Josiah Bartlett ( – May 19, 1795) was an American

Founding Father The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...

, physician,

statesman A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level. Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States * ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a n ...

, a delegate to the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

for

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

, and a signatory to the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...

and

Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was an agreement among the 13 Colonies of the United States of America that served as its first frame of government. It was approved after much debate (between July 1776 and November 1777) by ...

. He was a member of the convention which framed the

Constitution of the United States The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...

in 1787. He served as the first

governor of New Hampshire The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Verm ...

and chief justice of the New Hampshire Superior Court of Judicature, now the

New Hampshire Supreme Court The New Hampshire Supreme Court is the supreme court of the U. S. state of New Hampshire and sole appellate court of the state. The Supreme Court is seated in the state capital, Concord. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and four Associate ...

. Bartlett practiced medicine over 40 years. During that time, he promoted wellness practices, including diet, exercise, fresh air, and a contented mind. He fostered using messages from one's body to improve one's health, like drinking when thirsty and covering up when sick with chills. He managed an outbreak of throat distemper, or

diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...

, with

Peruvian bark Jesuit's bark, also known as cinchona bark, Peruvian bark or China bark, is a former remedy for malaria, as the bark contains quinine used to treat the disease. The bark of several species of the genus ''Cinchona'', family Rubiaceae indigenous ...

, also known as

quinine Quinine is a medication used to treat malaria and babesiosis. This includes the treatment of malaria due to ''Plasmodium falciparum'' that is resistant to chloroquine when artesunate is not available. While sometimes used for nocturnal leg cr ...

, with much greater success than traditional treatments. When his was very sick himself, he took cold cider, versus a warm drink, at intervals to break a fever. As governor, Bartlett worked to ensure the state's success by supporting farming and businesses, improving the state's infrastructure, codifying and enacting laws, adding special judges, and paying off the state's debt. He ran a farm and orchards over his life. His wife Mary Bartlett took on that responsibility when Bartlett was away at the

in Pennsylvania. Bartlett and his wife wrote letters to one another that provide insight into the life of a founding father, the trials they experienced and conquered as they fought for a country independent from British rule, and their strength in creating a stable life for themselves and their twelve children, eight of whom survived.

Personal life

Josiah Bartlett, born on November 21, 1729 in

Amesbury Amesbury () is a town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It is known for the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge which is within the parish. The town is claimed to be the oldest occupied settlement in Great Britain, having been first settle ...

, in the

Province of Massachusetts Bay The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in British America which became one of the Thirteen Colonies, thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III of England, William III and Mary II ...

, was the seventh and last child of Hannah (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Webster) and Stephen Bartlett, a shoemaker. Bartlett had some education from the town schoolmaster and possibly circuit schools. He learned Latin and Greek, most likely from a relative, Reverend Doctor John Webster. In 1745, Bartlett studied medicine in his hometown under Dr. Nehemiah Ordway, a relative. He also studied from Ordway's and other physician's medical books. After a five year apprenticeship, he moved to

Kingston, New Hampshire Kingston is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population at the 2020 census was 6,202. History Kingston was the fifth town to be established in New Hampshire. Originally, it was a part of Hampton, New Hampshire. ...

in 1750, where he lived with Reverend Joseph Secombe. One year later, he purchased twelve acres for a farm. On January 15, 1754, he married Mary Bartlett of

Newton, New Hampshire Newton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,820 at the 2020 census. History The sixth town to be granted from the Masonian land purchase of 1746, Newton was originally part of Salisbury, Massachu ...

. She was his cousin, the daughter of his uncle, Deacon Joseph Bartlett and Sarah (née Hoyt) Bartlett. The Bartletts had twelve children, eight who lived to adulthood. They were: Mary (1754), Lois (1756), Miriam (1758), Rhoda (1760), Levi (1763), Josiah (1768), Ezra (1770), and Sarah (1773). All three of his sons and seven of his grandsons would follow him as physicians. Bartlett was a

freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

and encouraged his son Josiah to join. Bartlett and Mary remained married until her death on July 14, 1789.

