New Hampshire was inhabited for thousands of years byAlgonquian-speaking peoples such as theAbenaki. Europeans arrived in the early 17th century, with the English establishing some of the earliest non-indigenous settlements. TheProvince of New Hampshire was established in 1629, named after theEnglishcounty ofHampshire.[13] Following mounting tensions betweenthe British colonies and the crown during the 1760s, New Hampshire saw one of the earliest overt acts of rebellion, with the seizing ofFort William and Mary from the British in 1774. In January 1776, it became the first of the British North Americancolonies to establish an independent government and state constitution; six months later, it signed theUnited States Declaration of Independence andcontributed troops, ships, and supplies in the war againstBritain. In June 1788, it was the ninth state to ratify theU.S. Constitution, bringing that document into effect. Through the mid-19th century, New Hampshire was an active center ofabolitionism, and fielded close to 32,000Union soldiers during theU.S. Civil War. After the war, the state saw rapid industrialization and population growth, becoming a center oftextile manufacturing,shoemaking, andpapermaking; theAmoskeag Manufacturing Company in Manchester was at one time the largest cotton textile plant in the world. TheMerrimack andConnecticut rivers were lined with industrial mills, most of which employed workers from Canada and Europe;French Canadians formed the most significant influx of immigrants, and today roughly a quarter of all New Hampshire residents haveFrench American ancestry, a statistic second only to Maine among states.
Reflecting a nationwide trend, New Hampshire's industrial sector declined afterWorld War II. Since 1950, its economy has diversified to include financial and professional services, real estate, education, transportation and high-tech, with manufacturing still higher than the national average.[14] Beginning in the 1950s, its population surged as major highways connected it toGreater Boston and led to morecommuter towns. New Hampshire is among the wealthiest and most-educated states.[15] It is one of nine states without an income tax and has no taxes on sales, capital gains, or inheritance while relying heavily on local property taxes to fund education; consequently, its statetax burden is among the lowest in the country. New Hampshire is one of theleast religious states and known for itslibertarian-leaning political culture; it was until recently aswing state in presidential elections and is still of the least liberal states inNew England.[16] The New Hampshire Republican Party has held a trifecta majority in state level government since 2017, with the exception of 2019 and 2020, while the Democratic Party has held a majority on New Hampshire's federal level representation in Congress. New Hampshire is the only state to have a woman as governor and women as both U.S. senators.[17]
The historical coat of arms of New Hampshire, from 1876
VariousAlgonquian-speakingAbenaki tribes, largely divided between theAndroscoggin,Cowasuck andPennacook nations, inhabited the area before European colonization.[18] Despite the similar language, they had a very different culture and religion from other Algonquian peoples.Indigenous people lived nearKeene, New Hampshire 12,000 years ago, according to 2009 archaeological digs,[19] and the Abenaki were present in New Hampshire in pre-colonial times.[20]
English and French explorers visited New Hampshire in 1600–1605, andDavid Thompson settled atOdiorne's Point in present-dayRye in 1623. The first permanent European settlement was at Hilton's Point (present-dayDover). By 1631, the Upper Plantation comprised modern-day Dover,Durham andStratham; in 1679, it became the "Royal Province".Father Rale's War was fought between the colonists and theWabanaki Confederacy throughout New Hampshire.
TheStrawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire includes 37 restored buildings dating from the 17th through 19th centuries.
New Hampshire was one of theThirteen Colonies that rebelled against British rule during theAmerican Revolution. During the American Revolution, New Hampshire was economically divided. The Seacoast region revolved around sawmills, shipyards, merchants' warehouses, and established village and town centers, where wealthy merchants built substantial homes, furnished them with 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 slaves.
Site of first house in New Hampshire, present mansion constructed in 1750, by Gov. W. B. Wentworth,New York Public Library
In December 1774,Paul Revere warned Patriots thatFort William and Mary would be reinforced with British troops. The following day,John Sullivan raided the fort for weapons. During the raid, the British soldiers fired at rebels with cannon and muskets, but there were apparently no casualties. These were among the first shots in the American Revolutionary period, occurring approximately five months before theBattles of Lexington and Concord. On January 5, 1776, New Hampshire became the first colony to declare independence from Great Britain, almost six months before the Declaration of Independence was signed by the Continental Congress.[21]
The highly industrious Founding FatherJosiah Bartlett was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation, and served as a delegate at the Constitutional Convention. He was the first governor of New Hampshire, a medical doctor, and chief justice of the New Hampshire Superior Court of Judicature (now the New Hampshire Supreme Court). TheJosiah Bartlett House in Kingston, New Hampshire still stands.
