New Hampshire (IPA: /nu?'hæmp??r/)
is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United
States of America named after the southern English county of Hampshire.
The state ranks 44th in land area, 46th in total area of the 50
states, and 41st in population. It became the first post-colonial
sovereign nation in the Americas when it broke off from Great Britain
in January 1776, and was one of the original thirteen States that
founded the United States of America six months later. It was the
ninth state to ratify the United States Constitution, bringing that
document into effect. New Hampshire was the first U.S. state to
have its own state constitution, and is the only state with neither
a general sales tax nor a personal income tax.[2]
It is internationally famous for the New Hampshire primary, the
first primary in the quadrennial U.S. presidential election cycle.
Its license plates carry the state motto: "Live Free or Die."
The state nickname is "The Granite State", in reference
both to its geology and to its tradition of self-sufficiency. Several
other official nicknames exist but are rarely used.[3]
A number of famous individuals come from New Hampshire, such as
Senator Daniel Webster, editor Horace Greeley, founder of the Christian
Science religion Mary Baker Eddy, author Dan Brown, singer Mandy
Moore and comedians Adam Sandler, Sarah Silverman, and Seth Meyers.
New Hampshire has produced one president, Franklin Pierce.
New Hampshire's recreational attractions include skiing and other
winter sports, observing the fall foliage, summer cottages along
many lakes, motor sports at the New Hampshire International Speedway,
and Bike Week, a popular motorcycle rally held in Laconia in June.
Contents [hide]
1 Geography
1.1 Climate
1.2 Metropolitan areas
2 History
3 Demographics
3.1 Ancestry groups
3.2 Religion
4 Economy
5 Law and government
5.1 Politics
6 Education
6.1 High schools
6.2 Colleges and universities
7 Media
7.1 Daily newspapers
7.2 Other publications
7.3 Radio stations
7.4 Television stations
8 Culture
8.1 Professional sports teams
8.2 In fiction
9 Notable residents or natives
10 Granite State firsts
11 See also
12 References
13 Further reading
14 External links
[edit] Geography
See List of counties in New Hampshire, mountains, lakes, and rivers
New Hampshire is part of the New England region. It is bounded by
Quebec, Canada to the north and northwest; Maine and the Atlantic
Ocean to the east; Massachusetts to the south; and Vermont to the
west. New Hampshire's major regions are the Great North Woods, the
White Mountains, the Lakes Region, the Seacoast, the Merrimack Valley,
the Monadnock Region, and the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee area. New Hampshire
has the shortest ocean coastline of any U.S. state, with a length
of 18 miles (29 km).
New Hampshire, showing roads, rivers and major citiesNew Hampshire
was home to the rock formation called the Old Man of the Mountain,
a face-like profile in Franconia Notch, until the formation fell
apart in May 2003.
The White Mountains range in New Hampshire spans the north-central
portion of the state, with Mount Washington being the tallest in
the northeastern U.S., and other mountains like Mount Madison and
Mount Adams surrounding it. With hurricane-force winds every third
day on the average, over 100 recorded deaths among visitors, and
conspicuous krumholtz (dwarf, matted trees much like a carpet of
bonsai trees), the upper reaches of Mount Washington claim the title
of having the "worst weather on earth." A non-profit weather
observatory is located on the peak.
In the flatter southwest corner of New Hampshire, the prominent
landmark Mount Monadnock, has given its name to a general class
of earth-forms—a monadnock signifying, in geomorphology, any
isolated resistant peak rising from a less resistant eroded plain.
Major rivers include the 110 mile (177 km) Merrimack River, which
bisects the lower half of the state north-south and ends up in Newburyport,
Massachusetts. Its major tributaries include the Contoocook River,
Pemigewasset River, and Winnipesaukee River. The 410 mile (670 km)
Connecticut River, which starts at New Hampshire's Connecticut Lakes
and flows south to Connecticut, defines the western border with
Vermont. Oddly, the state border is not in the center of that river,
as is usually the case, but lies at the low-water mark on the Vermont
side; so New Hampshire actually owns the entire river where it runs
adjacent to Vermont. The "northwesternmost headwaters"
of the Connecticut also define the Canadian border with New Hampshire.
