Let me tell you a story—not a fairy tale, not a conspiracy, not some fringe fantasy—but a real, sober, legally grounded story about power and consent.
A story about how New Hampshire, our quirky, stubborn little Free State tucked away in the Northeast, may become the first country to be truly borne of consent.
Yes, I’m talking about secession. That big, scary word that makes even
Dr. Phil clutch his pearls. But I’m not here to fearmonger. I’m here to inform you that under New Hampshire’s own founding documents—and in the hearts of liberty lovers who still believe governments derive their powers from the consent of the governed—we may have a legal and moral path to peaceful independence.
Let’s start where every good New Hampshire story does: the rock-hard truth.
The Right of Revolution Isn’t Just Rhetoric
Article 10 of the New Hampshire Constitution isn’t some poetic relic gathering dust. It is an instruction manual. It reads: “The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.” Read that again. Not “discouraged.” Not “unwise.” Absurd. Slavish. Destructive.
It continues: when liberty is manifestly endangered and other means of redress have failed, “the people may, and of right ought to, reform the old or establish a new government.” “Ought to;” it’s a literal imperative.
Now ask yourself: Is a federal government that spies on you, censors you, taxes you into oblivion, weaponizes its agencies, ignores its own laws, prints fake money, and racks up $34 trillion in debt with no plan to stop… is that “arbitrary power”? Is that “oppression”? I’d say it meets the Article 10 bar. And then some.
We Were Sovereign Before Sovereign Was Cool
New Hampshire ratified its first constitution in 1776. That’s not a typo. Two years before the U.S. Constitution even existed, we had already declared ourselves a free and independent state. When we joined the union, it was a voluntary compact—an agreement between states and their people. Not a one-way ticket into a forever-bond we could never escape.
Our Constitution makes this clear. Article 7 says: “The people of this state have the sole and exclusive right of governing themselves as a free, sovereign, and independent state…” That’s not wiggle language. That’s 100% clear.
If we delegated powers to the federal government, we can undelegate them. That’s not rebellion—that’s contractual reality.
The Supremacy Clause Isn’t a Straightjacket
Cue the federalists citing the Supremacy Clause and Texas v. White like it’s their religion. “The Union is indissoluble,” they cry. “Secession is illegal!” But let’s pause the knee-jerk reactions and read the fine print.
Texas v. White was decided in 1869 by a post-Civil War court that never even contemplated a peaceful, voter-driven exit. That case involved rebellion, war, bloodshed. Not ballots. Not constitutional amendments. And even then, Chief Justice Salmon Chase admitted that “revolution or consent of the States” might offer an exit.
So… what if it’s not revolution, but reformation? What if it is not revolution, but evolution? What if it is the next level to solve the complexity of statehood? What if it’s not war, but a vote? What if it’s not rebellion, but the lawful exercise of the people’s right—enshrined in our state constitution—to “establish a new government” when the old one fails?
Self-Determination: It’s Not Just for Everyone Else
The United States parades around the world promoting democracy and self-determination… for other countries. But what about us? What about the “Live Free or Die” people? Are we not “a people” with the right to determine our own political destiny?
The UN Charter says yes. So does the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. But more importantly, so does the Declaration of Independence—the very blueprint for America’s own exit from a dysfunctional political union. Anti-independence folks want you to forget that America was borne from secession!
Governments claim they derive their just powers from the “consent of the governed.” When that consent is withdrawn, legitimacy evaporates. If the people of New Hampshire vote—through a rigorous constitutional process—to leave, that vote carries more moral weight than any Supreme Court opinion.
Democracy, Not Destruction
Let’s be clear: we’re not talking about a bunch of pitchfork-waving rebels. We’re talking about amending our state constitution, the most democratic process we have.
Under Article 100, a proposed amendment requires a 60% vote in both the House and Senate, followed by a two-thirds majority vote by We the People. That’s not fringe. That’s not violent. That’s not illegal. That’s democracy with a capital D.
And guess what? We’ve already tried. CACR 32 in 2022 and CACR 20 in 2024 may have failed, but they prove that the will to discuss secession exists. It’s not going away. And if we keep building our case and demonstrating real self-sufficiency, it will pass one day.
Independence Isn’t Just Legal—It’s Possible
Can we stand on our own? Absolutely. We’re already punching above our weight:
- We passed HB 302 to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve—modern monetary hedging 101.
- We’re energy resilient, with nuclear power supplying more than half of our grid and future plans in the works.
- We’re fiscally responsible—unlike D.C.—with a booming tax base and frugal government.
- We send $12 billion in taxes to the feds every year and get back only $9 billion. That’s a $3 billion thank-you note we never signed.
So yes, we can afford to be free.
So What If D.C. Says No?
They might. But then they’re just proving our point. If a peaceful, democratic vote can’t free us from a government we no longer consent to, then we no longer live in a republic. We live in a federal prison, a state-sized cage.
If the federal government threatens force to keep us in, who’s really the aggressor? And who’s defending liberty?
They let states nullify drug laws, immigration laws, even gun laws. But God forbid a state nullify its entire relationship? That’s not law. That’s coercion. And a free New Hampshire will not be bullied.
Final Thought: The Time to Ask Is Now
New Hampshire has both the legal right and moral obligation to consider secession. Not to cause chaos. Not to burn bridges. But to honor our founding principles. To model what peaceful, lawful revolution looks like. To say, with clear eyes and strong hearts: “We’re not afraid to go first.” First, because we are home to the Pine Tree Riot. First, because we are home to the Free State movement. First, because we are building the future, and the future is decentralized. First, because liberty is worth fighting for, and if we, Granite Staters, choose our own path by voting for it, no one can stop us. Not even our morally and financially bankrupt, profligate, creepy Uncle Sam.