TheUnited States Constitution was ratified by New Hampshire on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to do so.[22]
New Hampshire was a Jacksonian stronghold; the state sentFranklin Pierce to the White House in the election of 1852. Industrialization took the form of numerous textile mills, which in turn attracted large flows ofimmigrants from Quebec (the "French Canadians") andIreland. 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 as a service provider.
Starting in 1952, New Hampshire gained national and international attention for itspresidential primary held early in every presidential election year. It immediately became an important testing ground for candidates for the Republican and Democratic nominations but did not necessarily guarantee victory.[23] The media gave New Hampshire andIowa significant attention compared to other states in the primary process, magnifying the state's decision powers and spurring repeated efforts by out-of-state politicians to change the rules.[24]
Map of New Hampshire, with roads, rivers, and major citiesShaded relief map of New HampshireMount Adams (5,774 ft or 1,760 m) is part of New Hampshire'sPresidential Range.Lake Winnipesaukee and theOssipee Mountains
TheWhite Mountains range in New Hampshire spans the north-central portion of the state. The range includesMount Washington, the tallest in the northeastern U.S.—site of the second-highest wind speed ever recorded—[27] as well asMount Adams andMount Jefferson. With hurricane-force winds every third day on average, more than a hundred recorded deaths among visitors, and conspicuouskrumholtz (dwarf, matted trees much like a carpet ofbonsai trees), the climate on the upper reaches of Mount Washington has inspired the weather observatory on the peak to claim that the area has the "World's Worst Weather".[28] The White Mountains were home to the rock formation called theOld Man of the Mountain, a face-like profile inFranconia Notch, until the formation disintegrated in May 2003. Even after its loss, the Old Man remains an enduring symbol for the state, seen on state highway signs, automobile license plates, and many government and private entities around New Hampshire.
In southwestern New Hampshire, the landmarkMount Monadnock has given its name to a class of earth-forms—amonadnock—signifying, in geomorphology, any isolated resistant peak rising from a less resistant eroded plain.
New Hampshire has more than 800 lakes and ponds, and approximately 19,000 miles (31,000 km) of rivers and streams.[29] Major rivers include the 110-mile (177 km)Merrimack River, which bisects the lower half of the state north–south before passing into Massachusetts and reaching the sea inNewburyport. Its tributaries include theContoocook River,Pemigewasset River, andWinnipesaukee River. The 410-mile (660 km)Connecticut River, which starts at New Hampshire'sConnecticut Lakes and flows south toConnecticut, defines the western border with Vermont. The state border is not in the center of that river, as is usually the case, but at the low-water mark on the Vermont side; meaning the entire river along the Vermont border (save for areas where the water level has been raised by a dam) lies within New Hampshire.[30] Only one town—Pittsburg—shares a land border with the state of Vermont. The "northwesternmost headwaters" of the Connecticut also define part of the Canada–U.S. border.
ThePiscataqua River and its severaltributaries form the state's only significant ocean port where they flow into the Atlantic atPortsmouth. TheSalmon Falls River and the Piscataqua define the southern portion of the border with Maine. The Piscataqua River boundary was the subject of aborder dispute between New Hampshire and Maine in 2001, with New Hampshire claiming dominion over several islands (primarilySeavey's Island) that include thePortsmouth Naval Shipyard. TheU.S. Supreme Court dismissed the case in 2002, leaving ownership of the island with Maine. New Hampshire still claims sovereignty of the base, however.[31]
The largest ofNew Hampshire's lakes isLake Winnipesaukee, which covers 71 square miles (184 km2) in the east-central part of New Hampshire.Umbagog Lake along the Maine border, approximately 12.3 square miles (31.9 km2), is a distant second.Squam Lake is the second largest lake entirely in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire has theshortest ocean coastline of any state in the United States, approximately 18 miles (29 km) long.[32]Hampton Beach is a popular local summer destination. About 7 miles (11 km) offshore are theIsles of Shoals, nine small islands (four of which are in New Hampshire) known as the site of a 19th-century art colony founded by poetCelia Thaxter, and the alleged location of one of the buried treasures of the pirateBlackbeard.
