Interviewees:
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Eliga Gould
- Professor of History, University of New Hampshire
New Hampshire's most notorious Revolutionary-era woman is Martha Hilton, whom Governor Benning Wentworth married in 1760. His decision to leave his entire estate to her rather than his children sparked protracted legal controversy. More broadly, women in New Hampshire operated under the doctrine of coverture but wielded practical independence as “deputy husbands,” managing households, property, and family businesses. Women tavern keepers played a particularly significant political role, since much Revolutionary debate was conducted in taverns. They were often the key brokers in local discussions about independence.
