Essex Junto
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The Essex Junto was a group of lawyers and merchants from Essex County, Massachusetts. These Federalists supported Alexander Hamilton and the Massachusetts radicals. They were called "Blue Lights" because of the common belief that they would shine blue lights to alert the British blockading ships of escaping American ships, or to alert British ships to come ashore and carry out illegal trade. They later supported the Hartford Convention's disaffection with the War of 1812 and proposed secession of New England. Some members of the Essex Junto were Timothy Pickering, George Cabot, and Theophilus Parsons.
[edit] External link
- Essex Junto, article from 1899 Cyclopaedia of Political Science