The northern third of the state is locally referred to as the "north country" or "north of the notches", in reference to the White Mountainpasses that channel traffic. It contains less than 5% of the state's population, suffers relatively high poverty, and is steadily losing population as the logging and paper industries decline. However, the tourist industry, in particular visitors who go to northern New Hampshire toski,snowboard,hike andmountain bike, has helped offset economic losses from mill closures.
Environmental protection emerged as a key state issue in the early 1900s in response to poor logging practices. In the 1970s, activists defeated a proposal to build an oil refinery along the coast and limited plans for a full-width interstate highway throughFranconia Notch to a parkway.[35][36]
Winter season lengths are projected to decline at ski areas across New Hampshire due to theeffects of climate change, which is likely to continue the historic contraction and consolidation of the ski industry and threaten individual ski businesses and communities that rely on ski tourism.[37]
New Hampshire experiences ahumid continental climate (Köppen climate classificationDfa in some southern areas,Dfb in most of the state, andDfc subarctic in some northern highland areas), with warm, humid summers, and long, cold, and snowy winters. Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed all year. The climate of the southeastern portion is moderated by theAtlantic Ocean and averages relatively milder winters (for New Hampshire), while the northern and interior portions experience colder temperatures and lower humidity. Winters are cold and snowy throughout the state, and especially severe in the northern and mountainous areas. Average annual snowfall ranges from 60 inches (150 cm) to over 100 inches (250 cm) across the state.[39]
Average daytime highs are in the mid 70s°F to low 80s°F (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 inches (100 cm) with some variation occurring in theWhite Mountains due to differences in elevation and annual snowfall. New Hampshire's highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) inNashua on July 4, 1911, while the lowest recorded temperature was −47 °F (−44 °C) atopMount Washington on January 29, 1934. Mount Washington also saw an unofficial −50 °F (−46 °C) reading on January 22, 1885, which, if made official, would tie the record low for New England (also −50 °F (−46 °C) atBig Black River, Maine, on January 16, 2009, andBloomfield, Vermont on December 30, 1933).
Extreme snow is often associated with anor'easter, such as theBlizzard of '78 and theBlizzard of 1993, when several feet accumulated across portions of the state over 24 to 48 hours. Lighter snowfalls of several inches occur frequently throughout winter, often associated with anAlberta Clipper.
New Hampshire, on occasion, is affected byhurricanes and tropical storms—although, by the time they reach the state, they are oftenextratropical—with most storms striking the southern New England coastline and moving inland or passing by offshore in theGulf of Maine. Most of New Hampshire averages fewer than 20 days of thunderstorms per year and an average of two tornadoes occur annually statewide.[40]
TheNational Arbor Day Foundation planthardiness zone map depicts zones 3, 4, 5, and6 occurring throughout the state[41] and indicates the transition from a relatively cooler to warmer climate as one travels southward across New Hampshire. The 1990USDA planthardiness zones for New Hampshire range from zone 3b in the north to zone 5b in the south.[42]
Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in New Hampshire[43]
Ethnic origins in New HampshirePopulation density by census tract
As of the2020 census, the resident population of New Hampshire was 1,377,529,[46] a 4.6% increase since the2010 United States Census. Thecenter of population of New Hampshire is inMerrimack County, in the town ofPembroke.[48] The center of population has moved south 12 miles (19 km) since 1950,[49] a reflection of the fact that the state's fastest growth has been along its southern border, which is within commuting range of Boston and other Massachusetts cities.
The most densely populated areas generally lie within 50 miles (80 km) of the Massachusetts border, and are concentrated in two areas: along theMerrimack River Valley running fromConcord toNashua, and in theSeacoast Region along an axis stretching fromRochester toPortsmouth. Outside of those two regions, only one community, the city ofKeene, has a population of over 20,000. The four counties covering these two areas account for 72% of the state population, and one (Hillsborough) has nearly 30% of the state population, as well as the two most populous communities, Manchester and Nashua. The northern portion of the state is very sparsely populated: the largest county by area,Coos, covers the northern one-fourth of the state and has only around 31,000 people, about a third of whom live in a single community (Berlin). The trends over the past several decades have been for the population to shift southward, as many northern communities lack the economic base to maintain their populations, while southern communities have been absorbed by theGreater Boston metropolis.
