by James Henry

Created on: February 27, 2009

Folks from Maine bristle when historians remind them that until 1820, the land that is now known as the State of Maine was once part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, before the American Revolution, and continued to be considered a province of Massachusetts until 1820.

Mainers tend to be an independent sort today, and have different classifications for people with ties to Maine. Those who were born here, live their whole lives here, and ultimately die here, are known as Mainers. People who were born in Maine and leave for a time, just to return to the state, are called Maniacs. And folks like me who move into Maine after having lived elsewhere are said to have come "from away."

I mention these details to show that Maine has a deep-seated sense of isolation from the rest of the nation. They are the only state that divides its Presidential Electors. Maine is currently allotted 4 electors. The winner of the statewide popular vote receives two electors. There are also two congressional districts in Maine, and each district is given one elector. So whichever candidate wins in each congressional district is awarded one elector. Most often, the two congressional districts wind up on the same page, but Mainers like to keep this enigmatic tradition in place, just so they can remain different than every other state.

It doesn't come as a surprise to me, therefore, that Mainers in early American history would have been looking for a reason to break away from Massachusetts. The movement began to pick up steam after the War of 1812, when Mainers charged that Massachusetts had failed to adequately protect it from the British during the war.

Mainers finally got their wish in 1820, as part of the Missouri Compromise. The issue of slavery, ironically, is what gave Maine its cherished independence from Massachusetts.

In 1820, there was a political atmosphere that sought to maintain a sense of equilibrium between the slave-owning states in the south, and the free states in the north. Adding Missouri to the ranks of a slave-owning state required adding another state in the north, which would be free. That is the means by which Maine officially broke away from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

There are two ironic points I've seen about the early history of Maine. Long before the American Revolution, the land of Maine was disputed between the French and the English, a battle that ultimately was decided during the French and Indian War, with the British winning the rights to the colony. This is ironic because in the 20th and 21st centuries, places like Old Orchard Beach, Wells Beach and Ogunquit, among others in Southern Maine, became popular tourist locations for Canadians. So while the British may have won the war, the French are still enjoying the natural resources the state provides.

Another ironic part about Maine today is that, particularly in Southern Maine, many of the seasonal properties in the coastal region of the state are owned by well-to-do families from Massachusetts. So while Maine may have broken away from Massachusetts in 1820, there is still a strong Massachusetts influence on the state.

I don't know what Mainers call folks like me who are not only "from away," but are "from away in Massachusetts." I don't think it would be too complimentary, though.

http://www.howmainebecameastate.com

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