Conservatives gathered at Zorvino Vineyards in Sandown to mark the 250th anniversary of New Hampshire declaring its independence, at an event hosted by Americans for Prosperity-New Hampshire and reported by NH Journal. Organizers framed the gathering as the first in a yearlong America 250 celebration tied to the “values of 1776,” blending Revolutionary history with present-day politics.
As NH Journal described it, the evening had the feel of both a history lesson and a rally, complete with period imagery.
Amid a flurry of tin whistle music, tricorn hats, and displays of the Pine Tree flag, conservatives gathered at Zorvino Vineyards in Sandown on Tuesday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of New Hampshire declaring independence and the “values of 1776” that they say are still worth defending.
NH Journal
AFP regional director Greg Moore opened by setting the stage for the broader series of events.
AFP regional director Greg Moore told the crowd the event was the first in “a yearlong celebration called America 250.”
NH Journal
Moore told attendees the goal was to keep the founding generation’s intent front of mind, NH Journal reported.
“We’re celebrating it because we want to make sure that all Americans understand the values of the Founding Fathers and what they intended when they created this nation,” Moore added.
NH Journal
Former House Speaker Bill O’Brien followed with a tour of the state’s Revolutionary record.
Former House Speaker Bill O’Brien kicked off the festivities with highlights from New Hampshire’s Revolutionary-era history, such as the Pine Tree Riot in Weare and the capture of Fort William and Mary in 1774, considered the first armed action of the American Revolution.
NH Journal
O’Brien drew applause by connecting that history to the state’s independent streak, NH Journal noted.
O’Brien inspired cheers when he noted New Hampshire’s first “declaration” was its independence not from Britain, but from Massachusetts.
NH Journal
Speakers wove together the state’s Revolutionary past and its present-day politics, and the program leaned heavily on New Hampshire’s “Live Free or Die” tradition of individual liberty, according to NH Journal. Symbols associated with the broader liberty movement, including the Gadsden flag, were on display alongside the Pine Tree flag, reinforcing the event’s framing of the state as a place defined by its independent character.
Throughout the night, speakers returned to the argument that the principles that drove the founding generation are still worth defending today, NH Journal reports, tying figures and episodes from the Revolutionary era to the policy debates now playing out in Concord. House Speaker Sherm Packard drew a connection between those who served at Valley Forge and supporters of freedom in New Hampshire today.
The Sandown celebration was pitched as the opening of a yearlong America 250 commemoration, and organizers used it to connect the state’s founding to the policy fights of the present, NH Journal reports. Speakers cited episodes such as the Pine Tree Riot in Weare and the 1774 capture of Fort William and Mary as evidence of an independent streak they argue still defines New Hampshire.
AFP regional director Greg Moore framed the state’s origins as a rejection of collectivism in favor of self-reliance, while former House Speaker Bill O’Brien tied the past to current politics, drawing cheers when he noted the state’s first act of independence was from Massachusetts rather than Britain, according to NH Journal. House Speaker Sherm Packard linked those who served at Valley Forge to supporters of freedom in New Hampshire today.
Read the full story at NH Journal.
