FSP Timeline
A chronology of notable events in the Free State Project's
history.
| Date | Notable Event |
|---|
|
2001 |
| 7/23/01 |
Jason Sorens' seminal article
Announcement: The Free State Project appears in The Libertarian
Enterprise. |
| 7/31/01 |
Interested participant, Robert Vroman, sets up FSP
Yahoo group
(called "clubs" back then). |
| 8/4/01 |
First website launched, thanks to Larry Myers. |
| 8/6/01 |
220 people have signed up already. |
| 8/6/01 |
Jason's second article
Update: Free
State Project in The Libertarian Enterprise. |
| 8/10/01 |
Motto chosen: Liberty in our Lifetime |
| 8/24/01 |
Yahoo group grows
to 100 members. |
| 8/28/01 |
Brian Wilson, libertarian radio talk show host in California, interviews
Jason and joins the FSP on the air. |
| 8/29/01 |
Web poll sets state-vote when membership reaches 5,000. |
| 9/1/01 |
Official beginning of FSP. Statement of
Intent; Participation
Guidelines; Mission Statement: "The Free State Project is a plan in
which 20,000 or more liberty-oriented people will move ...". |
| 9/9/01 |
Logo and mascot chosen:
 |
| 9/11/01 | 9-11 |
| 9/15/01 |
Claire Wolfe article Would You Move
to the State of the Free? in Sierra Times. |
| 10/01 |
Much website content added. |
| 10/01 |
Elizabeth McKinstry speaks at conventions in FL, IL, IN, CO. |
| 10/29/01 |
First media article about FSP.
Media archives set up. |
| 12/01 |
Jason's What Can 20,000 Liberty
Activists Accomplish? published in Freedom Daily News. |
| 12/01 |
Member poll nixes Commonwealths (e.g. Virgin Islands) from state vote. |
|
2002 |
| 1/02 |
FSP partners with free-market.net; our
banners and articles appear on their site. Editor assigned to cover us is
Mary Lou Seymour (who becomes a major activist for the FSP). |
| 1/02 |
ME LP endorses FSP. |
| 2/02 |
Debra Ricketts designs new website. |
| 3/02 |
FSP incorporates as a nonprofit corporation in Nevada (easy to incorporate).
First Board of Directors: Jason Sorens (Pres.), Elizabeth
McKinstry (VP), Debra Ricketts (Treas), Robert Vroman, Joe
Littlejohn. Others: Mary Lou Seymour, Amanda Maxwell,
Steve Cobb. Committees: Research and Publicity/Finance. |
| 4/6/02 |
Board enacts corporate bylaws and elects
officers. |
| 7/02 |
Research Committee determines 10 candidate states: "all states under 1.5
million population" (except HI and RI which are too statist). 10 states are:
AK DE ID ME MT ND NH SD VT WY. State reports and
state-comparison spreadsheet variables
abound. |
| 7/18/02 |
FSP store and
online forum added. |
| 8/02 |
After big controversy,
Yahoo group
becomes fully moderated and restricted to FSP business (due to high-volume of
off-topic posts). Other lists set up for general discussions. |
| 8/7/02 |
Walter Williams' endorsement
in his column and on "Hannity and Colmes" TV program causes jump in website
visits and new members. |
| 9/1/02 |
First year anniversary of FSP founding. Jason writes
A History of the Free State Project
On Its First Birthday. |
| 9/9/02 |
1,000 members. |
| 10/13/02 |
New directors Tim Condon and Matt Cheselka. |
| 10/13/02 |
FSP featured on front page story of
the Union Leader in Manchester, NH. |
| 10/17/02 |
Vin Suprynowicz signs up.
|
| 10/22/02 |
Mention on
slashdot results in FSP website overload. |
| 11/1/02 |
Membership growth chart. |
| 12/16/02 |
State vote will use Simple
Condorcet's Method. |
|
2003 |
| 1/18/03 |
NH LP endorses FSP.
|
| 2/4/03 |
FSP Reaches 2,500 Members. |
| 2/25/03 |
VT LP endorses FSP. |
| 3/8/03 |
DE LP endorses FSP. |
| 3/25/03 |
First issue of The Quill – the
monthly FSP newsletter. |
| 4/27/03 |
Member Tim Condon arrested for
handing out FSP flyers |
.
| 5/1/03 |
AK LP endorses FSP. |
| 5/2/03 |
Elizabeth McKinstry appears on
MSNBC. |
| 5/24/03 |
Grand Western Conference held in Missoula, MT. |
| 5/25/03 |
MT LP endorses FSP. |
| 5/31/03 |
WY LP endorses FSP. |
| 6/03 |
Prominent LP members/candidates Michael Badnarik, Gary
Nolan, and Art Olivier are recent new members. |
| 6/1/03 |
4,000 members. Vote date set for
9/8/03. |
| 6/4/03 |
FSP mentioned in Playboy.
|
| 6/26/03 |
Escape to NH Getaway Week. |
| 6/26/03 |
UT LP endorses FSP. |
| 6/28/03 |
NH Governor meets visiting Free Staters and welcomes the FSP to NH. |
| 7/5/03 |
NJ LP endorses FSP. |
| 7/8/03 |
Urgent funding needed.