Career

Medicine

In 1750, he moved to

, in Rockingham County, and opened his medical practice. Kingston at that time was a frontier settlement. Bartlett actively practiced medicine for 40 years. During that time, he tested both traditional and new treatments for optimal

efficacy Efficacy is the ability to perform a task to a satisfactory or expected degree. The word comes from the same roots as ''effectiveness'', and it has often been used synonymously, although in pharmacology a pragmatic clinical trial#Efficacy versu ...

. A

virulent Virulence is a pathogen's or microorganism's ability to cause damage to a host. In most, especially in animal systems, virulence refers to the degree of damage caused by a microbe to its host. The pathogenicity of an organism—its ability to ca ...

form a throat distemper or

, with a fever and

canker A plant canker is a small area of dead tissue, which grows slowly, often over years. Some cankers are of only minor consequence, but others are ultimately lethal and therefore can have major economic implications for agriculture and horticultur ...

, spread throughout Kingston in 1754. Bartlett experimented with therapy using several available drugs and empirically discovered that

, also known as

, relieved symptoms long enough to allow recovery. He also realized the benefits of curing fevers with cool liquids, like apple cider, taken at intervals. He tried this when he was quite ill, against his physician's orders, with success. Beginning June 25, 1765, Bartlett and Dr. Amos Gale were partners in a medical practice in Kingston for a period of three years. Bartlett believed in fostering wellness, including exercise, diet, fresh air, and following cues of one's body, like drinking when thirsty and covering up when sick with the chills. He also believed "to keep the mind as Easy and Contented as possible" were "of much more Service than a multiplicity of Medicines". In 1790, Bartlett secured legislation recognizing the New Hampshire Medical Society. He was elected chief executive of New Hampshire, serving as president in 1791 and 1792. In 1790, he delivered the commencement address at

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

when his son Ezra graduated. Bartlett was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Medicine the same day his son was awarded the same degree.

Farming and real estate

While in Kingston, Bartlett grew crops on his twelve-acre farm beginning in 1751. As a young adult, he also made money dealing in lumber and buying and selling real estate. After he was married, the Bartletts planted and harvested crops, like corn and beans, with the help of servants. They had an orchard with peach, apple, plum, and cherry trees.

Politics

Bartlett became active in the political affairs of Kingston, and in 1765, he was elected to the

Provincial Assembly Provincial may refer to: Government & Administration * Provincial capitals, an administrative sub-national capital of a country * Provincial city (disambiguation) * Provincial minister (disambiguation) * Provincial Secretary, a position in Can ...

. Bartlett conducted discussions with Colonial Governor

Benning Wentworth Benning Wentworth (July 24, 1696 – October 14, 1770) was an American merchant and colonial administrator who served as the governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766. While serving as governor, Wentworth is best known for issuing several la ...

(1741–1766) and the

to mediate dissension caused by the

Stamp Act of 1765 The Stamp Act 1765, also known as the Duties in American Colonies Act 1765 (5 Geo. III c. 12), was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which imposed a direct tax on the British colonies in America and required that many printed materials ...

(enacted by the

Parliament of Great Britain The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in May 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. The Acts ratified the treaty of Union which created a new unified Kingdo ...

). He opposed the

Townshend Acts The Townshend Acts () or Townshend Duties, were a series of British acts of Parliament passed during 1767 and 1768 introducing a series of taxes and regulations to fund administration of the British colonies in America. They are named after the ...

of 1767 and 1768 and aligned politically with the patriots, or Whigs. Bartlett was member of the colonial legislature until 1775. While a legislator, Bartlett was at odds with both Governor Wentworths, Benning and

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

, who endorsed the

Kingdom of Great Britain The Kingdom of Great Britain (officially Great Britain) was a Sovereign state, sovereign country in Western Europe from 1 May 1707 to the end of 31 December 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of ...

's agenda over the needs of the people of New Hampshire. In an unsuccessful attempt to influence Bartlett, Governor Benning Wentworth appointed him as justice of the peace in 1765. Two years later, Colonial Governor John Wentworth (1767–1775) did the same. Bartlett organized the 7th Regiment of the New Hampshire Milition and in 1770, he was a colonel of the militia. Wanting independence from the

, Bartlett participated in revolutionary causes beginning in 1774. He joined the Provincial Assembly's

Committee of Correspondence The committees of correspondence were, prior to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, a collection of American political organizations that sought to coordinate opposition to British Parliament and, later, support for American independe ...

and the Committee of Safety in May. In response, the governor immediately dissolved the Provincial Assembly, which resulted in the termination of the royal government in New Hampshire. A temporary government was organized with the Provincial Congress, when that assembly was not in session, the Committee of Safety took the lead. Bartlett retained his seat in the Assembly. The Committee of Correspondence reassembled the representatives and selected delegates to the upcoming Continental Congress. KingstonNH_JosiahBartlettHouse

Also in May, his house was burned down, likely by

Tories A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...