Largest reported ancestry groups in New Hampshire by town as of 2013. Dark purple indicates Irish, light purple English, pink French, turquoise French Canadian, dark blue Italian, and light blue German. Gray indicates townships with no reported data.
As of the2010 census, the population of New Hampshire was 1,316,470. The gender makeup of the state at that time was 49.3% male and 50.7% female. 21.8% of the population were under the age of 18; 64.6% were between the ages of 18 and 64; and 13.5% were 65 years of age or older.[51] Additionally, about 57.3% of the population was born out of state.[52]
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.8% of the population in 2010: 0.6% were ofMexican, 0.9%Puerto Rican, 0.1%Cuban, and 1.2% other Hispanic or Latino origin. As of 2020, theHispanic or Latino population was counted as 4.3%.[50] The Native American/Alaska native population is listed as 0.3% in the 2020 census, but may be higher.[57]
According to the Census Bureau'sAmerican Community Survey estimates from 2017, 2.1% of the population aged5 and older speakSpanish at home, while 1.8% speakFrench.[61] InCoös County, 9.6% of the population speaks French at home,[62] down from 16% in 2000.[63] In the city ofNashua, Hillsborough County, 8.02% of the population speaks Spanish at home.[64]
Demographics of the top five municipalities by population[65][66]
Note: Percentages in the table do not add up to 100, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.
Since 2016, data for births ofWhite Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in oneHispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
In 2022, New Hampshire had the lowest teen birth rate of any state, at 4.6 births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 19 years of age.[77]
A Pew survey in 2014 showed that the religious affiliations of the people of New Hampshire was as follows:nonreligious 36%,Protestant 30%,Catholic 26%, Jehovah's Witness 2%,LDS (Mormon) 1%, and Jewish 1%.[79]
A survey suggests people in New Hampshire and Vermont[note 4] are less likely than other Americans to attend weekly services and only 54% say they are "absolutely certain there is a God" compared to 71% in the rest of the nation.[note 5][80] New Hampshire and Vermont are also at the lowest levels among states in religious commitment. In 2012, 23% of New Hampshire residents in a Gallup poll considered themselves "very religious", while 52% considered themselves "non-religious".[81] According to theAssociation of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) in 2010, the largest denominations were theCatholic Church with 311,028 members; theUnited Church of Christ with 26,321 members; and theUnited Methodist Church with 18,029 members.[82]
In 2016, a Gallup Poll found that New Hampshire was the least religious state in the United States. Only 20% of respondents in New Hampshire categorized themselves as "very religious", while the nationwide average was 40%.[83]
According to the 2020Public Religion Research Institute study, 64% of the population was Christian, dominated by Roman Catholicism andevangelical Protestantism.[84] In contrast with varying studies of estimated irreligiosity, the Public Religion Research Institute reported that irreligion declined from 36% at the separate 2014 Pew survey to 25% of the population in 2020. In 2021, the unaffiliated increased to 40% of the population, although Christianity altogether made up 54% of the total population (Catholics, Protestants, and Jehovah's Witnesses).
TheBureau of Economic Analysis estimates that New Hampshire'stotal state product in 2018 was $86billion, ranking 40th in the United States.[86]Median household income in 2017 was $74,801, the fourth highest in the country (includingWashington, DC).[87] 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 is a major component of the economy.[88]
New Hampshire experienced a major shift in its economic base during the 20th century. Historically, the base was composed of traditional New England textiles, shoemaking, and small machine shops, drawing upon low-wage labor from nearby small farms and parts of Quebec. Today, of the state's total manufacturing dollar value, these sectors contribute only two percent for textiles, two percent for leather goods, and nine percent for machining.[89] They experienced a sharp decline due to obsolete plants and the lure of cheaper wages in theSouthern United States.
