Gilman, Nicholas, 1755-1814

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Nicholas Gilman Jr. (August 3, 1755 – May 2, 1814) was an American Founding Father, a soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, a delegate to the Continental Congress, and a signer of the U.S. Constitution, representing New Hampshire. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives during the first four Congresses and served in the U.S. Senate from 1805 until his death in 1814.

Born in Exeter in the Province of New Hampshire, after attending local public schools, he became a clerk in his father's trading house, but the growing rift between the colonies and Great Britain quickly thrust Gilman into the struggle for independence. Gilman represented his community in the New Hampshire Provincial Congresses, which met just after hostilities broke out at Lexington and Concord in 1775 and which later drafted the state constitution. During the American Revolution he served as the state's treasurer. While remaining in Exeter, Gilman was an ardent supporter of the Patriot cause, and he likely trained with the local militia regiment. In November 1776, a committee of the state legislature appointed Gilman to serve as adjutant, or administrative officer, of the 3rd New Hampshire Regiment, serving in the military until retiring in late 1783.

Following the war, Gilman's career as merchant proved short-lived. In 1786 and 1787, the New Hampshire legislature appointed Gilman to the Continental Congress. He was also selected in 1786 to represent the state at the Annapolis Convention. When the First Congress of the new United States of America convened in New York in 1789, Gilman was in attendance as a member of the House of Representatives, a seat he filled for four terms. After returning to Exeter, Nicholas resumed his own political career in 1800, serving a term as state senator. Initially a Federalist while that party led the fight for a more binding union of the states, Gilman became increasingly concerned with the need to protect the common man from abuses of power by government. As a consequence, he gave his support to the Democratic-Republican Party that was beginning to form around Thomas Jefferson. In 1801, he accepted the appointment from Jefferson as a federal bankruptcy commissioner. Following one unsuccessful attempt, he was then elected to the United States Senate in 1804 as a Jeffersonian. Gilman served in the Senate until his death in Philadelphia. He was buried in Exeter Cemetery in Exeter, New Hampshire.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Thomas Addis Emmet collection, 1483-1876 (bulk:1700-1800) New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Houghton Library printed book provenance file, E-K. Houghton Library
creatorOf Gilman, Nicholas, 1755-1814. Letters of Nicholas Gilman, 1790-1808. Library of Congress
creatorOf Gilman, Nicholas. A site selection of a new major airport for the New Jersey-New York metropolitan region. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
creatorOf New Hampshire. Treasury Dept. [Orders and receipts, 1779-1785, relating to taxes in North Hampston, N.H.]. Dartmouth College Library
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part I: The Revolution and the Administration, 1669-1958. Houghton Library
creatorOf Thornton, Matthew, 1714?-1803. An order to pay to Nicholas Gilman, 1776 September 20. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Gilman, Nicholas, 1755-1814. Correspondence. 1796-1808. Dartmouth College Library
creatorOf Gilman, Arthur, 1837-1909. Papers, 1738-1908, bulk: 1738-1869. Massachusetts Historical Society
creatorOf Sullivan, John, 1740-1795. Letter: Durham, [N.H.], to Nicholas Gilman, [Exeter, N.H.?], 1790, May 4. UNH Durham, Dimond Library
creatorOf Gilman, John Taylor, 1753-1828. Papers, ca. 1780-1828. Dartmouth College Library
creatorOf Gilman, Nicholas, 1755-1814. Clipped signature : [n.p., n.d.]. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Gilman, Nicholas, 1755-1814. Note of "Bank of the United States", 1803 Apr. 14. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Merrill, Phinehas, 1767-1815. Plan of a piece of land in Exeter : containing thirty-six acres belonging to Col. John Rogers, 1813 / surveyed by Phinehas Merrill. Dartmouth College Library
creatorOf Monroe, James, 1758-1831. Letter draft to Mr. [Nicholas] Gilman, 1808 March 25. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Autograph File, S, 1556-1996. Houghton Library
referencedIn The Gilman family. New Hampshire Historical Society Library
referencedIn Langdon, John, 1741-1819. John Langdon correspondence, 1776-1809. Library of Congress
creatorOf Dawes, William, 1745-1799. Papers, 1727-1814. Massachusetts Historical Society
creatorOf Gilman, Nicholas. [Document] 1782 Jan. 30 / Nich. Gilman. Smith College, Neilson Library
creatorOf Gilman, Nicholas, 1755-1814. ADS [1793] to Major Jonathan Cass. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn Wendell family papers Houghton Library
creatorOf Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795. Papers, 1774-1794. New Hampshire Newspaper Project
referencedIn United States Constitution Collection, 1773-1944, (bulk 1787-1919) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Washington Irving's Life of George Washington Volume IX, Miscellany, 1766-1808 Cornell University Library
creatorOf Monroe, James, 1758-1831. Letter draft to Mr. [Nicholas] Gilman, 1808 March 25. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Daniel Gilman and Co. Correspondence 1790-1802. Dartmouth College Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795. person
associatedWith Cass, Major Jonathan. person
associatedWith Daniel Gilman and Co. corporateBody
associatedWith Dawes, William, 1745-1799. person
associatedWith Dearborn, Frederick M. (Frederick Myers), b. 1876 person
associatedWith Dearborn, Frederick M. (Frederick Myers), b. 1876 person
associatedWith Emmet, Thomas Addis person
associatedWith Gilman, Arthur, 1837-1909. person
relativeOf Gilman, Charles Jervis, 1824-1901 person
sibling of Gilman, John Taylor, 1753-1828. person
associatedWith Glazier, William S., person
associatedWith Houghton Library. corporateBody
correspondedWith Langdon, John, 1741-1819. person
associatedWith Merrill, Phinehas, 1767-1815. person
associatedWith Monroe, James, 1758-1831. person
associatedWith New Hampshire. Treasury Dept. corporateBody
associatedWith Pierpont Morgan Library. Glazier Collection. corporateBody
associatedWith Sullivan, John, 1740-1795. person
associatedWith Thornton, Matthew, 1714?-1803. person
memberOf United States. Congress. House corporateBody
memberOf United States. Congress. Senate corporateBody
memberOf United States. Continental Army corporateBody
memberOf United States. Continental Congress corporateBody
correspondedWith Wendell family. family
Place Name Admin Code Country
Philadelphia PA US
Exeter NH US
Subject
Embargo, 1807-1809
Signers of the Constitution
Occupation
Army officers
Clerks
Delegates, U.S. Continental Congress
Merchants
Representatives, U.S. Congress
Senators, U.S. Congress
Activity

Person

Birth 1755-08-03

Death 1814-05-02

Male

Americans,

Britons

English

Information

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