. Bartlett was chosen to represent New Hampshire at the

First Continental Congress The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 British colonies that became the United States. It met from September 5 to October 26, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after the British Navy ...

(September 5 to October 26, 1774), but declined because his house was razed. He moved his family out to the farmhouse and began rebuilding immediately. The

Josiah Bartlett House The Josiah Bartlett House is a house in Kingston, New Hampshire. The -story wood-frame house is located on Main Street, opposite Town Hall. The main block of the house, five bays wide and three deep, was built in 1774 by U.S. Founding Father Jos ...

was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1971. and He was named an "accessory after the fact" for the Capture of Fort William and Mary (December 14, 1774) in

New Castle, New Hampshire New Castle is a New England town, town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,000 at the 2020 census. It is the smallest and easternmost town in New Hampshire, and the only one loc ...

. Governor Wentworth dismissed him from his positions as a justice of the peace and militia colonel in February 1775.

Founding father and military leader

Bartlett was a member of the

in 1775, 1776 and 1778. He was selected as a delegate in 1775, and attended the Second Session of the Continental Congress where he sat on the civil government, secrecy, safety, marine, and munitions Committees. When the question of declaring

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

from

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

was officially brought up in 1776, as a representative of the northernmost colony Bartlett was the first to be asked, and he answered in the affirmative. He was the second signer of the

(July 4, 1776). He signed the engrossed copy on August 2, 1776. After asking for relief, a couple of men from New Hampshire joined the delegation and that allowed Bartlett to return to New Hampshire in 1777. Bartlett organized regiments to respond to an anticipated threat from

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

. He led the troops with supplies to

Bennington, New Hampshire Bennington is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,501 at the 2020 census. The main village of the town, where 338 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Bennington census-designated pla ...

to join up with Gen.

John Stark Major-General John Stark (August 28, 1728 – May 8, 1822) was an American military officer who served during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. He became known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Batt ...

's forces. He brought medical supplies that were needed for the

Battle of Bennington The Battle of Bennington was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, part of the Saratoga campaign, that took place on August 16, 1777, on a farm owned by John Green in Walloomsac, New York, about from its namesake, Bennington, Vermont. A r ...

(August 16, 1777). In 1779, Bartlett was made a colonel in the militia. Bartlett was reelected to the Continental Congress on March 14, 1778 and returned to Pennsylvania by May 21, 1778. He served on the committee that drafted the

and he signed the instrument. Bartlett withdrew his seat on October 31, 1778 to return to New Hampshire to attend to personal business. While he was away from home, his wife Mary, pregnant part of that time, had managed the planting and harvesting of crops, cared for their large family, and oversaw the servants' work. Bartlett and Mary wrote letters to one another that provide insight into their lives during the revolution. Pauline Maier in ''The old revolutionaries : political lives in the age of Samuel Adams'' states: "In the midst of change, some revolutionaries cultivated continuity. For Josiah and Mary Bartlett, the permanent alterations the Revolution brought to them and their provincial world were grafted upon a larger field of stability. Josiah might help design a national government that would determine the happiness of all future generations, but the seasons would come as always, the drought and worms at most a little earlier, a little later; and even the failure of the Revolution would have been, it seemed, but another of the troubles that marked men's existence and for which Providence would again somehow provide."

