Josiah Bartlett was born in November of 1729 in Massachusetts to Stephen and Hannah Bartlett, shoemakers and later farmers. He received some education from the local schoolmaster in Amesbury. He was also tutored in Greek and Latin by a relative. When Bartlett was 16, he began to study medicine under Dr. James Ordway, who provided a basic knowledge of the practice. Eventually Bartlett moved to Kingston, New Hampshire to employ his knowledge and start his own practice.
Bartletts’ arrival in Kingston, with a small horse, some surgeons’ instruments and medicines, and $30 to his name, was not grand. He boarded with various doctors and learned as much as he could from them and their libraries, leading to a growth in his popularity as a doctor. Eventually, during an outbreak of diphtheria, he successfully treated his patients with quinine, rather than the traditional methods of bloodletting and starvation.
As his reputation and popularity grew, Bartlett was eventually elected to serve in public positions. He always supported the independence movement and the interests of the colonies. He was appointed as Lieutenant commander of the Seventh Militia Regiment by Royal Governor Wentworth, who hoped to sway Bartlett to the royalist cause. Wentworth’s ambitions were never realized, and Bartlett was in communication with Sam Adams and others.
Bartlett was chosen to represent New Hampshire in the First Continental Congress but was unable to attend due to his home being burned down, presumably by loyalists. Bartlett was chosen again as a delegate to the Continental Congress once the opposition had settled and served there as an active member.
Always a firm supporter of independence, in 1775 Bartlett wrote, “May the supreme disposer of all events in due time put an end to the troubles of America & settle her liberties on a solid foundation.” A few months later, in February 1776, he wrote “The time is now at hand when we shall see whether America has virtue enough to be free or not.”
Bartlett was on the committee that drafted the Articles of Confederation, and in a letter to his wife wrote, “It is a matter of the greatest consequence & requires the greatest care in forming it. May God grant us wisdom to form a happy Constitution, as the happiness of America to all future generations depend on it.”
When the vote was held for independence on July 2, 1776, it is said the Bartlett, “Made the rafters shake with the loudness of his approval.” Bartlett continued in public service for the rest of his life, and, despite his efforts in creating the Articles of Confederation, was a strong advocate for the U.S. Constitution, using his influence to help New Hampshire ratify it. He continued to uphold the tradition of liberty until his death in May of 1795.
Additional Resources
Josiah Bartlett | Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
Josiah Bartlett | Biography, Declaration of Independence, & Facts | Britannica
