A Duty to Testify Publicly

American Minute from William J. Federer

A member of the Continental Congress, he led military expeditions during the Revolutionary War, paying for them at his own expense. He built ships to raid the British, signed the Constitution and was the first President pro tem of the Senate. His name was John Langdon, and he died SEPTEMBER 18, 1819.

As Governor of New Hampshire, John Langdon was visited by President James Monroe in 1817, as the newspaper reported: "While at Portsmouth, the President spent that part of the Sabbath which was not devoted to public divine service, with that eminent patriot and Christian, John Langdon. His tarry...was probably longer than the time devoted to any individual in New England."

A founder and first President of the New Hampshire Bible Society, whose goal was to put a Bible in every New Hampshire home, Governor John Langdon wrote in a Proclamation, October 21, 1785: "It therefore becomes our indispensable Duty, not only to acknowledge, in general with the rest of Mankind, our dependence on the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, but as a People peculiarly favoured, to testify our Gratitude to the Author of all our Mercies, in the most solemn and public manner."

William J. Federer is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and president of Amerisearch, Inc, which is dedicated to researching our American heritage. The American Minute radio feature looks back at events in American history on the dates they occurred, is broadcast daily across the country and read by thousand on the internet.