4 NEW HAMPSHIRE INTRODUCTION New Hampshire is one of the original 13 colonies and the site of some of the most important democratic events in the history of the United States On Jan 5 1776 New Hampshire adopted its own constitution and became the first state to declare independence from Great Britain New Hampshire’s announcement came six months before the official Declaration of Independence Since 1920 the long road to the White House has begun in New Hampshire Every four years this quiet New England state becomes the focus of the nation’s attention as it holds the first presidential primary election New Hampshirites take their role seriously and have one of the highest voter turnouts in the country New Hampshire was once home to more than 400 covered bridges Nearly 350 of the bridges have been destroyed by flooding fires or neglect New Hampshire’s 13-mile coastline is the shortest coastline in the country Captain John Mason named the state after the British town of Hampshire He lived in Hampshire as a young man The official state song is Old New Hampshire but there are another eight honorary state songs as well Concord is New Hampshire’s capital city New Hampshire is one of six New England states The others are Connecticut Maine Massachusetts Rhode Island and Vermont In 1885 the famous sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens set up a studio in Cornish
INTRODUCTION 5 New Hampshire is located in the northeastern United States To the east lie Maine and the waters of the Atlantic Ocean Massachusetts forms New Hampshire’s southern border and Vermont makes up its western edge The state shares its northern border with the Canadian province of Quebec Getting to New Hampshire is as easy as boarding a plane or climbing into a car More than 17,000 miles of highway carry traffic into and out of the state For air travelers Manchester Airport the state’s largest airport is a major destination In addition there are more than 20 other airports in the state While New Hampshire’s miles of railroad track are used less today than in the past some trains still offer sightseeing trips These trips provide visitors with a memorable way to experience the state New Hampshire has more than 220 miles of federal interstate highways New Hampshire joined the Union on June 21 1788 It was the ninth state to become part of the United States The New Hampshire Turnpike was completed in 1950 The state flag has the state seal in the center of a blue background Nine stars represent the nine states of the Union when New Hampshire joined New Hampshire Location Map Capital Concord Interstate highways 15 24 0 0 Scale 30 48 Mi Km Population 1,235,786 Size 9,283 square miles Highest peak Mount Washington 6,288 feet
New Hampshire played a major role in the American Revolution As early as December 1774 rebels began fighting against British rule The rebels forced the British-appointed governor John Wentworth out of the colony and a new revolutionary government took over While no battles took place in the state during the American Revolution it was important to the cause Portsmouth became a key town in the war From there privately owned vessels or privateers were launched in attacks against British ships New Hampshirites also came to the aid of Massachusetts rebels once the battles of Lexington and Concord erupted in 1775 New Hampshire supplied several strong military leaders to the Continental Army including John Stark and John Sullivan John Stark’s regiment helped defend Bunker Hill and Stark led troops together with John Sullivan in the battles of Trenton in 1776 and Princeton in 1777 In August 1777 Stark and his men helped turn the tide of the war when they prevented the British forces from stealing much-needed supplies at Bennington Then in 1779 Sullivan defeated a powerful British force and its Iroquois supporters at Newtown N Y When General John Stark died on May 8 1822 at the age of 93 he was one of the last surviving Continental generals of the American Revolution 6 NEW HAMPSHIRE During the American Revolution New Hampshire contributed three army regiments to the Continental Army It was New Hampshire’s vote on June 21 1788 that put the U S Constitution into effect General Stark toasted his soldiers during a reunion of the battle of Bennington encouraging them to Live Free or Die This became the state motto New Hampshire’s earth symbols celebrate the state’s unique geology The official gem is smoky quartz the official mineral is beryl and the official rock is granite New Hampshire’s lakes are some of the most beautiful in New England The warm waters of Lake Winnipesaukee Lake Sunapee and Newfound Lake draw swimmers and sunbathers from miles around
INTRODUCTION 7 About 10,000 years ago all of New Hampshire was buried beneath glaciers These glaciers created the amazing landscape found in the state The glaciers chiseled and molded the mountains As these ice masses melted they created countless lakes streams and rivers Among many nicknames the Mother of Rivers recognizes that five of the large New England streams start in the granite hills of New Hampshire It is also a reflection of the hundreds of lakes ponds and rivers found throughout the state New Hampshire’s other nicknames also refer to the distinct landscapes found in the state Plentiful granite deposits earned New Hampshire its most popular nickname as the Granite State The nickname White Mountain State draws attention to the grand and rugged mountain range in the northern part of the state Lastly New Hampshire is often referred to as the Switzerland of America because of the stunning mountain scenery matched only by the Alps Small white churches are a common sight along New Hampshire’s countryside roads New Hampshire has approximately 40 rivers which cover about 41,800 miles Water is an important New Hampshire feature The state has more than 1,300 lakes and ponds Outer space fascinates many New Hampshirites Alan Shepard the first person from the United States to travel in space was from East Derry Teacher Christa McAuliffe of Concord a member of the ill-fated 1986 Challenger mission was chosen by NASA as the first private citizen in space The highest point in the state is Mount Washington It is 6,288 feet tall New Hampshire is 180 miles long and 93 miles across at its widest