The Piscataqua River and its several tributaries form the state's
only significant ocean port where they flow into the Atlantic at
Portsmouth. The Salmon Falls River and the Piscataqua define the
southern portion of the border with Maine. The state has an ongoing
boundary dispute with Maine in the area of Portsmouth Harbor, with
New Hampshire claiming dominion over several islands (now known
as Seavey Island) that include the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard as
well as to the Maine towns of Kittery and Berwick.
The largest lake is Lake Winnipesaukee, which covers 72 square
miles (186 km²) in the east-central part of New Hampshire.
Lake Winnipesaukee.Hampton Beach is a popular local summer destination.
About 10 miles (16 km) offshore are the Isles of Shoals, nine small
islands (4 belonging to the state) best known as the site of a 19th
century art colony founded by poet Celia Thaxter, as well as the
alleged location of one of the buried treasures of the pirate Blackbeard.
It is the second-most-forested state in the country, after Maine,
in terms of percentage of land covered by woods. This change was
caused by the abandonment of farms during the 20th century as many
farmers took wage jobs in urban areas or moved to more productive
areas. The return of woodlands from open fields forms the subject
of many poems by Robert Frost.
The northern third of the state is locally referred to as the "north
country" or "north of the notches," in reference
to White Mountain passes that channel traffic. It contains less
than 5% of the state's population, suffers from relatively high
poverty rates, and is losing population as the logging and paper
industries decline. However, the tourist industry, in particular
visitors who go to northern New Hampshire to take advantage of the
winter skiing season, has helped to offset economic losses from
mill closures.
[edit] Climate
New Hampshire experiences a humid continental climate (Koppen climate
classification Dfa in southern areas and Dfb in the north), with
warm, humid summers, cold, wet winters, and uniform precipitation
all year. The climate of the southeastern portion of the state is
moderated somewhat by the Atlantic Ocean and averages relatively
milder and wetter weather, while the northern and interior portions
experience relatively cooler temperatures and lower humidity. Winters
are cold and snowy throughout the state, and are especially severe
in the northern and mountainous areas. Average annual snowfall ranges
from 60" to over 100" across the state.[4]
Average daytime highs are generally in the mid 70s°F to low
80s°F (around 24-28 °C) throughout the state in July, with
overnight lows in the mid 50s°F to low 60s°F (13-15 °C).
January temperatures range from an average high of 34 °F (1
°C) on the coast to overnight lows below 0 °F (-18 °C)
in the far north and at high elevations. Average annual precipitation
statewide is roughly 40" with some variation occurring in the
White Mountains due to differences in elevation and annual snowfall.
Extreme snow events are often associated with a nor'easter, such
as the Blizzard of '78 and the Blizzard of 1993, when several feet
of snow accumulated across portions of the state over a period of
24 to 48 hours. Lighter snowfall accumulations of several inches
occur frequently throughout the winter months, often associated
with an Alberta Clipper.
New Hampshire, on occasion, is affected by hurricanes and tropical
storms although by the time they reach the state they are often
extratropical, with most storms striking the southern New England
coastline and moving inland or passing by offshore in the Gulf of
Maine. Most of New Hampshire averages fewer than 20 days of thunderstorms
per year and an average of about 2 tornadoes occur annually statewide.[5]
The National Arbor Day Foundation plant hardiness zone map depicts
zones 3, 4, 5, and 6 occurring throughout the state[6] and indicates
the transition from a relatively cooler to warmer climate as one
travels southward across New Hampshire.
[edit] Metropolitan areas
Metropolitan areas in the New England region are defined by the
U.S. Census Bureau as New England City and Town Areas (NECTAs).
The following is a list of NECTAs in New Hampshire:
Berlin, NH
Claremont, NH
Concord, NH
Franklin, NH
Keene, NH
Laconia, NH
Lebanon, NH-Hartland, VT
Manchester, NH
Nashua, NH Metropolitan Division (part of Boston metropolitan area)
Portsmouth, NH-ME
Rochester-Dover, NH-ME
From The New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau
[edit] History
Main article: History of New Hampshire
Various Algonquian tribes inhabited the area prior to European settlement.
