These documents from the National Archives are counts of the number of electors casting votes for particular candidates. They list the names of the electors, who were themselves elected at that time. The transcriptions contain some information about those electors in the footnotes. This election for which Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin won the seats marks the emergence of the Republican party.
Signers on these documents include John Greenleaf Whittier from Amesbury, Gerry W. Cochrane from Methuen, and John Nesmith from Lawrence.
“
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
We whose names are mentioned in the annexed1 Certificate of appointment2, having pursuant3 to the Constitution and Laws of the United States of America, and in the manner directed by the General Statues of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, been appointed Electors of President and Vice President of the United States of America: and having assembled in the State House in Boston, in the State aforesaid, being the place designated by the said General Statutes for that purpose, on the first Wednesday of December in the year of Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, being the fifth day of said month, and in the eighty-fifth year of the Independence of the United States of America, have voted by ballot for President and Vice President, having named in our ballots, the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person Voted for as Vice President and in the same ballots there were thirteen votes for President of the United States of America all of which thirteen votes were cast for Abraham Lincoln of Illinois.
In testimony whereof, We have hereunto
Set our hands on the first Wednesday
Of December in the year of Our
Lord, One thousand eight hundred
And sixty.
George Morey
Reuben Chapman5
Alfred Macy7
JH Mitchell
JM Forbes9
Charles B. Hall
Peleg W Chandler11
John G. Whittier4
Gerry W Cochrane6
John Nesmith8
Amasa Walker10
Charles Field
Charles Mattoon12
1 Annexed = attached
2 Certificate of appointment = paper listing the names of the electors
3 Having pursuant = under
4 John Greenleaf Whittier = poet & abolitionist from Amesbury
5 Reuben Chapman = from Barnstable
6 Gerry W Cochrane = from Methuen & Boston
7 Alfred Macy = from Nantucket
8 John Nesmith = financier from Lowell & Lawrence
9 JM Forbes = from Boston
10 Amasa Walker = from N Brookfield
11 Peleg W Chandler = from Boston & Bowdoin
12 Charles Mattoon = from Greenfield
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
We whose names are mentioned in the annexed1 Certificate of Appointment2, having pursuant3 to the Constitution and Laws of the United States of America, and in the manner directed by the General Statues of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, been appointed Electors of President and Vice President of the United States of America: and having assembled in the State House in Boston, in the State aforesaid, being the place designated by the said General Statutes for that purpose, on the first Wednesday of December in the year of Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, being the fifth day of said month, and in the eighty-fifth year of the Independence of the United States of America, have voted by ballot for President and Vice President, having named in our ballots, the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person Voted for as Vice President and in the same ballots there were thirteen votes for VICE PRESIDENT of the United States of America all of which thirteen votes were cast for Hannibal Hamlin of Maine.
In Testimony whereof, we have hereunto
Set our hands on the first Wednesday of
December in the year of Our Lord, One
Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty.
George Morey
R A Chapman5
Alfred Macy7
JH Mitchell
JM Forbes9
Charles B. Hall
Peleg W Chandler11
John G. Whittier4
Gerry W Cochrane6
John Nesmith8
Amasa Walker10
Charles Field
Charles Mattoon12
1 Annexed = attached
2 Certificate of appointment = paper listing the names of the electors
3 Having pursuant = under
4 John Greenleaf Whittier = poet & abolitionist from Amesbury
5 Reuben Chapman = from Barnstable
6 Gerry W Cochrane = from Methuen & Boston
7 Alfred Macy = from Nantucket
8 John Nesmith = financier from Lowell & Lawrence
9 JM Forbes = from Boston
10 Amasa Walker = from N Brookfield
11 Peleg W Chandler = from Boston & Bowdoin
12 Charles Mattoon = from Greenfield
Citation
“Ballot Counts of Electors for Vice President” (December 1860). National Archives, Waltham, MA.
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