Malcolm Rivera
John Langdon was a businessman in international trade and a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. He was an ardent supporter of the drive to ratify the Constitution of the United States in New Hampshire. Langdon believed that a binding union of the states and a strong central government would best ensure the protection of personal liberties, promote economic stability, and provide for the nation's defence.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Wanted to ratify the Constitution of the United States in New Hampshire | Yes |
| Spoke out against James Madison's proposed "negative" on state laws | Yes |
| Felt that granting the Senate power and not the House of Representatives would "hurt the feelings" of House members | Yes |
| Believed that a binding union of the states and a strong central government would best ensure the protection of personal liberties, promote economic stability, and provide for the nation's defence | Yes |
| Was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 | Yes |
| Was a signatory of the U.S. Constitution | Yes |
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What You'll Learn
John Langdon's belief in a strong central government
John Langdon was a businessman in international trade who believed that a strong central government would best ensure the protection of personal liberties, promote economic stability, and provide for the nation’s defence. He was an ardent supporter of the drive to ratify the Constitution of the United States in New Hampshire, and was instrumental in securing the state's vote to ratify the Constitution.
Langdon was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787, and subsequently one of the signatories of the U.S. Constitution. He was also a member delegate of the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1776, serving as a member of its Marine Committee which supervised the beginnings of the Continental Navy. He resigned from the Continental Congress in June 1776 to become an agent for the Continental naval forces against the British and superintended the construction of several new American warships including the Raleigh, the America, and the Ranger.
Langdon's belief in a strong central government was likely influenced by his experience in the Revolutionary War. He commanded a highly trained infantry and cavalry company within New Hampshire’s militia, and equipped an expedition against the British, participating in the Battle of Bennington further west in nearby Vermont, and commanding Langdon's Company of Light Horse Volunteers at the Battles of Saratoga and at Rhode Island.
Langdon's support for a strong central government was also evident in his opposition to James Madison's proposed "negative" on state laws. Langdon argued that granting this power to the Senate and not the House of Representatives would "hurt the feelings" of House members. This suggests that Langdon believed in a balanced distribution of power between the different branches of government.
Overall, John Langdon's belief in a strong central government was driven by his desire to protect personal liberties, promote economic stability, and provide for the nation's defence. He played a crucial role in securing the ratification of the Constitution in New Hampshire, and his contributions to the formation of the United States government are significant.
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His desire to protect personal liberties
John Langdon was a businessman in international trade and had served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He believed that a binding union of the states and a strong central government would best ensure the protection of personal liberties, promote economic stability, and provide for the nation's defence.
Langdon was an ardent supporter of the drive to ratify the Constitution of the United States in New Hampshire. He believed that a strong central government was necessary to protect personal liberties and ensure economic stability. He felt that a binding union of the states would provide for the nation's defence and promote economic growth.
Langdon was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 and subsequently one of the signatories of the U.S. Constitution. He was also active in New Hampshire's legislature and had attended the Second Continental Congress in 1775. He was a member of the Marine Committee, which supervised the beginnings of the Continental Navy.
Langdon's desire to protect personal liberties was evident in his opposition to James Madison's proposed "negative" on state laws. He argued that granting this power to the Senate and not the House of Representatives would "hurt the feelings" of House members.
Langdon's efforts to secure New Hampshire's vote to ratify the Constitution were successful, and on June 21, 1788, it became the ninth state to do so. He immediately wrote to George Washington to inform him of the news, describing New Hampshire as the "Key Stone in the Great Arch".
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His support for economic stability
John Langdon was a businessman in international trade, and had supervised the importation and distribution of arms to the Continental Army, as well as the building of warships at Portsmouth. He believed that a binding union of the states and a strong central government would best ensure the protection of personal liberties, promote economic stability, and provide for the nation’s defence.
Langdon was an ardent supporter of the drive to ratify the Constitution of the United States in New Hampshire. He believed that a strong central government would promote economic stability. He was active in New Hampshire’s legislature, and had attended the Second Continental Congress in 1775, where he served as a member of its Marine Committee, which supervised the beginnings of the Continental Navy. He also commanded a highly trained infantry and cavalry company within New Hampshire’s militia during the Revolutionary War.
Langdon's support for economic stability was also evident in his actions following the Convention. He was instrumental in securing New Hampshire’s vote to ratify the Constitution, and he immediately wrote to George Washington to inform him that New Hampshire had become the ninth state, which he described as the "Key Stone in the Great Arch".
Langdon's belief in the importance of a strong central government for economic stability was also reflected in his willingness to personally bear the cost of the trip for both himself and Nicholas Gilman to attend the Constitutional Convention, demonstrating his commitment to ensuring the ratification of the Constitution.
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His role in the Second Continental Congress
John Langdon was a member delegate of the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1776, serving on its Marine Committee, which oversaw the beginnings of the Continental Navy. He was also a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, and was one of the signatories of the U.S. Constitution. He was an ardent supporter of the drive to ratify the Constitution in New Hampshire, and was instrumental in securing the state's vote. Langdon believed that a binding union of the states and a strong central government would best ensure the protection of personal liberties, promote economic stability, and provide for the nation's defence.
Langdon was a businessman in international trade, and had supervised the importation and distribution of arms to the Continental Army, as well as the building of warships at Portsmouth. He was active in New Hampshire's legislature and had commanded a highly trained infantry and cavalry company within the state's militia during the Revolutionary War. He also equipped an expedition against the British, participating in the Battle of Bennington in Vermont, and commanding Langdon's Company of Light Horse Volunteers at the Battles of Saratoga and Rhode Island.
Langdon's enthusiasm for ratification was so great that he personally bore the cost of the trip to the Constitutional Convention for both himself and Nicholas Gilman, as New Hampshire lacked the funds to pay for their delegates' expenses. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire ratified the Constitution by a vote of 57-47, becoming the ninth state to do so. Langdon immediately wrote to George Washington to inform him of the news, describing New Hampshire as the "Key Stone in the Great Arch".
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His support for the ratification of the Bill of Rights
John Langdon was an ardent supporter of the drive to ratify the Constitution of the United States in New Hampshire. He believed that a binding union of the states and a strong central government would best ensure the protection of personal liberties, promote economic stability, and provide for the nation’s defence.
Langdon was a businessman in international trade, and had supervised both the importation and distribution of arms to the Continental Army and the building of warships at Portsmouth. He was active in New Hampshire’s legislature, had attended the Second Continental Congress in 1775, and had commanded a highly trained infantry and cavalry company within New Hampshire’s militia during the Revolutionary War.
Langdon was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787, and subsequently one of the signatories of the U.S. Constitution. He was also instrumental in securing New Hampshire’s vote to ratify the Constitution.
The first ten Amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791.
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Frequently asked questions
John Langdon believed that a binding union of the states and a strong central government would best ensure the protection of personal liberties, promote economic stability, and provide for the nation’s defence.
John Langdon was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 and subsequently one of the signatories of the U.S. Constitution. He was also instrumental in securing New Hampshire's vote to ratify the Constitution.
John Langdon was a member of the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1776, serving on its Marine Committee, which supervised the beginnings of the Continental Navy. He was also active in New Hampshire's legislature and commanded a highly trained infantry and cavalry company within the state's militia during the Revolutionary War.
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