffin Unknown 1,241 53.06% Israel Hutchinson Unknown 1,124 48.05% Tristram Dalton (incumbent) Federalist Party 1,105 47.24% Samuel Holton Unknown 882 38.70% John Manning Unknown 858 37.71% Jonathan Greenleaf Unknown 850 36.34% Stephen Choate Unknown 808 34.54% 2,339 100.00% Dalton, Choate, and Greenleaf would subsequently be elected by the General Court. General Court 1787 General Court election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Essex County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/kk91fk97p, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Tristram Dalton (incumbent) Federalist Party 207 95.83% Stephen Choate Unknown 121 56.02% Jonathan Greenleaf Unknown 121 56.02% 216 100.00% Hampshire 1787 Hampshire Senate election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Hampshire County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/6w924b98b, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Caleb Strong (incumbent) Federalist Party 696 50.51% John Hastings Unknown 620 44.99% Oliver Phelps Unknown 517 37.52% William Shepard Unknown 477 34.62% David Smead Unknown 362 26.27% David Sexton Unknown 339 24.60% John Bliss Unknown 313 22.71% 1,378 100.00% Hastings, Smead, and Phelps were subsequently elected by the General Court. General Court 1787 General Court election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Hampshire County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/5d86p051k, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). John Hastings Unknown 218 99.09% Oliver Phelps Unknown 158 71.82% David Smead Unknown 145 65.90% 220 100.00% Lincoln 1787 Lincoln Senate election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Lincoln County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/gx41mk16d, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Samuel Thompson Unknown 307 56.43% All others Scattering 237 43.57% 544 100.00% Middlesex 1787 Middlesex Senate election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Middlesex County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/gf06g306w, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Joseph B. Varnum (incumbent) Unknown 2,005 75.95% Isaac Stearns Unknown 1,892 71.67% Ebenezer Bridge Unknown 1,403 53.14% Walter MacFarland Unknown 1,300 49.24% Joseph Hosmer Unknown 924 35.00% Marshal Spring Unknown 831 31.48% Eleazer Brooks Unknown 720 27.27% 2,640 100.00% Based on returns from Weston, Ezra Sergant, Abraham Fuller, James Prescot, Joseph Curtis, Thomas Fairweather, Joseph Roberts, John Brooks, and Abner Sanderson also received votes, but how many they received county-wide is unknown.Town of Weston: Records of the First Precinct, 1746-1754 and of the Town, 1754-1803. 1893 Alfred Mudge and Son Boston, MA 389 Hosmer and MacFarland were subsequently elected by the General Court. General Court 1787 General Court election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Middlesex County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/8910jv148, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Joseph Hosmer Unknown 127 58.26% Walter MacFarland Unknown 116 53.21% 218 100.00% Plymouth 1787 Plymouth Senate election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Plymouth County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/jm214p68m, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Nathan Mitchel Unknown 890 63.44% Noah Fearing Unknown 537 38.28% Charles Turner Unknown 401 28.58% Nathan Cushing Unknown 369 26.30% Abraham Holmes Unknown 350 24.95% 1,403 100.00% Turner and Cushing were subsequently elected by the General Court. General Court 1787 General Court election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Plymouth County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/rr171x933, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Nathan Cushing Unknown 143 64.71% Charles Turner Unknown 118 53.39% 221 100.00% Suffolk 1787 Suffolk Senate election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Suffolk County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/6m311q00d, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Stephen Metcalf Unknown 2,087 65.75% Cotton Tufts Federalist Party 1,976 62.26% Samuel Adams Anti-Federalist 1,704 53.69% William Phillips Jr. Federalist Party 1,590 50.09% Thomas Dawes Unknown 1,137 35.82% Benjamin Austin Jr. Unknown 1,056 33.27% James Warren Anti-Federalist 1,031 32.48% Elijah Dunbar Unknown 994 31.32% 3,174 100.00% Austin and Dunbar were subsequently elected by the General Court. (No result is listed for Dunbar's election.) General Court 1787 General Court election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Suffolk County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/rr171x933, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Benjamin Austin Jr. Unknown 129 61.72% 209 100.00% Worcester 1787 Worcester Senate election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Worcester County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/0c483k66d, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Jonathan Grout (incumbent) Unknown 2,341 67.72% Samuel Curtis Unknown 2,290 66.24% Abel Wilder Unknown 1,841 53.25% Joseph Stone Unknown 1,635 47.30% Amos Singletary Anti-Federalist 1,133 32.77% Seth Washburn Unknown 991 28.67% Peter Penniman Unknown 892 25.80% 3,457 100.00% General Court 1787 General Court election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, Worcester County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/vd66w134n, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Amos Singletary Anti-Federalist 110 52.13% Seth Washburn Unknown 109 51.66% 211 100.00% York 1787 York Senate election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, York County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/q524jq28m, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). John Frost Unknown 271 48.13% Tristram Jordan Unknown 232 41.21% Ichabod Goodwin Unknown 149 26.47% Edward Cutts Unknown 110 19.54% 563 100.00% No candidate received a majority. Cutts and Jordan were subsequently elected by the General Court. General Court 1787 General Court election Tufts University Tufts Digital Collections and Archives A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 April 6, 2020 Massachusetts 1787 State Senate, York County https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/cc08hh016, citing Governor's Council Records (Boston, MA). Edward Cutts Unknown 112 52.13% Tristram Jordan Unknown 109 51.66% 211 100.00% References Senate 1787 Massachusetts