Page:The Iowa journal of history and politics, v. II.pdf/27

Rh tive at the first election. The Worcester district chose an Anti-Federalist, a partisan of Shays; but the most westerly counties elected a decided Federalist—Theodore Sedgwick. In the Middlesex district Elbridge Gerry, who was opposed by Gorham, his late colleague in the Federal Convention, had to make two trials and publicly declare his allegiance to the Constitution, before he received the requisite majority. The contest was especially warm in the Boston district, where Fisher Ames, the orator, who had won deserved distinction as the advocate of the Constitution, was opposed by Samuel Adams, Rufus King and Harrison Gray Otis being also candidates. Otis had no chance, King's non-residence in Massachusetts was against him, and Adams' stand on the Constitution had been to equivocal, so Ames was elected. There were at least three candidates in the Essex district. Massachusetts' first congressional delegation contained seven Federalists and one Anti-Federalist.

Massachusetts elected senators by a concurrent vote of the two houses. Caleb Strong was the first choice of the House, and the Senate at once concurred. After two or three days of disagreement between the two houses over the second choice, a nominee of the Senate, Tristram Dalton, was selected. Strong had been a member of the Federal Convention. Of Massachusetts' ten members in the first Congress, eight were graduates of Harvard, and one had all but completed the course at Yale.