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‘A Spirit Of Faction’: The Essex Junto And The Decline Of The Federalist Party, Julia Brown

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

Early American politics was largely characterized by fear, distrust, and blatant propaganda. There is perhaps no political faction that more fully embodies this fact than the Essex Junto. This essay delves into the history of this secretive faction from Essex County, Massachusetts and their impact on the post-Revolutionary period. Through analysis of both primary and secondary source material, this study seeks to decipher the true nature of the Junto, whether they wielded significant political influence or merely functioned as a useful propaganda tool for opportunistic Jeffersonians. This paper also examines the existing scholarship on this topic, mainly works created by …