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THE LIBERTY PARTY IN MASSACHUSETTS, 1840-1848: ANTISLAVERY THIRD PARTY POLITICS IN THE BAY STATE Reinhard O. Johnson The Liberty party in Massachusetts has received little serious attention from either political historians or scholars of the abolition movement despite its central role in the national development of the antislavery party, its importance in the transformation of the abolition movement from a predominantly apolitical approach of the 1830s to a more direct political involvement in the 1840s, and its place in the political history of the Bay State during the 1840s.1 In fact, the Liberty party was the first third party in American history to attempt to break into a stable two party system, and it would not be until the Populist party that a third party would have as long a national existence. Politics in Massachusetts were chaotic during the early 1830s, but by the last years of the decade a competitive two party system had emerged. Both Democrats and Whigs were well organized, and party loyalties were strong. Neither political organization, however, responded very favorably to the rapidly growing number of individuals in favor of immediate emancipation of the slaves.2 Membership in abolition organizations grew from the twelve charter members of the New England Anti-Slavery Society in 1832 to almost one hundred local societies when the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society was founded in 1835 as a member of therecently formed American AntiSlavery Society.3 These organizations were active throughout the 1830s 1 The standard book on antislavery politics is Richard Sewell's Ballots for Freedom: Antishvery Politics in the United States, 1837-1860 (New York, 1976), which surveys the party nationally but neglects its local importance in the various states. Aileen Kraditor, "The Liberty and Free Soil Parties," in Arthur Schlesinger, ed., History of U.S. Political Parties (New York, 1973), pp. 741-882, summarizes the ideas she first expressed in her Means and Ends in American Abolitionism: Garrison and His Critics on Strategy and Tactics, 1834-1850 (New York, 1969). 2 Richard P. McCormick, The Second American Party System: Party Politics in the ]acksonian Era (Chapel Hill, 1969), pp. 44-49; Arthur B. Darling, Political Changes in Massachusetts, 1824-1848: A Study of Liberal Movements in Politics (New Haven, Conn., 1925), pp. 124-26, 191, 243. 3 Roman J. Zom, "The New EnglandAnti-Slavery Society: PioneerAbolition Organization ," Journal of Negro History 42 (July 1957):175-76. Civil War History,Vol. XXVIII, No. 3 Copyright © 1982by The Kent State University Press 0009-8078/82/2803-0003 $01.00/0 238CIVIL WAR HISTORY in distributing tracts and pamphlets, supporting lecturers, petitioning Congress for the abolition of slavery and the slave trade in the District of Columbia, and establishing a working relationship with the antislavery forces in England. Some powerful elements of Massachusetts society, however, did not accept the abolitionists peacefully. Textile manufacturers and shipping interests had formed a close relationship with southern planters, and these industrialists and merchants were reluctant to countenance any activity which was critical of a basic southern institution . Such leading community figures were involved in the public outbursts against the abolitionists in the mid-1830s, but these sometimes violent demonstrations were rare by the end of the decade. As the organized opposition to antislavery was declining, however, internal dissensions were weakening the former consensus within the movement. Problems in Massachusetts reached crisis proportions in 1839when a sizable group of abolitionists rebelled against William Lloyd Garrison's domination of the state society. The insurgents were aided by Henry Brewster Stanton, a lawyer and an official agent of the American Anti-Slavery Society, who disliked Garrison's opposition to political involvement and his power in the state society. Within eight months, a large number of county and town societies became auxiliaries of the Massachusetts Abolition Society (MAS) . Sometimes the local antislavery organization would break its ties with the older Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society and then become affiliated with the Massachusetts Abolition Society; in other cases, a separate organization would be established in competition with the older society. The new state society was very active during 1839 and early 1840. By mid-1840, it had twelve county and two hundred local auxiliaries.4 It assumed the...

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