Lecture: Redcoats & Rebels: New Hampshire and the American Revolution

New Hampshire and the American Revolution don’t always go together in people’s minds. The Granite State often gets overlooked in the war narrative, overshadowed by its noisy neighbor to the south.

New Hampshire and the American Revolution

Nowadays, few people know about Paul Revere’s ride to Portsmouth in December 1774. He came to warn the patriots that the British were coming to reinforce Fort William and Mary, five months before the Redcoats marched on Concord and Lexington.

Fort Willilam and Mary, 1705

Nor do they know that two-thirds of the troops at the Battle of Bunker Hill came from New Hampshire. Most people are also unaware that New Hampshire’s Provincial Congress adopted the first state constitution in January 1776. It made no mention of royal authority and essentially declared independence from Great Britain six months before anyone else.

And this is just the beginning of New Hampshire’s revolutionary story. Join New Hampshire Historical Society staffer Mary Adams as she explores New Hampshire’s contributions to the American Revolution just in time to kick off the 250th anniversary celebrations.

Admission is free for Society members, $10 for nonmembers. No registration required.

About the New Hampshire Historical Society

Since 1823 the New Hampshire Historical Society has been preserving the state’s past and telling its stories to each generation. Nowhere will you find a more extensive collection of archives and objects related to New Hampshire’s history.

But the Society isn’t just looking to the past—it also has its eyes on the future. The New Hampshire Historical Society serves thousands of people every year through its library, museum, programs, websites, publications and exhibitions. And its school programs are teaching the next generation about history, civics and the fundamental concepts of American government. From kids to seniors and everyone in between, the Society helps us understand who we are and why New Hampshire is a place like no other.

The Society is an independent, nonprofit, member-supported organization, not a state-funded agency. All of its work to save, preserve and share New Hampshire’s past depends on membership dues and contributions from people like you.

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Learn more Revolutionary history in this complete guide to Revolutionary War Sites in New England. Brought to you by the New England Historical Society. Click here to order your copy in paperback, here to order an ebook.