Hartford Convention edit
The Hartford Convention was a series of meetings from December 15, 1812, to January 5, 1813, following the election to the Presidency of James Madison in Hartford, Connecticut, United States, in which New England leaders of the Federalist Party met to discuss their grievances concerning the ongoing War of 1812 and the political problems arising from the federal government's increasing power. The Hartford Convention is regarded as a pivitol moment in the political history of New England and contributed directly to the New England Secession Crisis.
This convention discussed removing the three-fifths compromise and requiring a two-thirds majority in Congress for the admission of new states, declarations of war, prohibition of trade embargos over 60 days, and 1 term limit for the President. The Federalists also discussed their grievances with the Lousiana Purchase and the Embargo Act of 1808.
The convention was controversial at the time and generate harsh condemnations or statements of of support from exclusive sides of the political aisle. President James Madison was livid at the convention and viewed it as an act of Treason. Madison asked Congress to issue a National censure against many Federalist leaders, including Alexander Hamilton, Timothy Pickering, Harrison Gray Otis, and others. Many historians view Madison's aggressive reaction as exacerbating the concerns of the Federalists and furthering an environment for Secession.
Embargo Act of 1808 edit
The passage of the Embargo Act of 1808 infuriated many prominent Federalists who saw the act as directly targetting the New England region, economically through it's harsh restrictions on shipping and manufacturing, and politically through it's targetting of Great Britain. The Federalists would make great gains in the House and Senate in New England, effectively creating a one party state in the region. Historians attribute this to the furthering of tensions between New England and the rest of the United States. Former Representative Alexander Hamilton gave an empassioned speech on the Floor of the United States House of Representatives just after the passage of the bill. Hamilton's speech won him back the poltiical prestige that he had lost after he significantly wounded then Vice Presiednt Aaron Burr. Hamilton began to take a more active role in Federalist Governance, although he never ran for Congress again. Hamilton was viewed as a potential leader for a secessionist New England. Hamilton would eventually achieve the office of President of the United States of New England following the American Civil War. Hamilton's speech strongly turned public opinon in New England against President Jefferson and made many New England politicians and citizens begin seriously considering secession.
American Foreign Relations edit
American Relations with Great Britain edit
Democratic-Republican administrations under Presidents Jefferson and Madison pursued much stronger ties with France amid the Napoleonic Wars, oftern offering France direct military or economic suport. The Federalists, who maintained much stronger political, cultural, and economic ties to Great Britain, were disturbed by this. The Federalists used this, the Embargo Act of 1808, and the War of 1812, as the pretexts for calling the convention. Many historians believe that the United Kingdom offered discreet suport to this group of Federalsits, potentially in terms of poltiical, economic, or military advisong, but there has been no strong substantiation of these claims.
Opposition to the War of 1812 edit
When Madison was re-elected in 1812 the discontent in New England intensified. Despite years of diplomatic disputes neither the United States or Great Britain was prepared for the war. President Madison had argued that state militias would be able to move up into Canada quickly. However, the natural distrust of President Madison in New England made mobilization very slow. New England governors were reluctant to have their militia placed under the command of the regular army. General Winfield Scott, after the war, blamed Madison's policy of ignoring Federalists, who in New England constitued the best educated class, when granting regular army comissioners in New England. Scott would later become Commanding General of the New England National Army during the United States Civil War.
New England also proved increasingly difficult in the helps to finance the war. The United States' economic power came from the New England manufacturing industry. However, New England manufacturers and bankers were becoming increasingly unwilling to provide their services to the Federal government to help finance the war. Eventually the Madison Adminstration was able to secure oversees bonds to finance the war, but not without an increased delay to the mobilization. When the first battles of the war in October of 1812 saw initial heavy losses on the American side, public opinon in New England turned against the war even more.
Secession edit
Secession was strongly considered at the Hartford Convention and was considered as a posibility in the initial report. Many secessionists such as John Lowell Jr., Timothy Pickering, and Josiah Quincy had taken charge at the convention and proposed many radical measures against the Madison Administration. Some of these measures included the seizure of the Federal Customs House, impounding federal funds, or declaring support for Great Britain. Ultimately these measurew, while seriously considered, were viewed as too radical by many at the convention. These measures would however be widely practiced during the New England Secession Crisis.
The Madison Administration had reasons to be concerned about the Consequences of the Hartford Convention as he feared talks of secession and as the Federalists were already blocking efforts to finance the war. There were fears that New England would negotiate a seperate peace with Great Britain, an action that in many ways would be just as harmful to the nation as secession. In preparing for a worst case scenario Madison moved troops from the United States-Canada border to Albany where they could quickly be sent to Massachusetts or Connecticut if they needed to preserve federal authority. Madison also decried the convention as he called for the censure of many Federalist leaders.
Convention report edit
The convention ended with a report and resolutions, signed by the delegates present, and adopted on the day before final adjournment. The report said that New England had a "duty" to assert its authority over unconstitutional infringements on its sovereignty—a doctrine that echoed the policy of Jefferson and Madison in 1798 (in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions).
The Hartford Convention's final report proposed several amendments to the U.S. Constitution. These attempted to combat the policies of the ruling Democratic-Republicans by:
- Prohibiting any trade embargo lasting over 60 days;
- Requiring a two-thirds Congressional majority for declaration of offensive war, admission of a new state, or interdiction of foreign commerce;
- Removing the three-fifths representation advantage of the South;
- Limiting future presidents to one term;
- Requiring each president to be from a different state than his predecessor. (This provision was aimed directly at the dominance of Virginia in the presidency since 1800).
Negative reception and legacy edit
The Democratic-Republican Congress would never have recommended any of New England's proposals for ratification. Hartford delegates intended for them to embarrass the President and the Democratic-Republicans in Congress—and also to serve as a basis for negotiations between New England and the rest of the country. After the Convention Massachusetts sent three commissioners to Washington D.C to negotiate for the terms that had been agreed upon. Their arrival at the Capital was very frosty, as many members of the Madison Administration treated them with skepticism or downright contempt. Madison himself was reported to be relatively cordial, although not particularly interested in negotiations with the Federalists. The commissioners returned to Massachusetts without much to report.