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.
Part history lesson, part GOP pep rally, the event was hosted by Americans for Prosperity–New Hampshire (AFP-NH). AFP regional director Greg Moore told the crowd the event was the first in “a yearlong celebration called America 250.”
“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.
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. O’Brien also managed to link past events to current politics. For example, in a moment that could have come from a Kelly Ayotte for governor campaign rally, O’Brien inspired cheers when he noted New Hampshire’s first “declaration” was its independence not from Britain, but from Massachusetts.
Moore also worked in a reference to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D). Recounting how New Hampshire was determined to be ungovernable by British authorities and abandoned by the Crown, Moore said, “The state of New Hampshire was born because we were abandoned by the warmth of collectivism and had to turn to rugged individualism.”
The theme of the event was the fight for freedom, both 250 years ago and today. Symbols of what is sometimes called the “liberty” movement, such as the Gadsden flag, flew overhead. House Speaker Sherm Packard (R-Londonderry) drew a direct connection between those who served at Valley Forge and supporters of freedom in New Hampshire today.
“Freedom isn’t free. It comes with a price, and the price is for every single one of you to get out and do everything in your power to make sure that New Hampshire remains free,” Packard said. “You can say that you believe in freedom all day long, but if you don’t go out and fight for it, you lose it.”
House Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R-Auburn) skipped the lofty rhetoric and instead urged the crowd, which included many Republican House members, to support key legislation in the session starting this week. He specifically mentioned HB 675, a Republican measure designed to address rising property taxes by limiting increases to the inflation rate without a supermajority vote. According to Osborne, this isn’t just good policy, it’s also smart politics.
“We have just a monstrous school spending system right now. It’s $4 billion of taxpayer money being spent on Lord knows what. Costs are out of control,” Osborne said. “There’s never been a more popular issue that we’ve worked on in my time in the House. The phones are ringing off the hook, and the emails are coming in. People want this to pass.”
Like Packard, Osborne reiterated the need for citizens to step up if they want New Hampshire to continue its Live Free or Die philosophy.
“We remain first in freedom in the Northeast and in the country, not because Josiah Bartlett and his buddies got together and wrote the Constitution,” Osborne said. “It’s because in every generation since then, defenders of liberty have risen up.
“We need 400 candidates for the State House. If you are interested at all in stepping up and being part of the freedom fighters in Concord, I would love for you to join us.”
