James Bowdoin was born into a privileged life as the son of a wealthy Boston merchant. Before, during and after the American Revolution, James Bowdoin played an integral part in shaping fledging nation’s politics and ratifying the United States Constitution. His term as the second governor of Massachusetts also coincided with the first economic crisis for the new republic, including Shays Rebellion.
Early Life of James Bowdoin
James Bowdoin II was born on August 7, 1726 to James and Hannah (Portage) Bowdoin. His father was one of the wealthiest men in Boston, with business interests in shipping and merchant trade. James Bowdoin attended the Boston Latin School and graduated from Harvard in 1745. When his father died in 1747, James inherited the family fortune.
James Bowdoin and Shays Rebellion
Bowdoin had political aspirations early in his career, being elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1753 and serving until 1756. In 1785, Bowdoin was elected governor of Massachusetts. His term was marked by the first economic depression for the newly formed United States of America. When disgruntled farmers petitioned Bowdoin and the rest of the legislature for some debt relief and a change in the tax laws, Bowdoin remained unsympathetic.
Soon farmers banded together under the direction of Revolutionary veteran Daniel Shays, and began shutting down courthouses throughout western and central Massachusetts. Governor Bowdoin saw the rebellion, known in history as Shays Rebellion, as a direct threat to the newly established government.
Following the closing of a Springfield, Massachusetts courthouse in September, 1786, Bowdoin established a special militia of 4,000 men, for whom he footed the bill, since the state treasury could not afford it. In an effort to end the rebellion peaceably, he enacted the Disqualifying Act, in which rebels could take an oath of allegiance to the government.
The Disqualifying Act prevented the men from holding any kind of public office or voting in elections for three years. The act failed miserably, garnering more unfavorable attention to Bowdoin. Despite this, the governor persecuted the rebels, sentencing 11 of them to death in the face of public cries for leniency. The harshness with which he handled Shaysites was a main cause for losing the 1787 election to former Governor John Hancock.
Later Life of James Bowdoin II
Following his run as governor, James Bowdoin remained active in politics and Boston society for the rest of his life. He helped ratify the United States Constitution, was the founder and the first president of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and helped found the Massachusetts Humane Society. Bowdoin College in Bowdoin, Maine, was named in his honor, by his son, James Bowdoin III.
Sources:
Boorstin, Ruth F. A History of the United States. Lexington: Ginn And Company, 1981.
Faragher, John Mack, Mari Jo Buhle. Out of Many: A History of the American People. Englewood: Prentice Hall, 1995.
Jensen, Merrill. The New Nation: A History of the United States During the Confederation 1781 - 1789. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1958.
Morris, Richard B. The Forging of the Union. New York: Harper & Row, 1987.
Lorri Brown - I am a published freelance writer living in the beautiful foothills of Western Maine. Mom to four wonderful children, my passion for ...
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