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February 15, 1811 Federalist political circular delievered as a letter endorsing Christopher Gore for Massachusetts Governor and Deacon William Phillips for Lieutenant Governor. Signed by & sent to prominent Massachusetts notables. Printed in Boston. It begins with an admonition that even though the Federalists were not so fortunate to re-elect the men of their choice in the Commonwealth the previous year, their sensibility for the welfare of the common Country is not abated. It warns of apathy and indifference, that if indulged, everything would be at hazard, especially in a republic. They then go on to state they have unanimously agreed to support the Honorable Christopher Gore, Esq. for Governor. Deacon William Phillips is also endorsed for Lieutenant Governor. The last paragraph on the page speaks of U. S. vessels being captured by France and our men consigned to dungeons. This appears to be a reference to the Quasi-War between the U. S. and France 10 years earlier. Reference is also made to the Louisiana Purchase and in turn states the importance of promoting the election of Federal candidates to office. Christopher Gore (1758 - 1827) was a prominent Massachusetts lawyer, Federalist politician, and U.S. diplomat. Born into a family divided by the American Revolution, Gore sided with the victorious Patriots, established a successful law practice in Boston, and built a fortune by purchasing Revolutionary government debts at a discount and receiving full value for them from the government. Gore entered politics in 1788, serving briefly in the Massachusetts legislature before being appointed U.S. District Attorney for Massachusetts. He was then appointed by President George Washington to a diplomatic commission dealing with maritime claims in Great Britain. He returned to Massachusetts in 1804 and reentered state politics, running unsuccessfully for governor several times before winning in 1809. He served one term, losing to Democratic-Republican Elbridge Gerry in 1810. He was appointed to the US Senate by Governor Caleb Strong in 1813, where he led opposition to the War of 1812. Gore invested his fortune in a variety of businesses, including important infrastructure projects such as the Middlesex Canal and a bridge across the Charles River. He was a major investor in the early textile industry, funding the Boston Manufacturing Company and the Merrimack Manufacturing Company, whose business established the city of Lowell, Massachusetts. Gore was involved in a variety of charitable causes, and was a major benefactor of Harvard College, where the first library was named in his honor. His palatial mansion in Waltham, Massachusetts, now known as Gore Place, is one of the finest extant examples of Federal architecture, and has been declared a National Historic Landmark. William Phillips was a wealthy merchant from Boston, Massachusetts. He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1772-1778) and Council (1774-1777) and served as the deacon of the Old South Church, selectmen, and overseer of the poor. The interior page is dated February 19, 1811 and tells of appointing three men in a principal town of each county to promote the election of Federal Candidates. It is signed by H. G. Otis, John Phillips, and John Welles. Harrison Gray Otis (1765 - 1848), was a businessman, lawyer, and politician, becoming one of the most important leaders of the United States' first political party, the Federalists. One of the wealthiest men of Boston, Otis was reportedly worth at least $800,000 in 1846, equivalent to $24,300,000 in 2023. He was a United States Senator from Massachusetts, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 8th district, and 3rd Mayor of Boston. John Phillips (1770 - 1823) was a politician, serving as the first mayor of Boston, from 1822 to 1823. He was the father of abolitionist Wendell Phillips. John Welles (1764 - 1855) Banker of Welles & Co., Paris, and J & B Welles & Co., Boston. He was born at Boston and graduated from Harvard in 1782. He became a partner in Welles & Co. at Paris with his first cousin, Samuel Welles. Back in Boston in 1816, he partnered with Samuel's brother, Benjamin, and established J & B Welles, agents in the United States to Welles & Co. in Paris. When Samuel died in 1841, John was chosen to act as his executor. John's own estate was estimated to be worth $1-million in 1851, making him one of the richest men in Massachusetts. He married his first cousin, Abigail Welles (the eldest sister of Samuel and Benjamin) and they had one daughter, Isabella, who married the multi-millionaire railroad financier, H. Hollis Hunnewell, who started his career as a partner with Welles & Co. in Paris and founded the town of Wellesley in Massachusetts, named in honor of his wife's family. The circular is addressed to Captain Nathaniel Russell, Judge Spooner, and Judge Thomas in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Captain Nathaniel Russell was born December 27, 1733 in Littleton, MA, the son of Nathaniel and Mary Russell. He married November 13, 1755 Abigail Goldsmith. Nathaniel and Abigail with three children, moved to Rindge, NH, in 1762 and resided there for the rest of his life. He took an active part in the organization of the town in 1768 and was elected to the board of selectman for 1768, 69, 70 and 75. He was the first town clerk in 1768, 69 and 70. In 1776 he was constable. He served in the American Revolution and was a member of Capt. Nathan Hale's Co. of minutemen in 1775. He was one of the committees of safety and correspondence in 1775, 76 and 79, he was a signatory of the "Association Test" in Rindge in 1776. His wife Abigail died in September 1769. He married 2nd, March 26, 1770, Anna (Worcester) Thayer, born in Littleton, MA August 16, 1736, widow of Eliakim Thayer, and daughter of Joseph and Ann Worcester. He died of spotted fever January 1, 1812. His widow died September 23, 1825, aged 89. Judge Ephraim Spooner (1735 - 1818) of Plymouth was a merchant, town clerk, and judge. He was an associate justice of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas from 1775 to 1790 and then judge of the Plymouth County Court of Common Pleas until his retirement from the bench in 1811. Spooner was also deacon of the First Church in Plymouth for many years. Judge Joshua Thomas was a judge of probate for Plymouth County, Massachusetts, who lived from 1751 to 1821. He was also a lawyer, senator, and representative to the Massachusetts General Court.
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