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Republic of New Hampshire
The Republic of New Hampshire was founded and declared independent in January, 1776, by its citizens through their elected representatives, prior to the Declaration of Independence issued by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. It was the first of the American colonies to do so. As such, it operated as an independent nation until passage of the Articles of Confederation and as a semi-independent nation until New Hampshire became the ninth and ratifying state to enact the United States Constitution, albeit with demands for passage of a Bill of Rights.
History of the Republic[edit]
The Republic of New Hampshire, founded on January 5th, 1776, with the passage of the first Constitution of the Colony of New Hampshire, and the departure of the Royal Governor, John Wentworth II who had spent the previoius two years ensconced with his family at Fort William and Mary behind the protection of British troops, following the events of the 1774 raid upon that installation and the carting off of its powder, light arms, and cannon, and the threats of General Sullivan with cannon on the Governors Mansion.
On July 1, 1776, the New Hampshire Congress changed the name to the Republic of New Hampshire, removing all signs of royal relation in its name, seal, and flag. To this day, the Republic remains as the voice of the people through their General Court, and the original Seal of the Republic remains published above that of the Corporate State Seal on copies of the State Constitution, to reflect the power of the people over their government.
Current status[edit]
The authority and power of the people of the Republic of New Hampshire remains codified today in the Constitution of the State of New Hampshire, part the First, Article X, which states, "(Right of Revolution) Government being instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security, of the whole community, and not for the private interest or emolument of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, whenever the ends of government are perverted, and public liberty manifestly endangered, and all other means of redress are ineffectual, the people may, and of right ought to reform the old, or establish a new government. The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind. (ratified June 2, 1784)" New Hampshire is the only state in the US which explicitly retains this right for its people.
The sovereign power of the people is also declared in Article 7, "The people of this state have the sole and exclusive right of governing themselves as a free, sovereign, and independent state; and do, and forever hereafter shall, exercise and enjoy every power, jurisdiction, and right, pertaining thereto, which is not, or may not hereafter be, by them expressly delegated to the United States of America in congress assembled." This article seems to preclude NH citizens being bound by any amendment to the US Constitution, or act of the US Congress, which the citizens of NH have not expressly delegated to the US government or otherwise explicitly ratified.
This right has been exercised in the past in New Hampshire refusing to enact speed limit laws, seat belt or motorcycle helmet laws, under the coersion of the US Congress threatening the loss of highway funds, and most recently, the NH General Court passed an act finding the US REAL ID Act "repugnant" and ordering that no state agency or official shall comply with that act of congress.
External Links[edit]
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