W.H. Harrison's N.H. Supporters Pledge Sums of Money for Victory Celebration

Autograph Document Signed by “Thomas Leavitt, Jr.” and by 42 other residents of Hampton, New Hampshire, two pages, 8.5” x 13.25”, front and verso. Hampton, November 15, 1840. Verso of integral leaf bears notation “Hampton / New Hampshire.” Soiling and ink smudges which would be expected on a document separately signed in various inks by 43 people. Integral leaf tears expertly repaired. Very good condition.

In full, “We the subscribers hereby promised to pay, to any committee appointed for the purpose, the sum of money placed against several names to defray the expense of manifesting our rejoicing at the ascendancy of the Whig cause throughout the Union in the contemplated Election of William H. Harrison as President of the United States of America.” Leavitt has headed the first column “Names” and the second column “Sum to be appropriated to defray Expenses exclusive of Dinner.” Four signers have penned “Dinner” in the last column next to their amount of “1.00.” Most signers wrote “1.00,” some “.50,” and one “5-.”

In the presidential election on November 3, 1840, Whig William H. Harrison defeated incumbent President Democrat Martin Van Buren, 1.3 million to 1.1 million in popular votes, 234-60 in electoral votes, and 19-7 in states. Harrison carried the entire northeast, from Maine to Maryland, except for New Hampshire. Connecticut’s “Hartford Daily Courant,” in an article headlined “General Harrison Elected,” reported on November 11, 1840: “Of the States that have already voted for Presidential Electors, sufficient has been heard from the following to decide how they have gone.” Eleven states and their individual electoral votes were listed; ten states gave 158 electoral votes to Harrison, one state, New Hampshire, listed “7” for Van Buren. It was noted that “148 is a majority.” Photocopy of the article is present.

Thomas Leavitt, Jr., the writer and first signer of this document, was a direct descendant of Thomas Leavitt (1616-1696), an English Puritan and one of the earliest settlers of the Province of New Hampshire. He eventually settled in Hampton, one of the four original N.H. townships chartered by the General Court of Massachusetts, established in 1630. Among others signing are Moses Leavitt, Jr., A.J. Leavitt, David Marston, Jesse Lane, Samuel D. Lane, Ebenezer Lane, and Josiah Dow. According to Joseph Dow in “History of the Town of Hampton, New Hampshire: From its Settlement in 1638, to the Autumn of 1892” (Salem, Massachusetts: Salem Press Publishing and Printing Co., 1893), Thomas Leavitt, Jr. and David Marston served as Moderators of the Annual Town Meeting in various years from the 1820s to 1840s. Marston, the Lanes, and Dow were Selectman in the 1830s and 1840s.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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