History of New Hampshire
The U.S. State of New Hampshire (NH) was admitted as the 9th state of the union on June 21st, 1788. Several nations of Algonquin-speaking Native Americans originally inhabited the area of modern-day New Hampshire. The French and English first explored the area in the early 1600s, with the British establishing the first settlement at Odiorne’s Point in 1623. Several other settlements were established a decade later, resulting in the official formation of the “Royal Province.” The area of New Hampshire then became one of the thirteen North American colonies under British rule.
Although only one battle was fought there, NH played a prominent role in the American Revolution. In December of 1774, General Sullivan started a raid and rebellion on Fort William and Mary to capture and seize much-needed ammunition, weapons, and supplies for the still young colonial revolution. The rebellion succeeded and much of the gunpowder seized went on to be dispersed throughout the ranks. It has been said that the shots fired during this raid were among the first of the American Revolution.
After the British were defeated and the United States declared independence, NH became one of the first regions to establish its own state government. Then, in 1788, they reviewed and ratified the newly drafted U.S. Constitution and were subsequently admitted as the 9th state of the union.
Present
The state of New Hampshire is the 5th smallest of the fifty states and the 10th least populous. The city of Concord serves as the capital of New Hampshire, with Manchester being its largest city and largest metropolitan area by population. In 2017, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of NH to be 1,342,795.
Being a very sparsely populated state, NH has much to offer those searching for nature and the outdoors. For instance, Mt. Washington offers visitors a one-of-a-kind experience as the highest point in the entire northeastern United States. Visitors can either drive up or choose to hike up and camp along the way. In addition, New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee is a popular summertime destination for individuals and families alike.
New Hampshire becomes one of the hottest topics among politics during every Presidential election cycle. This is because the state chooses to hold its primary, along with Iowa’s caucus, before any other state, making it an early test for Republican and Democratic candidates. Often, candidates try to use the results in the New Hampshire primary as an early indicator of their successes and failures along the campaign trail.
Interesting Facts
New Hampshire has played an essential role in government in politics since its time as a British Colony. Their state motto of “Live Free or Die” has been ingrained into the state’s political ideology. Typically, they favor small government and the preservation of individual liberty. To achieve this, the Free State Project was founded in 2001 to help bring people with a libertarian ideology of politics into local, state, and federal government.
The first free public library in the United States was founded in Dublin, New Hampshire, in 1822.
In 1833, the Peterborough Town Library became the first publicly funded library in the world.
Alan Shepherd, the first American in space, was born in Derry, New Hampshire.
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