Essex Junto

Essex Junto, group of New England merchants and lawyers, so called because many of them came from Essex co., Mass. They opposed the radicals in Massachusetts in the American Revolution and supported the Federalist faction of Alexander Hamilton. They later encouraged the disaffection of the Hartford Convention. Prominent among them were Timothy Pickering, George Cabot, and Theophilus Parsons.

Informal group of Federalist Party political leaders in Massachusetts, mainly from Essex county. Its members supported Alexander Hamilton and friendship with Britain and opposed Thomas Jefferson, the Embargo Act, and the War of 1812. Its leaders, including Timothy Pickering, tried to form a separate confederation in New England and participated in the Hartford Convention. They declined in importance after 1814.

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The Essex Junto was a group of lawyers and merchants from Essex County, Massachusetts. These Federalists supported Alexander Hamilton and the Massachusetts radicals. When Hamilton was offered a place in the plot to secede New England from the Union, he denied the offer. Consequently, the Essex Junto turned to support from Aaron Burr, who agreed to help the radical group because of his dissatisfaction in the office of Vice President. This plot, to have Burr elected governor of New York and launch the secession, was eventually foiled by Hamilton himself.

After Hamilton's death they became even more extreme. During the War of 1812 they were called "Blue Lights" because of the common belief and reports from the U.S. Navy that they would shine blue lights to alert the British blockading ships of escaping American ships, or to alert British ships to come ashore and carry out illegal trade. They supported the Hartford Convention's disaffection with the War of 1812 and proposed secession of New England. Some members of the Essex Junto were Timothy Pickering, George Cabot, Stephen Higginson and Theophilus Parsons.

External links

• Essex Junto, article from 1899 Cyclopaedia of Political Science
• Essex Junto, article from Encyclopaedia Britannica