Later career

He became chief justice of the Court of Common Pleas in 1778. In 1779, he returned to his role as a judge, serving in the Court of Common Pleas until 1782 when he became associate justice for the

. Bartlett was a delegate from New Hampshire at the convention that framed the

in 1787. He argued for ratification, which took place on June 21, 1788. New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify the Constitution. In 1788, Bartlett was made the chief justice of the state supreme court. The legislature of the new state of New Hampshire selected him to be a U. S. Senator in 1789, but he declined the office. He resigned as chief justice in 1789. Bartlett was governor of New Hampshire from 1790, initially called chief executive or president. When the new state constitution of 1792 took effect in 1793, his title became governor. He resigned on January 29, 1794 because of declining health. During his tenure, Bartlett developed the foundation for New Hampshire to operate successfully as a state by evaluating existing laws and making new ones, regulating the use of gold and silver coins, establishing special judges, and working with the legislature. He made provisions for payment of the state's debt. He also improved New Hampshire's infrastructure, maintaining and building roads, bridges, and canals. For the state's economy, he supported agriculture and businesses.

Death and legacy

Josiah_Bartlett_Museum_(exterior)_-_Amesbury,_Massachusetts

Bartlett retired to his home in Kingston and died there on May 19, 1795. The cause of death was paralysis. He is buried next to his wife Mary in the

Plains Cemetery Plains Cemetery, also known as Village Cemetery, is a historic cemetery on Cemetery Lane in Kingston, New Hampshire. Established circa 1725, it includes the resting place of Josiah Bartlett, the second signer of the United States Declaration of ...

, behind the First Universalist Church in Kingston. Seven-inch medallions located at Bartlett and his wife's graves were awarded by the

Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...

and the

Sons of the American Revolution The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR or NSSAR) is an American Congressional charter, congressionally chartered organization, founded in 1889 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Louisville, Kentucky. A non-prof ...

. A bronze statue of Bartlett stands in the town square of

Amesbury, Massachusetts Amesbury is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the left bank of the Merrimack River near its mouth, upstream from Salisbury and across the river from Newburyport and West Newbury. The population was 17,366 at the 2020 ...

. His portrait hangs in the

State House State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2020 census the population was 43,976, making it the third largest city in New Hampshire behind Manchester and Nashua. The village of ...

, drawn from an original by

John Trumbull John Trumbull (June 6, 1756November 10, 1843) was an American artist of the early independence period, notable for his historical paintings of the American Revolutionary War, of which he was a veteran. He has been called the "Painter of the Rev ...

Bartlett, New Hampshire Bartlett is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,200 at the 2020 census, up from 2,788 at the 2010 census. Bartlett includes the unincorporated community of Glen as well as portions of the communities of ...

, is named in his honor, along with the Josiah Bartlett Elementary School. Bartlett is featured on a

New Hampshire historical marker The U.S. state of New Hampshire has, since 1958, placed historical markers at locations that are deemed significant to New Hampshire history. The New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources (DHR) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) are j ...

( number 46) along

New Hampshire Route 111 New Hampshire Route 111 (abbreviated NH 111) is a east–west highway in Hillsborough and Rockingham counties in southeastern New Hampshire. The road runs from the Massachusetts border at Hollis to North Hampton on the Atlantic shore. The we ...

in Kingston. The Bartlett School in Amesbury, which operated from 1870 until 1968, operates since then as the Bartlett Museum, Inc., a nonprofit museum. The poem ''One of the Signers'' was written by

John Greenleaf Whittier John Greenleaf Whittier (December 17, 1807 – September 7, 1892) was an American Quaker poet and advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. Frequently listed as one of the fireside poets, he was influenced by the Scottish poet ...

to honor Bartlett. The main character in the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

drama series ''

The West Wing ''The West Wing'' is an American serial (radio and television), serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the ...

'', President Josiah Bartlet, is a fictional character depicted as a descendant of the Declaration of Independence signatory.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * *

External links

Society of Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
*
The Papers of Josiah Bartlett
at Dartmouth College Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Bartlett, Josiah 1729 births 1795 deaths Founding Fathers of the United States People from Amesbury, Massachusetts People from colonial Massachusetts People from colonial New Hampshire American people of English descent American Congregationalists Protestants from Massachusetts Continental Congressmen from New Hampshire Signers of the Articles of Confederation Signers of the United States Declaration of Independence New Hampshire Democratic-Republicans Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States Governors of New Hampshire Chief Justices of the New Hampshire Supreme Court Physicians from Massachusetts Physicians from New Hampshire 18th-century American physicians New Hampshire militiamen in the American Revolution People of New Hampshire in the American Revolution