by Barbara Rimkunas
To understand how Exeter became the capital of New Hampshire during the lead-up to the Revolutionary War, it is first important to understand the type of government we had before that time. New Hampshire, like the other colonies, had a Royal governor appointed by the Crown. The governor served as the executive and generally left the day-to-day local affairs to the elected body, called the Provincial Assembly. There was also a Governor’s council, appointed by the Governor – a body unlikely to oppose his wishes.
As tensions began to mount before the war, New Hampshire had a fairly reasonable governor, John Wentworth. Wentworth succeeded his uncle, Governor Benning Wentworth, in 1767. Born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, one might think he would lean a bit to the American side of the dispute, but he did not. However, he did his best to keep New Hampshire out of most of the trouble. After Bostonians dumped valuable tea into the harbor in December of 1773, there was concern that further shipments heading to other ports (such as Portsmouth) might meet a similar fate. The British crown had granted a monopoly on tea sales to the East India Tea Company. This infuriated the colonists, who were used to purchasing (or smuggling) goods from a wide variety of sources. Limiting importation to just one company allowed the government to collect tariff fees from the colonists without any of the funds ‘leaking’ out. When tea ships arrived at Portsmouth, Governor Wentworth made sure the tariffs were paid, but the tea was quickly shipped to Halifax. There would be no tea party in Portsmouth.
Britain shut down the port of Boston as punishment for the uprising. People in New Hampshire were incensed about this and sent money to Boston to help relieve food and fuel shortages. In July, a group of men – many of whom were serving in the Provincial Assembly in Portsmouth – met at Exeter to discuss the increased tension with the British government. Exeter was chosen as the second largest town in the province and because it was inland enough that it was safe from any British naval intimidation. They agreed on two things: they would elect and send a delegation to the Continental Congress, which was forming in Philadelphia, and they set up a New Hampshire Committee of Correspondence to keep everyone informed of what was happening across the colonies. This meeting, which appears to have been short, was later known as the 1st New Hampshire Provincial Congress.
1774 did not go well for the Royal government in New Hampshire. Along with the locals holding their own meeting in Exeter, the year ended with a raid on Fort William & Mary at New Castle. The fort housed supplies of gunpowder and arms, which the Americans decided they needed, what with the all the red coats on duty in Boston. The raid delivered barrels of gunpowder across the seacoast towns, including Exeter. The town had erected a gunpowder house in 1771, so it was an excellent location to store the spoils. A 2nd Provincial Congress met in Exeter just after the raid. It is of note, that many of the same men who met in Exeter were also members of the Provincial Assembly in Portsmouth. At this 2ndCongress, it was agreed to continue to participate in the Continental Congress in Philadelphia by sending delegates and approving funds to support them. They also created a committee that would immediately call another Provincial Congress should the need arise.
And the need arose quickly. The first battle of the Revolution was fought at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. The 3rd New Hampshire Provincial Congress met on the 21st to organize military support for Massachusetts. Governor Wentworth was quickly losing his grip on local government. The final meeting of the Provincial Assembly in Portsmouth adjourned for good in the summer of 1775. The Governor’s home was surrounded, and he fled, first to the fort at New Castle, and later to Boston. He never returned as Royal Governor. The 4th New Hampshire Provincial Congress had already begun to act like the ruling body of the state – aided by the experience of most of the members who had served in the Provincial Assembly. And so, self-rule had begun in the state much earlier than most other colonies. A weak Royal government combined with the threat of excitable neighbors (and by this we mean Massachusetts) served to shift the seat of power to the people, and of course, to Exeter.
Barbara Rimkunas is curator of the Exeter Historical Society. Support the Exeter Historical Society by becoming a member! Join online at: www.exeterhistory.org
Image: The Gilman house stood in the center of Exeter during the American Revolution. The home of Joseph and Rebecca Gilman, it was where the Committee of Safety met when the Provincial Congress wasn’t in session. It was removed in 1855 to make way for the Exeter Town Hall.