John Langdon
Delegates to the Constitutional Convention
State: New Hampshire
Age at Convention: 46
Date of Birth: 06/26/1741
Date of Death: 09/18/1819
Schooling: Dartmouth Honorary doctor of law degree 1805
Occupation: Merchant, Ship builder
Prior Political Experience: Continental Congress 1775-1776, Speaker of New Hampshire State Legislature 1777-1781, State Senate 1784, President of New Hampshire 1785
Committee Assignments: Committee of Assumption of State Debts, Committee of Slave Trade, Committee of Trade
Convention Contributions: Langdon did not arrive at the convention until late July. This is due to the fact that New Hampshire refused to pay for the delegates to attend. As a result, Langdon paid for both himself and fellow delegate Gilman to attend. While at the convention, he spoke more than 20 times during debate and supported centralization. William Pierce described him as “a Man of considerable fortune, possesses a liberal mind, and a good plain understanding.”
New Government Participation: After the convention, he served once more as New Hapshire’s President in 1788. Then, he served as a senator from 1789-1801, including serving twice as president pro tempore. Following this, he served in the New Hampshire state legislature from 1801-1805, including twice as speaker. Langdon finished his political career by serving as Governor of New Hampshire from 1805-1811, with a year off in 1809.