Among the first soldiers in active service in the Revolutionary War were men from Maine, who fought as Massachusetts troops. A regi ment from Maine was present at Bunker Hill. The British fleet, in 1775, attacked and de stroyed Portland and Falmouth. Off Machias was fought the battle in which the Margaretta, a British ship, was captured. At the close of the war Massachusetts still retained possession of the country and called it the "District of Maine.D The people of Maine were divided in their allegiance to Massachusetts; one party de sired to remain a part of the "Bay State" and another party wanted independent statehood.
The separatist movement gained ground during the War of 1812. Maine was admitted into the Union as a State 15 March 1830.
The northeastern boundary continued a source of dissension with Great Britain, or be tween the people of Maine and New Brunswick until after the ratification of the Ashburton Treaty (q.v.), which practically settled the east ern boundary between the United States and Canada.
The legislation of the State has been usually marked by conservatism and sound judgment In 1851 Maine adopted a prohibitory liquor law which has since been embodied in the con stitution of the State. During the Civil War Maine furnished 70,107 soldiers, of whom 9,398 died during the war and a large number returned to their homes disabled invalids.
The State went Democratic at State elec tions (except 1840) till 1855, when Anson P. Morrill was elected governor as the candidate of the "Know-Nothing" party and also of those who favored a prohibitory law. From 1856 to 1910 the State has gone Republican except in 1878 and 1880, when the Democrats and Green backs on a fusion ticket elected their candidata.
In 1879 a dispute arose as to the legality of the election of some of the members of the legisla ture and of the governor. For a time a dis turbance was feared, but the militia preserved peace until the Supreme Judicial Court ren dered a decision making the Republican can& dates legal members of the legislature. The State has had no serious internal troubles et cent the agitation in 1854-5is and the dispute ablaut the legislature in la In 1910 and 1914 the State went Democro The present governor (1919) is Carl E. Millar! The Australian ballot law was passed in Since Maine became a State there have bee 48 different governors, some of whom hav held the office for more than one term.
•—• Boardman, 'The Climate, Soil, Resources, and Agricultural Capabilities of the State of Maine' ; Drake. 'The Pine Tree Coast' ; Little, 'One Hundred Books on Maine,' article in Bowdoin College Bulletin; Brooks, 'Tales of the Coast' ; Bishop, 'Fish and Men in the Islands); Thoreau, 'Woods of Maine); Hubbard, 'Woods and Lakes of Maine) : Emer son, 'The Latchstring); Williamson's 'Bibliog raphy.' Maine Historical Society Collec tions; Hall, 'Reference List on Maine Local History); Chamberlain, 'Maine, Her Place in History); Sullivan, Williamson and Abbott, 'History of Varney, 'Brief History of Maine) ; McDonald, 'Government of Maine); Swett, 'Stories of Maine) ,• Baxter, 'Sir Ferdi nando Gorges and His Province of Maine) (1890) ; 'George Cleeve and His • (Doc umentary History of ; Levett, 'The Pio neer Settler of Portland); History of Maine' ; Thayer, The Sagadahoc 'The Early Settlements in Burrage, 'The Beginnings of Colonial Maine,' and 'The Northeastern Boundary.'