Europeans explored New Hampshire in 1600–1605 and settled
in 1623. By 1631, the Upper Plantation comprised modern-day Dover,
Durham and Stratham; in 1679, it became the "Royal Province."
The New Hampshire State House in Concord was designed by Albe Cady.
It is the oldest U.S. state capitol where legislators still meet
in their original chambers.It was one of the thirteen colonies that
revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. By the
time of the American Revolution, New Hampshire was a divided province.
The economic and social life of the Seacoast revolved around sawmills,
shipyards, merchant's warehouses, and established village and town
centers. Wealthy merchants built substantial homes, furnished them
with the finest luxuries, and invested their capital in trade and
land speculation. At the other end of the social scale, there developed
a permanent class of day laborers, mariners, indentured servants,
and even slaves. It was the first state to declare its independence,
but the only battle fought there was the raid on Fort William and
Mary, December 14, 1774 in Portsmouth Harbor, which netted the rebellion
sizable quantities of gunpowder, small arms, and cannon (General
Sullivan, leader of the raid, described it as, "remainder of
the powder, the small arms, bayonets, and cartouch-boxes, together
with the cannon and ordnance stores") over the course of two
nights. This raid was preceded by a warning to local patriots the
previous day, by Paul Revere on December 13, 1774 that the fort
was to be reinforced by troops sailing from Boston. According to
unverified accounts, the gunpowder was later used at the Battle
of Bunker Hill, transported there by Major Demerit, who was one
of several New Hampshire patriots who stored the powder in their
homes until it was transported elsewhere for use in revolutionary
activities.
New Hampshire was a Jacksonian stronghold; the state sent Franklin
Pierce to the White House in the election of 1852. Industrialization
took the form of numerous textile mills, which in turn attracted
large flows of immigrants from Quebec (the "French Canadians")
and Ireland. The northern parts of the state produced lumber and
the mountains provided tourist attractions. After 1960, the textile
industry collapsed, but the economy rebounded as a center of high
technology and a service provider.
Since 1952, New Hampshire gained national and international attention
for its presidential primary held early in every presidential election
year. It immediately became the most important testing grounds for
candidates for the Republican and Democratic nominations. The media
give New Hampshire (and Iowa) about half of all the attention paid
to all states in the primary process, magnifying the state's decision
power (and spurring repeated efforts by out-of-state politicians
to change the rules.)
[edit] Demographics
Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1790 141,885 —
1800 183,858 29.6%
1810 214,460 16.6%
1820 244,161 13.8%
1830 269,328 10.3%
1840 284,574 5.7%
1850 317,976 11.7%
1860 326,073 2.5%
1870 318,300 -2.4%
1880 346,991 9.0%
1890 376,530 8.5%
1900 411,588 9.3%
1910 430,572 4.6%
1920 443,083 2.9%
1930 465,293 5.0%
1940 491,524 5.6%
1950 533,242 8.5%
1960 606,921 13.8%
1970 737,681 21.5%
1980 920,610 24.8%
1990 1,109,252 20.5%
2000 1,235,786 11.4%
Est. 2006 1,314,895 6.4%
As of 2005, New Hampshire has an estimated population of 1,309,940,
which is an increase of 10,771, or 0.8%, from the prior year and
an increase of 74,154, or 6.0%, since the year 2000. This includes
a natural increase since the last census of 23,872 people (that
is 75,060 births minus 51,188 deaths) and an increase due to net
migration of 51,968 people into the state. Immigration from outside
the United States resulted in a net increase of 11,107 people, and
migration within the country produced a net increase of 40,861 people.
The center of population of New Hampshire is located in Merrimack
County, in the town of Pembroke [1].
