NH, USA
Josiah Bartlett Casts First Vote for Independence
July 2, 1776
DateJuly 2, 1776
Precisionday
Josiah Bartlett cast the first delegate vote for independence on July 2, 1776, when Congress voted state by state on Richard Henry Lee's resolution. New Hampshire, called first alphabetically, gave Bartlett the distinction. He later signed the Declaration as the first delegate after John Hancock.
People Involved
Josiah Bartlett(Continental Congress Delegate)
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.