From Resistance to Self-Governance
On December 21, 1775, the Fifth, and final, New Hampshire Provincial Congress assembled in Exeter, marking a historic turning point for the colony. Convened during a period of mounting tension and uncertainty, the Congress embodied a profound shift; from resistance against British authority to the practical work of self-governance.
By this time, New Hampshire had already severed ties with its royal governor, John Wentworth, who had fled Portsmouth aboard a British warship in August 1775. With no functioning royal government, the colony urgently needed a framework for civil authority. Under the leadership of President Matthew Thornton, delegates confronted a bold and unprecedented question: how should New Hampshire govern itself without British oversight?
The Congress was composed of 76 delegates representing 162 towns, parishes, and places throughout the colony. Notably, thirty-one delegates, nearly half, had served previously in the Fourth Provincial Congress, providing continuity and experienced leadership. Among them were some of the most influential men in the province. Upon making a list of delegates and the places they represented, the delegates proceeded to vote in Thornton president, Ebenezer Thompson as secretary and Noah Emery as assistant secretary. They then adjourned to 8:30 the next morning.
The proceedings of the Congress’s first days closely resembled those of its predecessors. Much of the early business focused on the raising, organization, and maintenance of troops, reflecting the ongoing military struggle and New Hampshire’s active participation in the Siege of Boston.
Yet beneath these familiar proceedings lay something new. Over the course of its opening days, the Congress began laying the intellectual and political groundwork for a civil government independent of the Crown. These early deliberations would culminate in the adoption of the New Hampshire Constitution of January 5, 1776—the first written constitution enacted by any of the thirteen colonies.
The opening sessions of the Fifth Provincial Congress remind us that New Hampshire did not merely follow the path to independence—it helped lead the way.
Bibliography
- Walker, Joseph Burbeen. New Hampshire’s Five Provincial Congresses, July 21, 1774–January 5, 1776: A Paper Read in Part at a Meeting of the New Hampshire Historical Society, January 11, 1905; with an Appendix Containing Brief Notices of Persons Mentioned Therein. Concord, NH: New Hampshire Historical Society, 1905. (Archives.org)
- New Hampshire. (18671943). Provincial and state papers. Concord, V7, pp 690-710. (HathiTrust.org)
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