Main Content

New England Convention

Copyright © White House Historical Association. All rights reserved under international copyright conventions. No part of this article may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Requests for reprint permissions should be addressed to books@whha.org

The Massachusetts legislature released an invitation on October 5, 1814 for a convention of the New England states to meet in Hartford, Connecticut "to lay the foundation for a radical reform in the National compact." Angered by the destructive wartime loss of their trade and fearing a British assault on Boston, New England governors had refused to adhere to President Madison's requests for militia forces. The governors wanted the soldiers close to home to deal with British raids along the coast or a potential attack on New England.

The convention met at Hartford's Old Statehouse on December 15, 1814, with 26 delegates from five states present. James Madison and others had concerns the convention might be a first step toward separation from the Union or a separate New England peace with Great Britain.

Although the Hartford Convention did not consider secession or a separate peace, Democratic-Republicans labeled it treasonous, and news of the U.S. victory at New Orleans and Treaty of Ghent rendered the convention's work powerless. Under a hail of derision and withering blasts of denunciation for its supposed disloyalty, the national Federalist Party, with its stronghold in New England, began to disintegrate.

New England Convention - Photo 1

Political broadside of the Hartford Convention satirizing the Federalists deliberations and depicting Great Britain’s King George III promising resumed trade and "titles and Nobility into the bargain" to leap into his arms, ca. 1814.

Library of Congress

Show Me More

Share

Related

Related
Next The 2023 White House Christmas Ornament

You Might Also Like

  • Collection

    The 2023 White House Christmas Ornament

    Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament. These unique collectibles — honoring individual presidents or specific White House anniversaries — have become part of the holiday tradition for millions of American families. In this collection, explore the history behind our 2023 design and learn more about President Gerald R. Ford. Buy

  • Podcast

    The History of Wine and the White House

    Featuring Frederick J. Ryan, author of “Wine and the White House: A History" and member of the White House Historical Association’s National Council on White House History

  • Podcast

    A Discussion with the Voices of Lafayette Park

    Featuring Hilary West, Executive Director for Federal Government Relations at JPMorgan Chase, and Royce L. Dickerson, MBA Candidate at the University of Alabama’s Manderson Graduate School of Business

  • Collection

    The 2021 White House Christmas Ornament

    Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament. These unique collectibles — honoring individual presidents or specific White House anniversaries — have become part of the holiday tradition for millions of American families. In this collection, explore the history behind our 2021 design and learn more about President Lyndon B. Johnson.Buy

  • Collection

    Native Americans and the White House

    Native Americans hold a significant place in White House history. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples, including the Nacotchtank and Piscataway, lived in the Potomac Valley prior to the construction of the White House. Since that time, Native Americans have come to the Executive Mansion to share their cultural heritage, meet with presidents, protest, and advocate for Indigenous rights. In

  • Collection

    The Decatur House Slave Quarters

    In 1821-1822, Susan Decatur requested the construction of a service wing. The first floor featured a large kitchen, dining room, and laundry; while the second floor contained four rooms designated as living quarters. By 1827, the service wing was being used as an urban slave quarters. Henry Clay brought enslaved individuals to Decatur House, starting a trend that was solidified by

  • Collection

    The Nixon White House 1969 - 1974

    On January 20, 1969, Richard Nixon was inaugurated as the thirty-seventh president of the United States. During his time in the White House (1969–74), President Nixon sought to unite a divided nation after the social, political, and cultural turbulence of the 1960s. Before becoming president, Nixon served in the U.S. Navy, the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and as

  • Collection

    Presidential and First Lady Portraits

    Since 1965, the White House Historical Association has been proud to fund the official portraits of our presidents and first ladies, a long-standing tradition of the White House Collection. Recent presidents and first ladies typically select their respective artists before leaving the White House and approve the portraits before their formal presentation to the public and induction into the collection. The

  • Collection

    The 2022 White House Christmas Ornament

    Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament. These unique collectibles — honoring individual presidents or specific White House anniversaries — have become part of the holiday tradition for millions of American families. In this collection, explore the history behind our 2022 design and learn more about President Richard Nixon. Buy the

  • Podcast

    White House Builder James Hoban’s Irish Roots

    Featuring Laurie Grace, Chairman of the James Hoban Society of Ireland; Brother Christy O’Carroll, Congregation of Christian Brothers; Ciarán O’Connor, State Architect of Ireland; Merlo Kelly, Senior Architect, Lotts Architecture & Urbanism; Brian O’Connell, Director and Founder of O’Connell Mahon Architects and a contributor to the book James Hoban: Designer and Builder of the White House

  • Collection

    Weddings and the White House

    From First Lady Dolley Madison's sister Lucy Payne Washington's wedding in 1812 to the nuptials of President Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden's granddaughter Naomi Biden on the South Lawn in November 2022, the White House has long been the site of wedding ceremonies and receptions. In over two hundred years, there have been nineteen documented weddings and four receptions hosted