Themes & Sources (for teacher use):
- Maine voters 200 years ago got to decide the future of the state—and whether it would even be a state.
- Source 1: Votes to Separate by County
- Source 2: Ballot Box
- Once Maine became a state, Mainers got to decide how the new government would work and what the laws should be.
- Source 3: Working Copy of Maine’s Constitution
- Source 4: Votes to Adopt Constitution by County
- Not all Mainers were able to vote and make decisions in 1820.
- Source 5: Suffragists and the Governor of Maine
- Source 6: Lucy Nicolar Poolaw Voting
Possible connections between the sources (for teacher use):
- Source 1 and 2: Voters would have used this exact ballot box to vote on whether Maine should separate from Massachusetts.
- Source 3 and 4: Maine’s first constitution had to be written and edited in 1819. Mainers then had to cast votes on whether or not to adopt this new constitution.
- Source 5 and 6: The other sources show Maine voters weighing in on incredibly important issues that affected the whole state. Who actually got to make those decisions? These sources show parts of the population that were left out in 1820.
Introduction
Maine voters 200 years ago got to decide the future of the state—and whether it would even be a state.
This place has changed a lot in the last 400 years. Maine became a state in 1820, after 200 years of people struggling to control its valuable lands and waters.
Native Americans were the first people in Maine. They have lived in Maine over 13,000 years and continue to live in Maine today. In the 1500s, Europeans arrived and started to take over Native homelands. Maine became an English Colony, then a district within the state of Massachusetts.
The District of Maine had to follow Massachusetts laws and be part of the Massachusetts government. Maine political leaders did their work in the capital, Boston—just like they go to Augusta today. Over the years, more and more Mainers started to think that Maine should be its own state. After the American Revolution, people in the District of Maine debated and voted six times before finally approving the separation of Maine from Massachusetts.
Why Separate?
The big reasons:
- Politics (Maine would have the freedom to make its own decisions)
- Money (Mainers could have lower taxes and control their own economy)
- Religion (Massachusetts forced Maine to support the Congregational church)
- Protection (Massachusetts failed to defend Maine during the War of 1812)
Maine voters had lots of different reasons for and against separating from Massachusetts. Some people thought that statehood would be good for Maine, others thought it would be bad for Maine. Also, people hundreds of years ago were selfish, just like we sometimes are today! Some people decided based on what would be best for them.
Just like in the American Revolution, the right to self-governance was the main reason for separation. Self-governance means making decisions for yourself—Mainers having control over what happens in Maine.
If Maine were its own state, the government would be right in Maine—not all the way in Boston. Politicians and voters wouldn’t have as far to travel to get to the capital. They could work on local problems and make laws that would help people in Maine.
People also wanted to separate to help Maine’s economy. They thought that state taxes would be lower and fairer to Mainers, since Maine would have a smaller state government to pay for.
Religion was another big issue. Many people in Maine wanted religious freedom. Massachusetts gave tax money to the Congregational church. That meant that Maine tax money went to the Congregational church, too, since it was part of Massachusetts. Lots of Mainers weren’t happy about that since they weren’t part of that church!
Mainers had also always expected that Massachusetts would help them in times of need. During the War of 1812, Maine was under attack. English ships invaded the Maine coast. Massachusetts refused to send troops or resources to help Maine. Mainers felt like they had been abandoned. Why be part of a bigger government if that government won’t even protect you when you need them?
Why Not Separate?
The big reasons:
- Power (statehood could shake up Maine society and threaten Maine’s current leaders and businessmen)
- Money (higher shipping costs and maybe higher taxes?)
- Missouri Compromise (Maine’s statehood came at the cost of slavery expanding in America)
Some wealthy, powerful Mainers didn’t want statehood because they were afraid it would start a revolution! Think about it—if you already have wealth and power, any big changes might mean that someone else can take that away from you. It’s safer for things to just stay the same.
People also worried about taxes. If Maine were a separate state, ship owners would have to pay higher taxes on the things they shipped to other places. It would also be expensive to create a new state government. Taxes might go up to pay for governmental buildings!
Even after Mainers voted to separate from Massachusetts, another problem came up. The “Missouri Compromise” forced Maine politicians to make a tough decision. Maine and Missouri both wanted to become states in 1820. In the Missouri Compromise, Maine would be a free state (meaning slavery was illegal), and Missouri would be a slave state. Lots of people did not want Missouri to be allowed to have legal slavery. Some Maine politicians voted against the Missouri Compromise for that reason, even though it meant Maine might not become a state.
Despite all the arguing back and forth, Maine did become a state in 1820.
Once Maine became a state, Mainers got to decide how the new government would work and what the laws should be.
As an independent state, the people of Maine had a lot more control over their land and their government. They could send their own politicians to the United States Senate and House of Representatives. They could have their own state Constitution. They could write their own laws and elect their own leaders. William King became the first Governor of Maine. Not everyone agreed on the laws or who should be in charge. People still argue about the same stuff today!
Maine’s statehood had a huge impact on everyone living here, especially Native Americans. Wabanaki people had worked with the Massachusetts government to protect their land and their way of life. When Maine became a state, the Maine government took over that relationship. Lots of land and many rights were taken away from tribal members. Wabanaki people have continued to resist this control and protect their sovereignty. Sovereignty is the right of a nation to have its own government and authority over the people living within its borders.
There was a Maine state constitutional convention in October 1819. Maine delegates had to decide how to create guidelines for the new state. They used the Massachusetts constitution of 1780 as their model but made some important changes. In Maine’s constitution, it is illegal for the state to support any religious group. This was different from Massachusetts, which gave tax money to the Congregational Church. Maine’s constitution was also different because it gave men of European and African descent the right to vote even if they didn’t own property.
Not all Mainers were able to vote and make decisions in 1820.
Think about it—the people who voted in Maine in the early 1800s were responsible for decisions that still affect us today! They were the ones who decided that Maine should be an independent state. They decided what Maine’s government should be like, and what the constitution should say.
But who, exactly, were the voters back then? The only people who had the right to vote were men who were 21 and older. That means less than half of the population could vote in 1820. You had no voting rights if you were:
- a woman
- a Native American living on tribal land
- a poor person getting public charity
- “under guardianship,” meaning supervised by someone else because of a mental or physical disability
Most Maine women got the right to vote in 1920 when the 19th Amendment was passed. Wabanaki people, on the other hand, were denied voting rights until 1954! What do you think it means to live in a state—and a country—that was founded on laws and a system of government that left out the voices of half its people? Do you think it matters today?
*After the topic has been introduced to students, hand out the primary sources and complete the worksheet activity*
Class Reflection Questions:
- What were some reasons Mainers were worried about separating from
- Massachusetts?
- What were some reasons Mainers were happy to separate from Massachusetts?
- If you were alive in 1819, would you have voted for or against separation?
- If you had to write a constitution for Maine, where would you start?
- Do you think Maine would be different today if women and Native Americans had been allowed to have a voice in government since 1820?
- Are there people today who aren’t allowed to vote? Do you think that’s fair – why or why not?
