Hartford Convention

Many in the Northeast continued to oppose the War of 1812. A minority of New Englanders called for secession from the Union. New England was suffering from the sea blockade imposed by the British in 1814. As a result, a convention was held in Hartford, Connecticut to unite the opposition to the war and develop a common platform. Delegates from Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island convened in Hartford from December 15, 1814 to January 5, 1815.

A number of the radical Federalists at the convention called for the secession of the New England states from the Union. The majority, however, voted for a platform demanding a change in the Constitution, requiring two-thirds vote by Congress to impose an embargo; admit a Western state into the Union or begin a war, except in the case of an invasion.

By the time the delegates of the Hartford Convention arrived in Washington; the news of the victory of New Orleans, followed by the Treaty of Ghent, made their demands seem absurd.

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