Demographics of New Hampshire (csv)
By race White Black AIAN Asian NHPI
AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native — NHPI is Native
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
2000 (total population) 97.56% 1.05% 0.64% 1.56% 0.06%
2000 (Hispanic only) 1.50% 0.13% 0.04% 0.02% 0.01%
2005 (total population) 96.97% 1.29% 0.63% 2.04% 0.07%
2005 (Hispanic only) 2.04% 0.18% 0.04% 0.03% 0.01%
Growth 2000–2005 (total population) 5.36% 30.39% 3.96% 38.30%
13.91%
Growth 2000–2005 (non-Hispanic only) 4.76% 29.02% 3.69% 38.47%
20.29%
Growth 2000–2005 (Hispanic only) 43.91% 39.72% 7.81% 26.49%
-25.23%
New Hampshire Population Density MapAs of 2004, the population includes
64,000 residents born outside the United States (4.9%).
[edit] Ancestry groups
The largest ancestry groups in New Hampshire are: [2]
26.6% French or French Canadian
21.1% Irish
20.1% English
10.4% Italian
10.3% German
7.8% Scottish or Scots-Irish
People of old colonial ("Yankee") ancestry live throughout
most of New Hampshire.
The large Irish American and French-Canadian populations are descended
largely from mill workers, and many still live in the former mill
towns, like Manchester. New Hampshire has the highest percentage
of residents of French/French-Canadian ancestry of any U.S. state.
The fastest growth is along the southern border, which is within
commuting range of Boston and other Massachusetts cities.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 3.41% of the population aged
5 and over speak French at home, while 1.60% speak Spanish [3].
[edit] Religion
Percentage of New Hampshire residents who claimed a particular religious
identity (from USA Today):[7]
Christian – 72%
Protestant – 32%
Baptist – 6%
Congregational/United Church of Christ – 6%
Episcopal/Anglican – 4%
Methodist – 3%
Lutheran – 1%
Pentecostal/Charismatic – 1%
Presbyterian – 1%
Protestant, no supplied denomination – 10%
Catholic – 35%
"Christian" [unspecified] – 5%
Jewish – 1%
"Other" – 2%
No Religion – 17%
Groups with less than 1% affiliation – 8%
(may include Mormon/Latter Day Saints, Churches of Christ, non-denominational,
Jehovah's Witnesses, Assemblies of God, Muslim/Islamic, Buddhist,
Evangelical, Church of God, and Seventh-Day Adventist)
[edit] Economy
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that New Hampshire's total
state product in 2003 was $49 billion. Per capita personal income
in 2005 was $37,835, 6th in the nation and 10 percent greater than
the national average ($34,495). Its agricultural outputs are dairy
products, nursery stock, cattle, apples and eggs. Its industrial
outputs are machinery, electric equipment, rubber and plastic products
and tourism.[8] New Hampshire experienced a significant shift in
its economic base during the last century. Historically, the base
was composed of the traditional New England manufactures of textiles,
shoe-making, and small machining shops drawing upon low-wage labor
from nearby small farms and from parts of Quebec. Today, these sectors
contribute only 2% for textiles, 2% for leather goods, and 9% for
machining of the state's total manufacturing dollar value (Source:
U.S. Economic Census for 1997, Manufacturing, New Hampshire). They
experienced a sharp decline due to obsolete plants and the lure
of cheaper wages in the South.
The state has no general sales tax, no personal state income tax
(the state does tax, at a 5 percent rate, income from dividends
and interest) and the legislature has exercised fiscal restraint.
Efforts to diversify the state's general economy have been ongoing.
Additionally, New Hampshire's lack of a broad-based tax system
(aside from the controversial state-wide property tax) has resulted
in the state's local communities having some of the nation's highest
property taxes. Overall, New Hampshire remains ranked 49th among
states in combined average state and local tax burden.[9]
[edit] Law and government
State line on NH Rt. 111 in HollisMain article: Government of New
Hampshire
The Governor of New Hampshire is John Lynch (Democrat). New Hampshire's
two U.S. senators are Judd Gregg (Republican) and John E. Sununu
(Republican). New Hampshire's two U.S. representatives (see district
map) are Carol Shea-Porter (Democrat) and Paul Hodes (Democrat).
New Hampshire has a bifurcated executive branch, consisting of
the Governor and a five-member Executive Council which votes on
state contracts over $5,000 and "advises and consents"
to the governor's nominations to major state positions such as department
heads and all judgeships and pardon requests. New Hampshire does
not have a Lieutenant Governor; the Senate President serves as "Acting
Governor" whenever the Governor is unable to perform the duties.
