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Governor of Massachusetts — James Bowdoin(1726–1790)
An American Intellectual and Political leader.
The Political career of Bowdoin, one of the wealthiest men in New England, spanned the Revolution. Bowdoin was Harvard graduate and in 1753 he was elected a member of the Massachusetts General Court. He also served (1757–1774) on the council that advised the governor.
Bowdoin’s influence helped to keep the council united and aligned with colonial interests. Among his associates were Samuel Adams (1722–1803) and John Hancock.
Bowdoin opposed British trade restrictions and wrote many protests and petitions to the British that emphasized the economic side of the dispute.
In 1777, he was elected to the Second Continental Congress but was unable to serve because of poor health, and Hancock took his place.
In 1779, Bowdoin was elected president of the convention charged with drawing up the Massachusetts constitution. Six years later, Bowdoin was elected governor and suppressed Shays Rebellion(1786–1787), an armed uprising of discontented farmers.
He was also active in 1788 in getting Massachusetts to ratify the United States Constitution.
In addition to his political career, Bowdoin, a physics and astronomy enthusiast, was the founder and first president of the American Academy of Arts and sciences. Bowdoin College in Maine was founded in 1794 with an endowment provided in his will.
