The Etymology of Caucus

[Joel S. Berson]

At 10/29/2007 07:40 AM, Stephen Goranson wrote:
>Frederick William Dallinger, Nominations for Elective Office in the United
>States (Harvard Historical Studies IV, 1897) p. 10 [Google Book full view],
>which mentions the Caucus Club and the North End Caucus, presents part of a
>Boston newspaper appeal, but made two errors. He misdated it as May 4, 1764
>when it was May 14, and he said it was signed "The Caucus" when it was signed
>"The _CAUCAS_." (Also note the plural: "Your humble Servants, The _CAUCAS_")

On page 7, footnote 13, Dallinger's discussion of the word origin is
very similar to the OED's (except he comes down on the side of
"caulkers").  Dallinger writes "The deriviation of the word _caucus_,
which first appeared about 1724 in Massachusetts, is still in
doubt."  Too bad he -- nor anyone else -- has identified *where* it
appeared about 1724!

(Stephen, have you looked in Early American Imprints also?)

Those, however, appear to be the only words Dallinger utters about
the 1720s, except for a very brief and general (and undated)
statement about the first "party lines" being the court and popular
parties (also p. 7).  His discussion of the Caucus Club and the North
End Caucus is for the pre-Revolutionary period.

Joel

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