LANG'DON, JouN (1741-1819). An Ameri can Revolutionary leader and statesman, born at Portsmouth, N. H. He received a grammar school education, spent some years in a counting house, and at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War had become a wealthy merchant and ship owner. Ile was an ardent champion of the rights of the Colonies, and became interested in the organization of the local militia companies, as an officer of which he took part in Sullivan's seizure of Fort %Valiant and Mary at. New Castle in December, 1774. In the following year he was elected to the Continental Congress, and later, as a naval agent of Congress, be superintended the building of several ships of war at Portsmouth. In 1776 he was appointed a judge of the New Hampshire Court of Common Pleas, and in 1777 became a member and Speaker of the General Assembly of the State. At the time of Bur goyne's invasion he pledged his entire personal property to equip the New Hampshire volunteer troops. in which be served as a captain under Stark at the battle of Bennington, and after wards at Saratoga. He continued to preside over the New Hampshire Assembly until time close of the war. and in 1783 was again elected to Con gress. In 17S7 be was a delegate to the conven tion which drew up the Federal Constitution, took an active part. in the debates, earnestly opposed the proposition to continue the power enjoyed by Congress under the Confederation of issuing unconvertible paper currency or bills of credit, and on tile whole at that time approved of the establishment of a strong central govern ment. Be signed the Constitution as finally
adopted. and returned home to work for its rati fication. The New Hampshire convention, largely through his exertions, ratified the Constitution on dune 21, 1788, making the necessa•y ninth State, and thus taking from Virginia, which ratified four days later, the honor of making the instrument effective. In June, 1788. Langdon was chosen President of New Hampshire, and in November of the same year was elected to the first United States Senate. On April 6, 1789. be was elected president of that body. and in that rapacity presided over the joint session of Con gress convened for the counting of the electoral votes which made Washington the first President. Ile served as president pro ten:pore of the Senate eontinnonsly. except for a short period in 1792. when R. H. Lee presided. until 1794. From 1794 to 1804 he was a member of Congress; became a strong Anti-Federalist; and in 1801 &vaned the offer of the Navy portfolio in President Jef ferson's Cabinet. From 1802. to 1801 he was again a member of time New Hampshire Assembly. serving as Speaker in 1803-05. and in the latter year was elected Governor of the State. contin uing in cave by annual reidections until 11S09. He was again elected in 1810 and 1511. and re fused a renomination in 1812. In ISOS he re ceived the votes of nine Anti-Federal electors for the office of Vice-President. He strongly sup ported Madison's war policy and measures in 1812.-13.