The New Hampshire General Court is a bicameral legislative body,
consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House
of Representatives is the fourth-largest legislative body in the
English speaking world with 400 members. Only the United States
House of Representatives, the British House of Commons and the British
House of Lords are larger.[10] Presumably because the position pays
just $100 per year plus mileage, members are more likely to be retired.
A survey published by the Associated Press in 2005 found that nearly
half the members of the House are retired, with an average age close
to 60. [4] The General Court meets in the New Hampshire State House.
The state's sole appellate court is the New Hampshire Supreme Court.
The Superior Court is the court of general jurisdiction and the
only court which provides for jury trials in civil or criminal cases.
The other state courts are the Probate Court, District Court, and
the Family Division.
The New Hampshire State Constitution is the supreme law of the
state, followed by the New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated.
The State Constitution is the nation's only state constitution which
acknowledges the right of revolution, and one of the few that does
not expressly mandate the provision of a public school system.
New Hampshire is also the only state with no mandatory seatbelt
law for adults, and also has no motorcycle helmet law for adults
nor mandatory vehicle insurance for automobiles. Although the state
retains the death penalty for limited crimes, the last execution
was conducted in 1939. New Hampshire is the only state that does
not mandate public kindergarten, partly out of frugality and lack
of funding, and partly out of belief in local control, a philosophy
under which towns and cities, not the state, make as many decisions
as possible. As of 2005, all but two dozen communities in the state
provided public kindergarten.
New Hampshire is a "Dillon Rule" state, meaning that
powers not specifically granted to municipalities are retained by
the state government. Even so, there is within the state's legislature
a strong sentiment favoring local control, particularly with regard
to land use regulations. Traditionally, local government in New
Hampshire is conducted by town meetings, but in 1995, municipalities
were given the option of using an official ballot to decide local
electoral and budgetary questions, as opposed to the more open and
public town meeting.
New Hampshire is an Alcoholic beverage control state, and through
the State Liquor Commission it takes in $100 million from the sale
and distribution of liquor.[11] The state also leads the country
in per capita sales of all forms of alcohol.[12]
As of January 1, 2008, civil unions are legal in New Hampshire,
giving all the rights associated with marriage in the state to same-sex
couples.[13]
[edit] Politics
New Hampshire is internationally famous for the New Hampshire primary,
the first primary in the quadrennial American presidential election
cycle. The primary draws more attention by far than all other primaries,
and has often been decisive in shaping the national contest. Critics
from other states have tried repeatedly but failed to reduce the
state's primary clout. In Dixville Notch in Coos County and Hart's
Location in Carroll County, residents vote at midnight the Tuesday
the primary is being held. State law grants that a town where all
registered citizens have voted may close early and announce their
results. These are traditionally the first towns in both New Hampshire
and the U.S. to vote in presidential primaries and elections.
In the past, New Hampshire has often voted Republican. Some sources
trace the founding of the Republican Party to the town of Exeter
in 1853. The state is considered to be the most conservative state
in the Northeast. However, the state supported Bill Clinton in 1992
and 1996, but prior to that had only strayed from the Republican
Party for three candidates—Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt
and Lyndon B. Johnson.
In recent years, however, in both national and local elections
it became a swing state. It was the only U.S. state to give its
electoral votes to George W. Bush in the 2000 election but then
go Democratic in the 2004 election. New Hampshire gave its four
electoral votes to John Kerry in 2004 with 50.2% of the vote. The
change from voting Republican was solidified by the 2006 midterm
elections, in which both Congressional seats were won by Democrats
(Paul Hodes defeated Charlie Bass and Carol Shea-Porter defeated
Jeb Bradley); Democratic Governor John Lynch was re-elected in an
historic landslide with 74% of the vote; Democrats gained a majority
on the Executive Council; and Democrats took both houses of the
State Legislature for the first time since 1911. Democrats now hold
both the legislature and the governorship for the first time since
1874. [5] Republicans hold both U.S. Senate seats, which were not
up for a vote in 2006. Prior to the 2006 elections, New Hampshire
was the only New England state in which Republicans held majorities
in both legislative chambers.[14] The New Hampshire General Assembly
is the largest among state legislatures in the U.S., with 400 members,
and has the most representatives per capita (approximately one for
every 3,200 citizens). New Hampshire has been known for a Libertarian-like
political tradition that values individual freedom and limited exercise
of state governmental powers. The Free State Project selected New
Hampshire as its destination due to its "Live Free or Die"
libertarian-esque heritage.[15]
[edit] Education
[edit] High schools
New Hampshire has more than 150 public high schools, many of which
serve more than one town. The largest is Pinkerton Academy in Derry,
which is owned by a private non-profit organization and serves as
the public high school of a number of neighboring towns. There are
at least twenty private high schools in the state.
