7/17/2019 2 New Hampshire

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/2-new-hampshire 1/2

STATE FACTS

12

NEW HAMPSHIRE

the granite state 

STATE TREE

White Birch

CAPITAL

Concord

POPULATION

1,235,786 (2000)

STATEHOOD

June 21, 1788Rank: 9th

LARGEST CITIES

Manchester (107,006)Nashua (86,605)Concord (40,687)

LAND AREA

8,968 sq. mi.(23,227 sq. km.)

STATE FLOWER

Purple Lilac

STATE BIRD

Purple Finch

Approximately 5,000 American Indians, mostly of the

Algonquian family, inhabited the New Hampshire regionbefore Europeans settled there in the early 1600s. In 1603,Englishman Martin Pring explored the area by leading atrading ship up the Piscataqua River.

England’s Council for New England began granting land tosettlers in the 1620s.Among those given land was Captain

 John Mason. Mason called the area New Hampshireafter his homeland of Hampshire, England. KingCharles II of England declared the land to be theprovince of New Hampshire in 1680.

Hundreds of men from New Hampshire joined the fight against the British in theAmerican Revolution, even though it wasthe only colony of the original 13 in whichno fighting actually occurred.

Today, New Hampshire prides itself on its“Yankee” traditions of self-reliance andindependence. Every four years since1920, it has held the nation’s firstpresidential primary. Primaries arepre-election votes held to narrow thefield of presidential hopefuls, andNew Hampshire holds its primary in

February—nine months ahead of the nation’s election day. Between1952 and 1992, no presidentialcandidate has won the presidencywithout first winning the NewHampshire primary.

GROWING WHAT’S NATURAL

New Hampshire’s agricultural resources include dairproducts, cattle, eggs,and greenhouse plants. Farmindifficult because the state’s hills and mountains are roand covered with only a thin layer of soil.The rock its own use, though—granite was once quarried in Hampshire, which gave the state its best-knownnickname, the Granite State. Meanwhile,NewHampshire’s soil, filled with clay and loam, creates astrong foundation for trees, which cover almost 85percent of the state. Milling lumber has been animportant part of the state’s economy since 1631. Mof the timber cut today is used in paper production.

CONCORD

Manchester 

Nashua

Mt.Washington

                  C            o            n            n            e            c                t                   i            c            u

                t                     R                    i            v

            e            r

NEW

HAMP SH I R E    V    E    R    M    O    N

    T

MASSACHUSETTS

M     A     I     N     E     

C A N A D A

  W  H  I  T  E M  O  U  N  T  A  I  N  S

 C o n n

 e c t i c

 u  t R   i v e

  r

Lake Winnipesaukee 

(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.

7/17/2019 2 New Hampshire

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/2-new-hampshire 2/2 1

FIRST AMERICAN IN SPACE

 ALAN SHEPARD

Born in East Derry, NewHampshire,Alan Shepard

was selected as one of NASA’s

first astronauts in April 1959. Hetrained for more than a year before learning that he wouldmake NASA’s first space flight.Freedom 7 was launched on May5. Shepard flew on a 15-minutesub-orbit above Earth before hiscapsule splashed down in theAtlantic Ocean. In 1971,Shepard returned to spaceaboard Apollo 14.

 AMERICA’S STONEHENGEArcheologists are unsure exactly who built “America’s

Stonehenge,” which is estimated to be more than 4,000 yearsold. It is one of the oldest stone-constructed sites in NorthAmerica.Tourists also visit the site to walk its trail and hike

through the nearby woods. Like England’s Stonehenge, it canstill be used to determine solar and lunar events.

HIGHEST NORTHEASTERN POINT

Mount Washington towers aboveNew Hampshire as the highest pointin northeastern United States.At6,288 feet (1,917 m) in height it’salso the windiest place in thecountry.The strongest winds

ever recorded there blew inApril 1934, when wind speedshit 231 miles per hour (372 kph). MountWashington’s summit isusually cloud-capped andoften has traces of snow inearly summer.The mountainis part of the PresidentialRange, a chain of mountainsnamed for U.S. presidentsincluding Monroe, Jefferson,Madison, and Adams.Thepeaks are part of the WhiteMountain Range.

 Shepard’s wartime courage and  piloting skills brought him to theattention of NASA officials.

PAST GLORY IN TEXTILES

In the early 1800s, New Hampshire’s manufacturing business boomed.A cotton mill openin New Ipswich in 1804; six years later, eleven more mills followed. New Hampshire’s

strong streams turned waterwheels that powered equipment in many preindustrial mills.New Hampshire’s mills were also credited with helping Union efforts during the Civil W

Manchester mills turned cotton into cloth for thousands of uniforms.

INDEPENDENT SPIRIT

In politics and economics, the state’speople and policies have always showna strong independent vision and trail-blazing spirit. On January 5, 1776, thestate became the first of the 13 originalcolonies to declare its independence.Today, New Hampshire is known asone of only two states to have no stateincome tax and no sales tax—policiesthat residents believe are good for bothconsumers and businesses.

 THE FOUR SEASONS

In fall, colorful foliagelines the country roads of NewHampshire. In winter, the state is covered with a blanket of snow. Each year, the state receives an average of 50 inches (127 cm) of snow, withamounts in the north and west often topping 100 inches (254 cm).The state’s climateis cool with the southern half a few degrees warmer than the north.Temperatures in

 July average 68ºF (20°C), while January temperatures hover around 19ºF (-7°C).

DID YOU KNOW?

Each primary day, votersin Dixville Notch

become the first U.S.citizens to vote for 

presidential hopefuls.Thepolling site in the tinytown, population 100,

opens at midnight.

(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.