Essex Junto
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The Essex Junto was a powerful group of New England Federalist Party lawyers, merchants, and politicians, so called because many in the original group were from Essex County, Massachusetts.
The term was coined as an invective by John Hancock in 1778 to describe the main opponents of a proposed constitution on Massachusetts. The proposed constitution was rejected by the people; the state adopted the Massachusetts Constitution in 1780. John Adams is also frequently credited with the use of the name.[1]
Some politicians identified with the Essex Junto were Timothy Pickering, George Cabot, Fisher Ames, Francis Dana, Nathan Dane, Benjamin Goodhue, Stephen Higginson, Jonathan Jackson, John Lowell, Israel Thorndike, and Theophilus Parsons.[citation needed]
Early political activity
The group supported Alexander Hamilton and a group of Massachusetts radicals led by Timothy Pickering that agitated for the dissolution of the Union or for New England's secession. When Hamilton was recruited to the plot to secede New England from the Union, he rejected the offer.[citation needed] Consequently, the Essex Junto tried to gain the support of Aaron Burr, who accepted the offer in hopes of regaining political power removed by his loss against Thomas Jefferson.[2]