New Hampshire today has a broad-based and growing economy, with a state GDP growth rate of 2.2% in 2018.[86] The state's largest economic sectors in 2018, based on contribution to GDP, are: 15% real estate and rental and leasing; 13%professional business services; 12% manufacturing; 10% government and government services; and 9% health care and social services.[90]
The state'sbudget in FY2018 was $5.97billion, including $1.79billion in federal funds.[91] The state has aproperty tax (subject to municipal control) but no broadsales tax or income tax. The state does have narrower taxes on meals, lodging, vehicles, and business income; and has tolls on some expressways. Though there is no broad-based state tax, local jurisdictions have the U.S.'s 8th-highest property taxes as of a 2019 ranking by theTax Foundation.[92] However, the state's overall tax burden is relatively low; in 2010 New Hampshire ranked 8th-lowest among states in combined average state and local tax burden.[93]
According to theEnergy Information Administration, New Hampshire's energy consumption and per capita energy consumption are among the lowest in the country. TheSeabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant, near Portsmouth, is the largest individual electrical generating unit on the New England power grid and provided 57% of New Hampshire's electricity generation in 2017. Power generation from wind power increased strongly in 2012 and 2013, but remained rather flat for the next ten years at around 4% of consumption. In 2016, 2017 and at least 2019–2022, New Hampshire obtained more of its electricity generation from wind power than from coal-fired power plants.Hydroelectric power andbiomass are other importantrenewable resources in the state. New Hampshire was a net exporter of electricity, exporting 63 trillionBritish thermal units (18 TWh).[94]
New Hampshire's residential electricity use is low compared with the national average, in part because demand for air conditioning is low during the generally mild summer months and because few households use electricity as their primary energy source for home heating. Nearly half of New Hampshire households usefuel oil for winter heating, which is one of the largest shares in the United States. New Hampshire has potential for renewable energies like wind power, hydroelectricity, andwood fuel.[94]
The (preliminary) seasonallyunemployment rate in April 2019 was 2.4% based on a 767,500 person civilian workforce with 749,000 people in employment. New Hampshire's workforce is 90% in nonfarm employment, with 18% employed in trade, transportation, and utilities; 17% in education and health care; 12% in government; 11% in professional and business services; and 10% in leisure and hospitality.[95]
In March 2018, 86% of New Hampshire's workforce were employed by the private sector, with 53% of those workers being employed by firms with fewer than 100 employees. About 14% of private-sector employees are employed by firms with more than 1,000 employees.[96]
According to community surveys by the Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau of NH Employment Security, the following are the largest private employers in the state as of 2018:[97]
The governor of New Hampshire, since January 9, 2025, is RepublicanKelly Ayotte. New Hampshire's two U.S. senators areJeanne Shaheen andMaggie Hassan, both of whom are Democrats and former governors. New Hampshire's two U.S. representatives as of January 2025 areChris Pappas andMaggie Goodlander, both Democrats.
New Hampshire is the only state in the U.S. that does not require adults to wear seat belts in their vehicles. It is one of three states that have no mandatory helmet law.
New Hampshire has a bifurcated executive branch, consisting of the governor and a five-memberexecutive council which votes on state contracts worth more than $5,000 and "advises and consents" to the governor's nominations to major state positions such as department heads and all judgeships andpardon requests. New Hampshire does not have alieutenant governor; the Senate president serves as "acting governor" whenever the governor is unable to perform the duties.
The legislature is called theGeneral Court. It consists of theHouse of Representatives and theSenate. There are 400 representatives, making it one of the largest elected bodies in the English-speaking world,[99] and 24 senators. Legislators are paid a nominal salary of $200 per two-year term plus travel costs, the lowest in the U.S. by far. Thus most are effectively volunteers, nearly half of whom areretirees.[100] (For details, see the article onGovernment of New Hampshire.)
New Hampshire is a"Dillon Rule" state, meaning the state retains all powers not specifically granted to municipalities. Even so, the legislature strongly favors local control, particularly concerning land use regulations. New Hampshire municipalities are classified astowns or cities, which differ primarily by the form of government. Most towns generally operate on thetown meeting form of government, where the registered voters in the town act as the town legislature, and aboard of selectmen acts as the executive of the town. Larger towns and the state's thirteen cities operate either on acouncil–manager orcouncil–mayor form of government. There is no difference, from the state government's point of view, between towns and cities besides the form of government. All state-level statutes treat all municipalities identically.
