1820–1821 Massachusetts legislature

Massachusetts legislature in 1820 and 1821

41st
Massachusetts General Court

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Overview
Legislative body| General Court
Term| May 1820 (1820-05) – May 1821 (1821-05) [1]
Senate
Members| 40 [2]
President| John Phillips
House
Speaker| Elijah H. Mills

John Phillips, Senate president.

Elijah Mills, House speaker.

Leaders of the Massachusetts General Court, 1820-1821.

The 41st Massachusetts General Court, consisting of the Massachusetts Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives, met in 1820 and 1821 during the governorship of John Brooks. John Phillips served as president of the Senate and Elijah H. Mills served as speaker of the House.[3]

## Senators

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* Phinehas Allen [1]
* Israel Bartlett
* Lewis Bigelow
* William Bourne
* Peter C. Brooks
* Hobart Clark
* Mark Doolittle
* Jonathan Dwight Jr.
* Samuel Eastman
* Solomon Freeman
* Stephen P. Gardner
* Benjamin Gorham
* James Howland
* Jonathan Hunewell
* Caleb Hyde
* Thomas Longley
* Jonathan H. Lyman
* Ebenezer Moseley
* Leonard M. Parker
* John Phillips
* Dudley L. Pickman
* Robert Rantoul
* Benjamin Reynolds
* John Ruggles Jr.
* William Sullivan
* John Thomas
* Aaron Tufts
* Joseph B. Varnum
* John Welles
* William Whittemore
* John M. Williams

## Historical Context: The Separation of Maine

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One of the most critical developments during the 41st General Court was the culmination of the movement for Maine's statehood. Until 1820, Maine had been a district of Massachusetts, governed as part of the Commonwealth since 1647. Over time, as Maine's population grew and its political identity became distinct from that of Massachusetts, the people of Maine campaigned for independence. This effort, which began in earnest after the American Revolution, faced resistance from some factions in Massachusetts but ultimately succeeded when the General Court consented to the separation in 1819.

Maine officially became a state on March 15, 1820, as part of the Missouri Compromise. This compromise balanced the admission of Maine as a free state with the admission of Missouri as a slave state, maintaining the delicate balance between free and slave states in the U.S. Senate. The passage of this legislation by the Massachusetts legislature marked the end of Massachusetts' territorial control over the region and led to significant demographic and economic changes for both Massachusetts and Maine.[4]

## Political changes

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The Massachusetts General Court of 1820–1821 also oversaw important political reforms and adjustments. One notable outcome was the constitutional convention of 1820, which addressed several governance issues within the state. These included:

1. Reform of the Legislative Calendar: The political year was changed, moving the start of the legislative session from the first Wednesday of May to the first Wednesday of January, which affected how elections were conducted and how legislative terms were organized.
2. Changes in Representation: The size of the Massachusetts House of Representatives was restructured, capping the number of representatives at 275 and adjusting the formula for representation based on town populations. This change aimed to better balance representation between larger and smaller towns.
3. Expansion of Voting Rights: Property and tax restrictions on voting were largely eliminated, allowing all male citizens over the age of 21, except paupers, to vote if they had lived in the state for one year.

## Leadership and Key Members

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John Phillips served as president of the Massachusetts Senate, a role that gave him significant influence over legislative proceedings. Phillips was a prominent figure in Massachusetts politics, later becoming the first mayor of Boston.

Elijah H. Mills served as the speaker of the House of Representatives during this period. Mills was a Federalist lawyer and politician from Northampton, Massachusetts, who later became a U.S. Senator. His leadership helped guide the General Court through the complex political challenges of the time.

## Representatives

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This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2020)

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## See also

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* Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1820–1821
* 16th United States Congress
* 17th United States Congress
* List of Massachusetts General Courts

## References

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1. ^ a b "Civil Government in Massachusetts". Massachusetts Register and United States Calendar for 1821. hdl:2452/121967. "For the political year, commencing May, 1820, and ending May, 1821"
2. ^ "Composition of the Massachusetts State Senate", Resources on Massachusetts Political Figures in the State Library, Mass.gov, archived from the original on June 6, 2020
3. ^ "Organization of the Legislature Since 1780". Manual for the Use of the General Court. Boston: Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 2009. p. 340+.
4. ^ "Massachusetts Loses Maine". www.massmoments.org. Retrieved September 4, 2024.

## External links

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* "Massachusetts", A New Nation Votes: American Electoral Returns, 1788-1825, American Antiquarian Society, 2007 - via Tufts University. (Includes data for state senate and house elections in 1820)
* Massachusetts Acts and Resolves: 1820, hdl:2452/103865 - via State Library of Massachusetts
* Massachusetts Acts and Resolves: 1821, hdl:2452/103866

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Massachusetts General Courts by year convened

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1 (1780)
2 (1781)
3 (1782)
4 (1783)
5 (1784)
6 (1785)
7 (1786)
8 (1787)
9 (1788)
10 (1789)
11 (1790)
12 (1791)
13 (1792)
14 (1793)
15 (1794)
16 (1795)
17 (1796)
18 (1797)
19 (1798)
20 (1799)
21 (1800)
22 (1801)
23 (1802)
24 (1803)
25 (1804)

26 (1805)
27 (1806)
28 (1807)
29 (1808)
30 (1809)
31 (1810)
32 (1811)
33 (1812)
34 (1813)
35 (1814)
36 (1815)
37 (1816)
38 (1817)
39 (1818)
40 (1819)
41 (1820)
42 (1821)
43 (1822)
44 (1823)
45 (1824)
46 (1825)
47 (1826)
48 (1827)
49 (1828)
50 (1829)

