Separation
From the very beginning the relationship between Massachusetts and the District of Maine—already physically separated by New Hampshire—was rocky. In 1680, a petition from one hundred and eighteen inhabitants of Kittery, York, and Wells sought a separation from Massachusetts. The petitioners argued that Massachusetts officials obstructed their religious freedoms—an issue they believed could be alleviated by direct royal control. If granted, Maine’s status would have been equal to Massachusetts within the colonial system. Although unsuccessful, this is considered the first recorded attempt by Maine to separate from Massachusetts. There were six elections between 1792 to 1819. In 1791, another push for Maine's independence was already underway, and this time it was more organized. Separation had been championed by conservative, Falmouth-based Federalists in the 1780s but by the second decade of the 19th century, independence would become a core issue for Democratic Republicans in Maine.