New Hampshire has a small number ofunincorporated areas that are titled as grants, locations, purchases, or townships. These locations have limited to no self-government, and services are generally provided for them by neighboring towns or the county or state where needed. As of the 2000 census, there were 25 of these left in New Hampshire, accounting for a total population of 173 people (as of 2000[update]); several were entirely depopulated. All but two of these unincorporated areas are in Coös County.
TheDemocratic Party and theRepublican Party, in that order, are the two largest parties in the state. A plurality of voters are registered as undeclared, and can choose either ballot in the primary and then regain their undeclared status after voting.[103] TheLibertarian Party had official party status from 1990 to 1996 and from 2016 to 2018. A movement known as theFree State Project suggests libertarians move to the state to concentrate their power. As of August 30, 2022, there were 869,863 registered voters, of whom 332,008 (38.17%) did not declare a political party affiliation, 273,921 (31.49%) were Democratic, and 263,934 (30.34%) were Republican.[104]
As of 2025, the Republican Party controls the governorship, the Executive Council, and both houses of thelegislature. However, the Democratic Party controls all four seats in the state's delegation to Congress.
New Hampshire is internationally known for theNew Hampshire primary, the firstprimary in the quadrennial American presidential election cycle. State law requires that the Secretary of State schedule this election at least one week before any "similar event". While theIowa caucus precedes the New Hampshire primary, the New Hampshire election is the nation's first contest that uses the same procedure as the general election, draws more attention than those in other states, and has been decisive in shaping the national contest.
In February 2023, the Democratic National Committee awarded that party's first primary toSouth Carolina, to be held on February 3, 2024, directing New Hampshire and Nevada to vote three days later.[105] New Hampshire political leaders from both parties have vowed to stand by the state's "first in the nation" law and ignore the DNC.
State law permits a town with fewer than 100 residents to open its polls at midnight and close when all registered citizens have cast their ballots. As such, the communities ofDixville Notch inCoos County andHart's Location inCarroll County, among others, have chosen to implement these provisions. Dixville Notch and Hart's Location are traditionally the first places in both New Hampshire and the U.S. to vote in presidential primaries and elections.
Nominations for all other partisan offices are decided in a separateprimary election. In Presidential election cycles, this is the second primary election held in New Hampshire.
In the past, New Hampshire has often voted Republican. Between 1856 and 1988, New Hampshire cast its electoral votes for the Democratic presidential ticket six times:Woodrow Wilson (twice),Franklin D. Roosevelt (three times), andLyndon B. Johnson (once).
Beginning in 1992, New Hampshire became aswing state in national and local elections, and in that time has supported Democrats in all presidential elections except 2000. It was the only state in the country to switch from supporting RepublicanGeorge W. Bush in the2000 election to supporting his Democratic challenger in the2004 election, whenJohn Kerry, a senator from neighboring Massachusetts, won the state.
The Democrats dominated elections in New Hampshire in 2006 and 2008. In 2006, Democrats won both congressional seats (electingCarol Shea-Porter in the first district andPaul Hodes in the second), re-elected GovernorJohn Lynch, and gained a majority on the Executive Council and in both houses for the first time since 1911. Democrats had not held both the legislature and the governorship since 1874.[109] Neither U.S. Senate seat was up for a vote in 2006. In 2008, Democrats retained their majorities, governorship, and Congressional seats; and former governorJeanne Shaheen defeated incumbent RepublicanJohn E. Sununu for the U.S. Senate in a rematch of the 2002 contest.
The 2008 elections resulted in women holding a majority, 13 of the 24 seats, in the New Hampshire Senate, a first for any legislative body in the United States.[110]
In the 2010 midterm elections, Republicans made historic gains in New Hampshire, capturing veto-proof majorities in the state legislature, taking all five seats in the Executive Council, electing a new U.S. senator,Kelly Ayotte, winning both U.S. House seats, and reducing the margin of victory of incumbent GovernorJohn Lynch compared to his 2006 and 2008 landslide wins.
In the 2014 elections, Republicans retook theNew Hampshire House of Representatives with a 239–160 majority and expanded their majority in theNew Hampshire Senate to 14 of the Senate's 24 seats. On the national level, incumbent Democratic SenatorJeanne Shaheen defeated her Republican challenger, former Massachusetts senatorScott Brown. New Hampshire also electedFrank Guinta (R) for its First Congressional District representative andAnn Kuster (D) for its Second Congressional District representative.
