Editing Nicholas Gilman (section)

==Family background and early life==
[[File: Nicholas Gilman Treasurer New Hampshire.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Order by Nicholas Gilman, Treasurer of New Hampshire, Exeter, 1781]]
Gilman was born in Exeter, [[Province of New Hampshire]], to Ann (Taylor) and Nicholas Gilman,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wooa0JNsqJ4C&q=Ann+(Taylor)+Nicholas+Gilman&pg=PA255|title = Signers of the Constitution: Historic Places Commemorating the Signing of the Constitution|year = 1976}}</ref> the second son in a family of six children. Gilman had four brothers and one sister who were named (from oldest to youngest) John, Nicholas, Nathaniel, Elizabeth, Samuel, and Daniel. He also had two brothers who died before a year of age.  Born during the [[French and Indian War]], he was soon aware of the military responsibilities that went with citizenship in a New England colony. After attending local public schools, he became a clerk in his father's trading house, but the growing rift between the colonies and [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] quickly thrust Gilman into the struggle for independence.  New England merchants, in particular, resented Parliament's attempt to end its "salutary neglect" of the financial and political affairs of the colonies by instituting measures to raise and to enforce the raising of revenue measures that many Americans considered violations of their rights as British citizens.  Gilman's father, along with [[Nathaniel Folsom]] and [[Enoch Poor]], emerged as a leader of the [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriot]] cause in Exeter.

He represented his community in the New Hampshire Provincial Congresses, which met just after hostilities broke out at [[Battles of Lexington and Concord|Lexington and Concord]] in 1775 and which later drafted the state constitution. During the [[American Revolution]] he served as the state's treasurer.  His oldest brother, John, was a sergeant in Exeter's company of militia that marched to fight the Redcoats around Boston.  Nicholas remained behind but was an ardent supporter of the Patriot cause, and he likely trained with the local militia regiment.