The Scarlet Letter: Why did Hawthorne lose his job at the Custom House?

Question

The Custom House introduction is dry and doesn't stick when I read it. Why exactly did Hawthorne lose his job when the other party won the presidential elections?

Answer 1

Nathaniel Hawthorne calls it the malice and revenge of the Whig party to use their new power to "chop off the heads" of those in the opposition. In other words, he was a Democrat and the Whigs gained power. When they gained power, they removed people in the other party from positions of authority (the assumption is they gave these positions to fellow Whigs).

It would be on the order of a new President coming into office and removing all the former cabinet heads and putting in their own people.

I hope this helps.