Travel in Time with Dan: General John Stark—The Man Behind “Live Free or Die”
We recently mixed travel, history, and leadership on the Travel in Time with Dan Show, visiting Manchester, New Hampshire, at the historical site of General John Stark’s house. If you are familiar with New Hampshire, you know General Stark as the man who coined the state motto, “Live free or die“.
It’s fascinating to see how the landscape has changed. If you traveled back a couple of hundred years, the house where John Stark grew up was the only house in the area, surrounded by 800 acres of farmland. Today, in 2025, the area is completely built up.
A Revolutionary Life: Bravery and Competence
General Stark was an amazing general who was truly proficient at his job. George Washington, notably, liked and respected him. Stark also lived a remarkably long life for his time, reaching 93 years old, making him the longest-living Revolutionary General of all.
Stark’s bravery was evident even from a young age. While hunting with his brother, he was captured by an Indian tribe and forced to run the gauntlet. Instead of fleeing, Stark did the unexpected: he went right at the first Native American, grabbed the club out of his hand, and began beating the captor with it. This display of bravery so impressed the chief that Stark was adopted into the tribe as a “real warrior”.
Mastering Guerrilla Warfare
Stark later fought in the French and Indian War on the side of the English. Crucially, he refused to fight against his newly adopted Indian tribe. During this time, however, he learned critical skills, including how to fight like an Indian. This knowledge proved invaluable when he later fought for the colonists against the English, utilizing Native American tactics such as guerrilla warfare and hit-and-run. He was also known to be able to shoot very well, having been part of Rogers’ Rangers.
The Hero of Bennington
General Stark was involved in almost all of the really important American Revolutionary battles. Although he is perhaps not widely known outside of New Hampshire, he fought at key engagements including Bunker Hill, Princeton, and the great Trenton victory, where George Washington famously crossed the Delaware.
His competence earned him high respect. George Washington chose Stark to lead his flank at Trenton, even passing over more senior generals to give him that important role.
Stark’s most significant contribution came when he became the “hero of Bennington”. The victory at Bennington was a major moment, as it was really tied in with the Saratoga victory, which convinced the French that the American colonists could actually win, leading them to join the war.
The Birth of “Live Free or Die”
The famous motto originated later in Stark’s life. In 1809, when he was an older man, a reunion was held for the soldiers who had been at Bennington and helped turn the tide of the war. Although invited, Stark could not attend.
Instead, he sent a letter to his men—who deeply loved him—which served as a toast they were meant to read. The letter contained the iconic words: “Live free or die – death is not the worst of all evils.”. This phrase stuck, embodying the choice to live “like a man as an American colonist” rather than living on your knees under the British.
A Legacy of Leadership
General John Stark exemplified two core leadership traits: competence (being very good at his job) and bravery.
This combination of competence and bravery, coupled with the respect of George Washington, earned him a lasting legacy. Many things in New Hampshire are named after him, and the state boasts a huge General Stark Bennington Monument. This monument resembles the Washington Monument in Washington D.C.—a really big obelisk. However, the General Stark obelisk, located in what would be considered a more wooded area of New Hampshire, like Washington’s monument, is taller than any of the surrounding buildings, but unlike Washington’s in D.C., Stark’s is a brownish color, appropriate for its New Hampshire setting.
The lesson, perhaps, is clear: if you are truly competent and brave, and respected by the leaders of your time, you too might secure yourself a nice big monument, just like George Washington and John Stark did!
Uncovering History. Inspiring Leadership. The Travel in Time Show is where travel, history, and leadership intermingle with history teacher, author, and speaker Dan Blanchard
*Check out Dan’s book, “Travel in Time in Connecticut”: https://www.amazon.com/Travel-Time-Co...
*Watch Dan’s YouTube video on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxwVsrTTsXc&t=3s
*Listen to Dan’s podcast on this episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/40PoceNe9G5lUvm4IU9gSl?si=zaV1EOoFTc6H1yi9euXafw
*See Dan’s Interview with John Stark: (Coming Soon)
*Learn more about Dan: https://granddaddyssecrets.com/