Free State Project

The Free State Project is a mass migration of more than 20,000 people who have pledged to move to New Hampshire for liberty. By concentrating numbers in a single state, they are maximizing their impact as activists, entrepreneurs, community builders, and thought leaders. The Free State Project is a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit organization, educating the public about the benefits of limited government and how they can best be achieved in New Hampshire.

History

In July 2001, Jason Sorens [wrote an essay] for The Libertarian Enterprise that started the Free State Project.

According to Sorens:

... In summer 2003 (right after PorcFest Zero), we held a vote among those who had signed up. Ten states were on the ballot, voters could rank all the states, and the winner was chosen by a Condorcet method (the state that defeated each other state by an absolute majority). We used an outside firm to count and certify the ballots. Voters had to mail in notarized ballots with photo identification, at their own expense. Despite the difficulty, over 2,500 people voted. New Hampshire, whose governor had welcomed us to the state, was the clear victor.

Shortly after New Hampshire’s victory was announced on October 1, 2003, some people started moving to the state, even though no one was obligated to move until we reached 20,000 signatures. The trickle was slow at first, and then became a flood. Today, over 2,000 people have made the move to New Hampshire, and dozens of them have been elected to state and local office, founded watchdog organizations, formed new media outlets, participated in dignified and educational civil disobedience, funded legal challenges to state abuses, or otherwise advanced the cause of liberty in noteworthy ways. It is gratifying to see how much has already been accomplished by a much smaller number of people than will ultimately move.