History is for Everyone
History is for EveryoneAmerican Revolution Network

Teacher Resource Packet

First to the Republic: New Hampshire's January 1776 Constitution

Exeter, NH

Grades 8-12·2-3 class periods

This lesson uses New Hampshire's January 5, 1776 constitution — the first adopted by any colony — to examine how the transition from colonial to republican government actually worked. Students analyze what institutional capacity a community needed to assume self-governance, why New Hampshire moved before the Continental Congress authorized it, and what the document itself reveals about the revolutionaries' assumptions about representation and legitimacy. The lesson challenges students to think about the Declaration of Independence not as a beginning but as a codification of changes already underway in places like Exeter.

This Packet Includes

  • Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
  • 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
  • 3 Reading & Activity Handouts
  • Assessment Quiz (5 questions)
  • Answer Key
Unit:First to the Republic: New Hampshire's January 1776 Constitution — Lesson Overview
History is for Everyone
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Learning Objectives

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Students will explain why New Hampshire adopted a constitution eight months before the Declaration of Independence
  2. Students will analyze the 1776 NH constitution as a primary source, identifying its republican features and provisional character
  3. Students will evaluate the role of institutional capacity in enabling revolutionary self-governance

Essential Questions

Keep these questions in mind as you work through this packet:

  • What does a community need — institutionally, culturally, economically — to be capable of governing itself?
  • Was the Declaration of Independence a beginning or a codification? What does the New Hampshire example tell us?
Unit:First to the Republic: New Hampshire's January 1776 Constitution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 1 of 5
Document Information
DocumentNew Hampshire State Papers, Volume VIII: Miscellaneous Provincial and State Papers
SourceNew Hampshire Secretary of State / Amos Hadley, State Printer
TypePRIMARY

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Exeter, NH? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:First to the Republic: New Hampshire's January 1776 Constitution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 2 of 5
Document Information
DocumentConstitution of New Hampshire, January 5, 1776
SourceNew Hampshire State Archives
TypePRIMARY
Constitution of New Hampshire, January 5, 1776

Constitution of New Hampshire, January 5, 1776

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Exeter, NH? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:First to the Republic: New Hampshire's January 1776 Constitution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 3 of 5
Document Information
DocumentExeter Committee of Safety Records, 1775-1783
SourceNew Hampshire Division of Archives and Records Management
TypePRIMARY
Exeter Committee of Safety Records, 1775-1783

Exeter Committee of Safety Records, 1775-1783

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Exeter, NH? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:First to the Republic: New Hampshire's January 1776 Constitution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 4 of 5
Document Information
DocumentExperiment in Republicanism: New Hampshire Politics and the American Revolution, 1741-1794
SourceHarvard University Press (Jere R. Daniell)
TypeSECONDARY

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What primary sources does this draw from?

  5. What interpretation does the author offer?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Exeter, NH? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:First to the Republic: New Hampshire's January 1776 Constitution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 5 of 5
Document Information
DocumentAmerican Independence: New Hampshire's Role in the Revolution
SourceNational Park Service, Discover Our Shared Heritage
TypeINSTITUTIONAL
American Independence: New Hampshire's Role in the Revolution

American Independence: New Hampshire's Role in the Revolution

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What is the institution's mission?

  5. How does that mission shape the presentation?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Exeter, NH? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:First to the Republic: New Hampshire's January 1776 Constitution — Exeter Event Timeline
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Name: Date: Period:

Exeter Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

# Exeter Revolutionary Timeline


Instructions: Place the following events in order and add one detail about each.


  • [ ] New Hampshire Adopts First State Constitution
  • [ ] New Hampshire Ratifies the U.S. Constitution
  • [ ] Governor Wentworth Flees to HMS Scarborough
  • [ ] Josiah Bartlett Casts First Vote for Independence
  • [ ] New Hampshire Provincial Congress Convenes in Exeter

---


| Event | Date | Significance |

|-------|------|-------------|

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Unit:First to the Republic: New Hampshire's January 1776 Constitution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Primary Source Analysis

graphic organizer

Structured analysis of Revolutionary-era documents

# Primary Source Analysis Worksheet


## Source Information

  • Title: _________________
  • Author: _________________
  • Date: _________________
  • Type: _________________

## Observation

What do you notice? (List 3 things)

1.

2.

3.


## Reflection

What do you wonder? (List 2 questions)

1.

2.


## Analysis

What does this source tell us about Exeter during the Revolution?


_______________________________________________


## Perspective

Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?


_______________________________________________

Unit:First to the Republic: New Hampshire's January 1776 Constitution — Key Figures Profile
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Key Figures Profile

worksheet

Research template for Revolutionary figures

# Revolutionary Figure Profile


## Basic Information

  • Name: _________________
  • Birth/Death Years: _________________
  • Occupation(s): _________________

## Role in the Revolution

### Governor John Wentworth

The last royal governor of New Hampshire, whose flight to HMS Scarborough in August 1775 created the governmental vacuum that Exeter's Patriot institutions filled. His departure ended 150 years of Wentworth family dominance of New Hampshire politics.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.


### Josiah Bartlett

New Hampshire physician and statesman who cast the first delegate vote for independence on July 2, 1776, and signed the Declaration. Served as the state's chief executive. His political network ran through Exeter.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.



## Reflection

Which figure interests you most and why?


_______________________________________________

Unit:First to the Republic: New Hampshire's January 1776 Constitution — Assessment
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Exeter in the American Revolution

Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.

  1. 1.  What makes Exeter significant in Revolutionary history?

  2. 2.  Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.

  3. 3.  Name one event that occurred in Exeter during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.

    Answer:

  4. 4.  Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?

  5. 5.  Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.

    Answer:

ANSWER KEY · TEACHER COPY · DO NOT DISTRIBUTE

Exeter in the American Revolution

First to the Republic: New Hampshire's January 1776 Constitution — Exeter, NH

  1. 1.What makes Exeter significant in Revolutionary history?
    Answer:A

    Exeter played a significant role in the American Revolution as evidenced by the events we studied.

  2. 2.Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.
    Answer:True

    Primary sources provide firsthand evidence about historical events.

  3. 3.Name one event that occurred in Exeter during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
    Answer:[Varies - accept any accurate event with reasonable explanation]

    Students should identify a specific event and connect it to broader Revolutionary themes.

  4. 4.Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?
    Answer:A

    Multiple perspectives help us understand the full complexity of historical events.

  5. 5.Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.
    Answer:[Varies - accept any accurate connection]

    Students should demonstrate understanding of the interconnected nature of Revolutionary events.