N.H. public schools with a Web presence
See also: List of high schools in New Hampshire
[edit] Colleges and universities
Main article: List of colleges and universities in New Hampshire
Antioch University New England
Chester College of New England
Colby-Sawyer College
Daniel Webster College
Dartmouth College
Franklin Pierce University
Franklin Pierce Law Center
Hesser College
Lebanon College
Magdalen College
McIntosh College
New England College
New Hampshire Community Technical Colleges:
New Hampshire Technical Institute
NHCTC - Manchester
New Hampshire Institute of Art
Rivier College
Saint Anselm College
Southern New Hampshire University
The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts
University System of New Hampshire:
University of New Hampshire
Granite State College
Keene State College
Plymouth State University
University of New Hampshire at Manchester
[edit] Media
[edit] Daily newspapers
Main article: List of newspapers in New Hampshire
Berlin Daily Sun
Concord Monitor
Conway Daily Sun
Eagle Times of Claremont
Eagle Tribune (Lawrence, Massachusetts, area, including southern
NH)
Foster's Daily Democrat of Dover
Keene Sentinel
Laconia Citizen
Manchester Daily Express
New Hampshire Union Leader of Manchester
The Portsmouth Herald
Telegraph of Nashua
Valley News of West Lebanon
[edit] Other publications
The Exeter News-Letter
The Granite State News
The Hampton Union
Hippo Press (Manchester, Nashua and Concord editions)
Keene Free Press
Milford Cabinet, part of The Cabinet Press, which prints free weeklies
in Hollis/Brookline, Bedford and Merrimack)
The New Hampshire (University of New Hampshire student newspaper)
New Hampshire Business Review
The New Hampshire Gazette (Portsmouth alternative biweekly)
[edit] Radio stations
See List of radio stations in New Hampshire.
[edit] Television stations
Main article: List of television stations in New Hampshire
ABC affiliate: WMUR, Channel 9, Manchester
PBS affiliates in Durham, Keene and Littleton (New Hampshire Public
Television)
MyNetworkTV affiliate: WZMY, Channel 50, Derry
[edit] Culture
In the spring, New Hampshire's many sap houses hold sugaring off
open houses. In summer, New Hampshire is home to many county fairs,
the largest being the Hopkinton State Fair, in Contoocook. New Hampshire's
lake region is home to many summer camps, especially around Lake
Winnipesaukee, and is a popular tourist destination. In the fall
New Hampshire is host to the New Hampshire Highland Games. New Hampshire
has also registered an official tartan with the proper authorities
in Scotland, used to make kilts worn by the State Police while they
serve during the games. The fall foliage peaks in mid October. In
the winter, New Hampshire's ski areas attract visitors from a wide
area, and New Hampshire has more miles of snowmobile trails than
roads.[16] After the lakes freeze over they become dotted with ice
fishing ice houses, known locally as bobhouses.
[edit] Professional sports teams
Minor league baseball teams
Nashua Pride
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Minor league hockey team
Manchester Monarchs
Arena football team
Manchester Wolves
American Basketball Association
Manchester Millrats
Minor league soccer team
New Hampshire Phantoms
[edit] In fiction
Peterborough is the inspiration for the town of Grover's Corners,
in Thornton Wilder's play Our Town.
The novel Peyton Place was inspired by Gilmanton, New Hampshire.
Bob Montana, the original artist for Archie, attended Manchester
Central High School for a year, and may have based Riverdale High
School in part on Central.