51 (1830)
52 (1831)
53 (1832)
54 (1833)
55 (1834)
56 (1835)
57 (1836)
58 (1837)
59 (1838)
60 (1839)
61 (1840)
62 (1841)
63 (1842)
64 (1843)
65 (1844)
66 (1845)
67 (1846)
68 (1847)
69 (1848)
70 (1849)
71 (1850)
72 (1851)
73 (1852)
74 (1853)
75 (1854)

76 (1855)
77 (1856)
78 (1857)
79 (1858)
80 (1859)
81 (1860)
82 (1861)
83 (1862)
84 (1863)
85 (1864)
86 (1865)
87 (1866)
88 (1867)
89 (1868)
90 (1869)
91 (1870)
92 (1871)
93 (1872)
94 (1873)
95 (1874)
96 (1875)
97 (1876)
98 (1877)
99 (1878)
100 (1879)

101 (1880)
102 (1881)
103 (1882)
104 (1883)
105 (1884)
106 (1885)
107 (1886)
108 (1887)
109 (1888)
110 (1889)
111 (1890)
112 (1891)
113 (1892)
114 (1893)
115 (1894)
116 (1895)
117 (1896)
118 (1897)
119 (1898)
120 (1899)
121 (1900)
122 (1901)
123 (1902)
124 (1903)
125 (1904)

126 (1905)
127 (1906)
128 (1907)
129 (1908)
130 (1909)
131 (1910)
132 (1911)
133 (1912)
134 (1913)
135 (1914)
136 (1915)
137 (1916)
138 (1917)
139 (1918)
140 (1919)
141 (1920)
142 (1921)
143 (1923)
144 (1925)
145 (1927)
146 (1929)
147 (1931)
148 (1933)
149 (1935)
150 (1937)

151 (1939)
152 (1941)
153 (1943)
154 (1945)
155 (1947)
156 (1949)
157 (1951)
158 (1953)
159 (1955)
160 (1957)
161 (1959)
162 (1961)
163 (1963)
164 (1965)
165 (1967)
166 (1969)
167 (1971)
168 (1973)
169 (1975)
170 (1977)
171 (1979)
172 (1981)
173 (1983)
174 (1985)
175 (1987)

176 (1989)
177 (1991)
178 (1993)
179 (1995)
180 (1997)
181 (1999)
182 (2001)
183 (2003)
184 (2005)
185 (2007)
186 (2009)
187 (2011)
188 (2013)
189 (2015)
190 (2017)
191 (2019)
192 (2021)
193 (2023)
194 (2025)

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Commons

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Districts of the Massachusetts General Court

Senate|

* Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden
* Bristol and Norfolk
* Bristol and Plymouth: 1st, 2nd
* Cape and Islands
* Essex: 1st, 2nd, 3rd
* Essex and Middlesex: 1st, 2nd
* Hampden
* Hampden and Hampshire: 1st, 2nd
* Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester
* Middlesex: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
* Middlesex and Norfolk: 1st, 2nd
* Middlesex and Suffolk
* Middlesex and Worcester
* Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex
* Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth
* Norfolk and Plymouth
* Norfolk and Suffolk
* Plymouth and Barnstable
* Plymouth and Bristol: 1st, 2nd
* Plymouth and Norfolk
* Suffolk: 1st, 2nd
* Suffolk and Middlesex: 1st, 2nd
* Worcester: 1st, 2nd
* Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex
* Worcester and Middlesex
* Worcester and Norfolk
* Obsolete districts

House|

| Barnstable|

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th

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Berkshire|

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th

Bristol|

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th

Cape and Islands|

Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket

Essex  |

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th

Franklin|

1st, 2nd

Hampden|

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Hampshire|

1st, 2nd, 3rd

Middlesex|

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th, 35th, 36th, 37th

Norfolk  |

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th

Plymouth|

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Suffolk|

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th

Worcester|

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th

Defunct districts  |

Former districts

Commons

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Government of Massachusetts

Legislative|

* General Court
* Senate (Members, President)
* House of Representatives (Members, Speaker)

Executive|

* Governor (List)
* Lt. Governor
* Attorney General
* Auditor
* Secretary of the Commonwealth
* Treasurer and Receiver-General
* Office for Administration and Finance
* Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
* Department of Higher Education
* Emergency Management Agency
* Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
* Department of Environmental Protection
* Department of Revenue
* Office of Health and Human Services
* Office of Housing and Economic Development
* Office of Labor and Workforce Development
* Department of Mental Health
* Department of Public Health
* Office of Public Safety and Security
* Department of Public Utilities
* Department of Transportation
* Department of Youth Services

Judicial|

* Boston Municipal Court
* District Court
* Superior Court
* Land Court
* Juvenile Court
* Housing Court
* Massachusetts Probate and Family Court
* Appeals Court (Judges)
* Supreme Judicial Court
* Essex Probate and Family Court
* Middlesex Probate and Family Court

Independent agencies|

* Board of Library Commissioners
* Commission Against Discrimination
* Commission on the Status of Women
* Disabled Persons Protection Commission
* Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board
* Massachusetts District Attorneys
* Massachusetts Inspector General
* Office of Campaign and Political Finance
* Office of the Comptroller
* Massachusetts Sheriffs
* State Ethics Commission

Law|

* Constitution
* General Laws
* Code of Massachusetts Regulations
* Abortion
* Alcohol
* Cannabis
* Capital punishment
* Crime
* Elder law
* Gambling
* Gun laws
* LGBT rights
* Taxation

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