In A Newport Minute | 1776-1785

This video launches our new series, In A Newport Minute, created by the Newport Historical Society as part of Newport’s contribution to America Turns 250. Each installment highlights a moment in American history within a ten‑year span, beginning in 1776 and continuing to the present day.

Across these 25 short videos, we’ll explore how Newport grew, adapted, and evolved alongside the nation—sometimes in step with national events, sometimes in its own unique way. Our goal is to bring local history to life and show how our community’s story fits into the larger American narrative.

We invite you to follow along every two weeks as we share new chapters in Newport’s past.

Overview

This video recounts Newport, New Hampshire’s use of the 1776 Association Test—an oath of loyalty prompted by Continental Congress and state safety committees—to identify and record men supporting the American cause. It describes the purpose of the test as both a public pledge to oppose British forces and an informal local census prior to the first U.S. federal census in 1790, noting that all thirty-four eligible men signed.

The video provides the full list of signatories, a dated attestation from Newport (June 20, 1776), and cites contemporary and modern sources contextualizing the Association Test within broader Revolutionary-era loyalty measures and local history. Additional references point to engravings and external links for images and further reading.

All of the videos in the series can be viewed using the link below:

Sources:

1. Association Test – USGenWeb Carroll County NH (usgenwebsites.org)
2. McGuire, Mary Lou. “Newport in the Revolutionary War.” Mill Town Messenger, November 2009, p. 3.
3. Wheeler, Edmund. The History of Newport – 1766–1878. Concord, NH: 1879.
4. Divided Loyalties – Smithsonian Magazine (smithsonianmag.com)

Key Words:

Association Test, Newport, New Hampshire, 1776, loyalty oath, Continental Congress, Committee of Safety, American Revolution, Articles of Association, census, signatories, political alliances, Continental Army, British Fleets, United Colonies, Revolutionary War, men aged 21 and older

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