Overview
William Whipple was a New Hampshire Patriot who signed the Declaration of Independence and later served in the state legislature and as an associate justice of the Superior Court. Active in the Patriot Cause, he supported strict measures against Loyalists and led New Hampshire Militia forces during the American Revolutionary War.
Personal Facts
- Born: January 14, 1731, in Kittery, Province of Massachusetts (present-day Maine).
- Parents: Captain William Whipple Sr.(father) and Mary Cutt (mother).
- Spouse: Catherine Moffatt (1767).
- Died: November 28, 1875. 54 years old.
- Buried: North Cemetery, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
- Part of: Signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Significance
William Whipple is important to American History because he signed the Declaration of Independence, making him one of the nation’s Founding Fathers.
Biography
Early Life and Career
William Whipple was born on January 14, 1730, in Kittery, Maine. He was the oldest of five children of William and Mary Cutt Whipple and descended from Matthew Whipple, who came to America from England before 1638. He received a basic education and went to sea as a young man. In his early 20s, he became the captain of a ship, sailing on long voyages and taking part in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, which was legal at the time. Around 1760, he left life at sea and started a business partnership with his brother Joseph in Portsmouth.
Rise in Revolutionary Politics
Revolutionary activity started early in Portsmouth, and William Whipple aligned himself with the popular party during the disputes that led to the break with Great Britain in 1775. In that year, he left his business interests and entered public service. He took an active role in the early Provincial Congresses, served on the Council in 1776, and worked on the state Committee of Safety. He also worked closely with John Langdon and other local Patriots in Portsmouth.
Burning of Falmouth
The Burning of Falmouth (October 18, 1775) was a British naval attack on the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts — present-day Portland, Maine — that took place on October 18, 1775. The British fleet destroyed a large portion of the town, but was unable to end Patriot resistance in the area. Following the attack, Whipple wrote to Langdon and said:
“…it seems to me to be the determination of everyone to risk his all in support of his liberties & privileges, the unheard of cruelties of the enemy have so effectually united us that I believe there are not four persons now in Portsmouth who do not justify the measures pursuing in opposition to the Tyranny of Great Britain.”
Declaration of Independence
In 1776, William Whipple went to the Second Continental Congress. There, with Josiah Bartlett and Matthew Thornton, he signed the Declaration of Independence for New Hampshire.
AHC Notes
- Josiah Bartlett (1729–1795) — Bartlett was a New Hampshire physician, Patriot, and statesman who rose to prominence during the American Revolution. He is recognized as the first member of the Second Continental Congress to vote in favor of independence, and signed the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776, making him one of America’s Founding Fathers. He also signed the Articles of Confederation and served as the Governor of New Hampshire.
- Matthew Thornton (c. 1714–1803) — A Scotch-Irish immigrant, physician, and leading New Hampshire Patriot who rose to prominence during the American Revolution. He served in the colonial legislature, opposed the Stamp Act, and became President of the Provincial Congress and chairman of the Committee of Safety. Elected to the Continental Congress in 1776, he arrived in time to sign the Declaration of Independence.
Military Service and Congress
He served in Congress until 1779, except for short breaks when he commanded militia units in the Saratoga Campaign (1777) and during the Battle of Rhode Island (August 29, 1778). He worked actively on committees and often wrote about his frustration with poor public service, weak national unity, and the selfish behavior of some leaders and towns.
- He understood the problems in the commissary and recruiting systems and stressed the value of strong naval action.
- Whipple argued for firm military strikes, heavy taxation, and sharing the war’s burden across the entire population.
- He believed peace would come through victory in the field, not through diplomacy in Europe.
- Bartlett called for firm action against speculators and Loyalists, writing to Josiah Bartlett in 1779, “I think it high time they were all Hung or Banished.”
Even during the hardest moments of the war, he remained hopeful and urged New Hampshire to continue its efforts in the shared cause.
AHC Notes
- On October 15, 1777, during the Saratoga Campaign, General Horatio Gates chose Whipple and James Wilkinson to meet with British representatives to negotiate the terms of surrender (see British Surrender at Saratoga).
- Following the surrender, Whipple helped escort the Convention Army to Massachusetts.
Later Years and Death
In the closing years of the war, William Whipple stayed active in New Hampshire politics and represented Portsmouth in the legislature for several sessions. From 1782 until his death, he also served as an associate justice of the Superior Court of New Hampshire. His declining health limited his work, and he died unexpectedly while riding the circuit. He married Catharine Moffatt of Portsmouth, and they had no children.
- AHC Note — When judges were “riding the circuit,” they were typically riding their horses from town to town, overseeing court cases.
Accomplishments and Milestones
- 1731, January 14 — William Whipple was born in Kittery, Maine.
- 1776, August 2 — Signed the Declaration of Independence.
- 1782 — Started serving as an associate justice of the Superior Court.
- 1782–1785 — Represented Portsmouth in the New Hampshire legislature during multiple sessions.
- 1785, November 10 — Died while on circuit after years of declining health.
