To me, The Free State Project is the single most important liberty movement in America; perhaps the world. One could argue for Liberland, but no one is living there, and maybe crypto millionaires and billionaires will turn Puerto Rico into a voluntary mecca. But at this point in time, with almost 5,000 movers and native supporters, the Free State Project is the world’s largest community of pro-liberty individuals. That’s why I’m here.
Chances are if you live anywhere else in the world, your interactions with NAP adherents are limited to a monthly meetup and online conversations, if you’re lucky! When I lived in California, it was rare that I came across anyone interested in the cause of liberty. Real life mimicked the drone of social media, as communities bisected themselves into tribal rants. I learned to keep my philosophy to myself (mostly), because in that world believing it’s wrong to hurt people and take their things was somehow controversial. In this world, in New Hampshire, I engage with aligned people all the time. It’s so frequent that I fear I take it for granted, but I often remind myself how lucky I am to live in this place with these people.
I reside on the Freecoast with my wife and our cat. Several years ago my friends and I noticed the rapid expansion of the liberty population in our area, and we realized we could now take steps to solidify our hyper-local community. You see, the number of total FSP participants and friends had grown so large that it was possible to create well-attended regional events, meetups, and gatherings.
So we made our own festival – Freecoast Fest. Now in it’s fifth year, Freecoast Fest is a weekend event in September that pulls attendees from all over the country. It features a speaker series, entrepreneurial competition, and catered-cruise with keynote speaker on the iconic Thomas Laighton. Last year we cruised out to the Isles of Shoals, which is a group of small islands six miles off the coast of Portsmouth, NH.
We also built our own clubhouse called The Praxeum, at which we gather as co-workers, homeschool families, and friends. Our potluck feasts regularly top 100 people, and we see each other at weekly meetups, hangouts, and ad hoc play dates. The most striking thing to me is how many liberty families are here on the coast. There are so many that a robust support system for homeschool families exists. Parents and kids frequently get together to learn and play. In the past, parents that chose to homeschool had a valid concern that it might be difficult to give their children enough social interaction with their peers. That will never again be an issue in the Freecoast community.
The practical benefits of living in New Hampshire are well known, right? There’s no question it is one of the freest places to live in the world, and we reap the benefits of it. It manifests into high incomes, high employment, a low tax burden, and low crime. In fact, New Hampshire measures at or near the top of nearly every quality of life metric one can name. But these numbers, while very important do not tell the whole tale. If you move to New Hampshire, you will enjoy a far more active liberty community than anywhere else. There are people to meet and friends to make; people like me that share your values. Won’t you join us?