Dartmouth College is said to be the inspiration for the film Animal
House, as one of the scriptwriters, Chris Miller, studied there.
Al Capp, creator of the comic strip Li'l Abner, used to joke that
Dogpatch, the setting for the strip, was based on Seabrook, where
he would vacation with his wife.[17]
John Knowles based the Devon School in A Separate Peace on the Phillips
Exeter Academy in Exeter. The prep school in John Irving's The World
According to Garp was also based on the Academy. Irving's stepfather
was a faculty member at the school, and Irving is an alumnus; New
Hampshire references are common in his works.
The character of Josiah Bartlet, President of the United States
on the television series The West Wing, was depicted as a two-term
New Hampshire governor.
Much of the action in Julian May's science fiction saga the Galactic
Milieu Series takes place in the state, with New Hampshire being
the capital of the "Human Polity", in effect the center
of government of the human race.
[edit] Notable residents or natives
Main article: List of people from New Hampshire
Josiah Bartlett
Dan Brown
Ken Burns
Chris Carpenter
Mary Baker Eddy
Carlton Fisk
Robert Frost
Horace Greeley
Donald Hall
John Irving
Dean Kamen
Maxine Kumin
Christa McAuliffe
Dick and Mac McDonald
Grace Metalious
Seth Meyers
Bode Miller
P.J. O'Rourke
Maxfield Parrish
Jodi Picoult
Franklin Pierce
John Sargent Pillsbury
Penny Pitou
Charles Revson
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
J.D. Salinger
Adam Sandler
Alan B. Shepard Jr.
Sarah Silverman
David H. Souter
John Stark
Bob Tewksbury
Steven Tyler
Daniel Webster
John Wentworth
[edit] Granite State firsts
See List of New Hampshire-related topics
On January 5, 1776 at Exeter, the Provincial Congress of New Hampshire
ratified the first independent state constitution, free of British
rule. Having done this six months before co-founding the United
States of America, New Hampshire was the first post-colonial sovereign
country in the Americas.
On June 12, 1800, Fernald's Island in the Piscataqua River became
the first government-sanctioned US Navy shipyard.
Started in 1822, Dublin's Juvenile Library was the first free public
library.
In 1828, the first women's strike in the nation took place at Dover's
Cocheco Mills.
In 1845, the machine shop of Nashuan John H. Gage was considered
the first shop devoted to the manufacture of machinists' tools.
On August 29, 1866, Sylvester Marsh demonstrated the first mountain-climbing
"cog" railway.
Finished on June 27, 1874, the first trans-Atlantic telecommunications
cable between Europe and America stretched from Balinskelligs Bay,
Ireland, to Rye Beach, New Hampshire.
On February 6, 1901, a group of nine conservationists founded the
Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, the first forest
conservation advocacy group in the US.
In 1908, Monsignor Pierre Hevey organized the nation's first credit
union, in Manchester, to help mill workers save and borrow money.
In 1933 the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen held the first crafts
fair in the nation.[18]
In 1934, the current record for the highest recorded surface wind
gust (231 mph) was set on Mount Washington.[19]
In 1937 The Belknap Recreation Area installed the first chairlift
for skiing in the East.
In 1938 Earl Tupper, of Berlin, invented Tupperware and founded
Tupper Plastics Company.
In July 1944, the Bretton Woods Agreement, the first fully-negotiated
system intended to govern monetary relations among independent nation-states,
was signed at the Mount Washington Hotel.
On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard of Derry rode a Mercury spacecraft
and became the first American in space.
In 1963, New Hampshire's legislature approved the nation's first
modern state lottery, which began play in 1964.
In 1966, Ralph Baer of Sanders Associates, Inc., Nashua, recruited
engineers to develop the first home video game.
Christa McAuliffe of Concord became the first private citizen selected
to venture into space. She perished with her six space shuttle Challenger
crewmates on January 28, 1986.
On May 17, 1996 New Hampshire became the first state in the country
to install a green LED traffic light. NH was selected because they
were the first to start installing the red and yellow ones statewide.[20]
On May 31, 2007 New Hampshire became "...the first state to
embrace same-sex unions without a court order or the threat of one.
CONTACT
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