|
| 7/16/03 |
FSP announces Ballot Vote
Certification Process. |
| 7/27/03 |
Elizabeth McKinstry appears again on
MSNBC. |
| 8/7/03 |
NH Governor joins as a Friend of
the FSP. |
| 8/13/03 |
5,000 members! |
| 8/14/03 |
FSP mentioned on Paul Harvey radio
show. |
| 9/03 |
State selection mail-in
voting takes place this month. |
| 10/1/03 |
Free State Project chooses New
Hampshire! Results announced at Press
Conference in New York. |
| 10/13/03 |
Kelton Baker appointed Interim President, Doug Hillman Interim
Vice-President. |
| 10/27/03 |
New York Times story on FSP.
|
| 11/1/03 |
Noted freedom-activist Richard Boddie
joins FSP at the NH Liberty Expo. |
| 11/3/03 |
NH Info page debuts on website.
|
| 11/10/03 | Major website
re-design (by James Reyes, Adam Rick, and Justin VanVorst).
|
| 12/3/03 |
FSP ad about Goose Creek makes
a splash. |
| 12/22/03 |
Old state reports, data, and voting results available in website
Archives. |
| 12/26/03 |
Videos from
state announcement press conference (10/31/03) online.
|
|
2004 |
| 1/16/04 |
Noted freedom-activist Richard Boddie
endorsement. |
| 1/28/04 |
Community Liaisons program initiated. |
| 2/15/04 |
Amanda Phillips elected FSP President for 6-month term by Board.
Strategic Goals for 2004 adopted by Board.
|
| 2/19/04 |
Readers Digest had a brief
story about the FSP.
|
| 2/26/04 |
FSP featured on the TV news magazine
Chronicle, shown throughout New England. |
| 2/04 |
Endorsements from Doug Stanhope
(comedian) and Aaron Russo (LP
Presidential hopeful). |
| 3/8/04 | Activist Center debuts on the forum.
|
| 3/21/04 |
Endorsements from the Republican
Liberty Caucus and the LP of
Alabama. |
| 3/31/04 |
New Hampshire named
most-livable state.
(Another
article). |
| 4/4/04 |
L. Neil Smith endorses the
FSP! |
| 4/27/04 |
Activist Activator
debuts. |
| 5/12/04 |
FSP participant to walk 1,000 miles as he
moves to the Free State!
Follow the journey of the FSP Travel Bugs.
New FSP Guestbook of Porcupines who visit
NH. |
| 5/20/04 |
Liberty Magazine's June issue cover story with
3 FSP
articles. |
| 5/30/04 |
FSP participant Michael Badnarik wins LP Presidential nomination. |
| 6/24/04 |
Porcupine Freedom Festival (June
24-27) at Rogers Campground in Lancaster, NH. |
| 8/21/04 |
6,000 participants! |
| 9/15/04 |
Chat Workshop series debuts.
Originated by Kat Dillon. |
| 10/16/04 |
Two new ongoing web pages: We Made the Move!
and Welcome from NH Residents.
|
| 10/29/04 |
FSP tries out new Leadership Circle
management structure. |
| 11/17/04 |
The Jan/Feb '05 issue of American Handgunner magazine contains a nice
article
Gun Rights - Can a Porcupine Save Your Guns? by FSP vice-president Evan
Nappen.
|
| 12/01/04 |
Reason Magazine has a big article about the FSP -
Revolt of the
Porcupines. |
| 12/15/04 |
Golden Porcupine Awards for
outstanding recruiters, debuts. |
| 12/28/04 |
This year's Media Articles (over 60) and
Essays (34). |
|
2005 |
| 1/26/05 |
The Great FSP Recruiting Push of 2005
|
| 2/26/05 |
Exciting endorsement from
Michael Badnarik, LP '04 Presidential candidate.
|
| 2/27/05 |
Strategic Goals for 2005 adopted by Board.
|
| 2/28/05 |
New, more streamlined mission statement.
|
| 3/09/05 |
Free Staters win elections in NH: Dawn Lincoln to the Budget Committee in
Winchester and Karen Pratt to the School Board in Goffstown.
|
| 5/15/05 |
Monthly FSP News debuts. |
| 5/30/05 |
Fundraising Goal of $20,000
surpassed.
|
| 7/23/05 |
Porcupine Freedom Festival (July
23-31) at Rogers Campground in Lancaster, NH. |
| 11/01/05 |
FSP Status Report - Statement
by the Board of Directors |
| 12/27/05 |
FSP wins
Freedom Organization of the Year poll held at Strike the Root. |
|
2006 |
| 1/1/06 |
January 2006 Recruitment
Challenge |
| 1/13/06 |
The First 1000 – a one-year recruitment program
begins. |
| 1/20/06 |
Endorsement from David Bergland
1984 LP Presidential Candidate and author of Libertarianism In One
Lesson. |
| 2/17/06 |
Endorsement from Walter Block
economist/philosopher/professor. |
| 2/22/06 |
7,000 participants! |
| 3/13/06 |
Varrin Swearingen is new FSP President.
|
| 4/03/06 |
LP of Florida endorses FSP |
| 11/07/06 | Joel Winters becomes the first early-moving Free Stater to be
elected to the NH House of Representatives. |
| 11/07/06 | NH Constitution amended to prohibit eminent domain for private benefit. |
|
2007 |
| 2/22/07 | First
NH Liberty Forum |
| 6/27/07 | NH
formally rejects the Federal "Real-ID" system. |
| 10/22/07 | Irena Goddard
is new FSP President. |
| 11/1/07 |
8,000 participants! |
| 11/27/07 |
500 movers! |
| Date | Notable Event |
|---|
Sources:
