Caleb Strong - War of 1812

War of 1812

In 1812 Strong was convinced to come out of retirement to run once again for governor. War with Britain was imminent, and Massachusetts Federalists sought a strong candidate to oppose Elbridge Gerry, who had been victorious against Christopher Gore in the previous two elections. Gerry, who had previously been somewhat moderate, had become increasingly partisan during his tenure, and Federalists viewed Strong's earlier success in office and relatively modest demeanor as assets. They were also able to capitalize on the partisanship of the recent redistricting of the state that resulted in the coining of the term "gerrymander" and strong antiwar sentiment to propel Strong once again into the governor's chair and the party into control of the state legislature. Strong was reelected by wide margins in the following war years.

Strong took a principled stand against the War of 1812, generally refusing to assist federal government efforts to prosecute the war. Strong was part of a chorus of Massachusetts (and more broadly New England) Federalists who complained that in "Mr. Madison's War" the federal government was trampling state and individual rights. He adhered to the view that state militia could not be required to serve under regular army command; because of this stance, the state was denied a shipment of arms that was instead diverted to frontier areas and the war theater. He called the state militia out when the Royal Navy tightened its blockade on the New England coastline, but no action was taken to prevent widespread smuggling along the state's frontiers with the British provinces.

Following the British seizure of Castine (in the state's eastern district, now Maine), Strong called the legislature into session early in October 1814 to respond to the occupation. One of the results of this session was a call for a meeting of states opposed to the war, which became known as the Hartford Convention. Around the time of the convention (held in Hartford, Connecticut beginning in December 1814) Strong secretly wrote to Nova Scotia Governor Sir John Coape Sherbrooke, essentially offering a separate peace in exchange for the return of the seized territory. The Treaty of Ghent ended the war before these negotiations went anywhere.

In 1816, with the war at an end, Strong elected to retire from politics. Strong died in Northampton on November 7, 1819, and was buried in its Bridge Street Cemetery.