In the 2016 elections, Republicans held theNew Hampshire House of Representatives with a majority of 220–175 and held onto their 14 seats in theNew Hampshire Senate. In the gubernatorial race, retiring GovernorMaggie Hassan was succeeded by RepublicanChris Sununu, who defeated Democratic nomineeColin Van Ostern. Sununu became the state's first Republican governor sinceCraig Benson, who left office in 2005 following defeat byJohn Lynch. In the presidential race, the state voted for the Democratic nominee, formerSecretary of StateHillary Clinton over the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, by a margin of 2,736 votes, or 0.3%, one of the closest results the state has ever seen in a presidential race, while Libertarian nomineeGary Johnson received 4.12% of the vote. The Democrats also won a competitive race in the Second Congressional District, as well as a competitive senate race.
There is a unique contrast that can be seen between New Hampshire's federal and state level representation when it comes to which political party has control. Since 2017, New Hampshire's federal level delegation to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives has consisted of exclusively Democrats. However, since 2017, New Hampshire's state level government has had a Republican trifecta over the governorship and New Hampshire State Senate and House of Representatives, excluding the years 2019 and 2020, in which Republican Governor Chris Sununu still resided.[112][113]
TheFree State Project (FSP) is a movement founded in 2001 to recruit at least 20,000 libertarians to move to a single low-population state (New Hampshire, was selected in 2003), to concentratelibertarian activism around a single region.[114] The Free State Project emphasizes decentralized decision-making, encouraging new movers and prior residents of New Hampshire to participate in a way the individual mover deems most appropriate. For example, as of 2017, there were 17 so-called Free Staters elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives,[115] and in 2021, theNew Hampshire Liberty Alliance, which ranks bills and elected representatives based on their adherence to what they see as libertarian principles, scored 150 representatives as "A−" or above rated representatives.[116] Participants also engage with other like-minded activist groups such as Rebuild New Hampshire,[117]Young Americans for Liberty,[118] andAmericans for Prosperity.[119] As of April 2022, approximately 6,232 participants have moved to New Hampshire for the Free State Project.[120]
New Hampshire has a well-maintained, well-signed network ofInterstate highways, U.S. highways, and state highways. State highway markers still depict theOld Man of the Mountain despite that rock formation's demise in 2003. Several route numbers align with the same route numbers in neighboring states. State highway numbering is arbitrary, with no overall system as with U.S. and Interstate systems. Major routes include:
Interstate 93 is the main Interstate highway in New Hampshire and runs north fromSalem (on the Massachusetts border) toLittleton (on the Vermont border). I-93 connects the more densely populated southern part of the state to the Lakes Region and the White Mountains further to the north.
Interstate 95 runs north–south briefly along New Hampshire's seacoast to serve the city ofPortsmouth, before enteringMaine
U.S. Route 1 runs north–south briefly along New Hampshire's seacoast to the east of and paralleling I-95.
U.S. Route 3 is the longest numbered route in the state, and the only one to run completely through the state from the Massachusetts border to the Canada–U.S. border. It generally parallelsInterstate 93. South of Manchester, it takes a more westerly route throughNashua. North of Franconia Notch, U.S.3 takes a more easterly route, before terminating at the Canada–U.S. border.
New Hampshire Route 16 is a major north–south highway in the eastern part of the state that generally parallels the border withMaine, eventually entering Maine as Maine Route 16. The southernmost portion of NH 16 is a four-lane freeway, co-signed with U.S. Route4.
New Hampshire Route 101 is a major east–west highway in the southern part of the state that connectsKeene withManchester and the Seacoast region. East of Manchester, NH 101 is a four-lane, limited-access highway that runs toHampton Beach and I-95.
Greyhound,Concord Coach,Vermont Translines, and Dartmouth Coach all provide intercity bus connections to and from points in New Hampshire and to long-distance points beyond and in between.
Eleven public transit authorities operate local and regional bus services around the state, and eight private carriers operate express bus services which link with the national intercity bus network.[126] TheNew Hampshire Department of Transportation operates a statewide ride-sharing match service, in addition to independent ride matching and guaranteed ride home programs.[126]
The first public high schools in the state were the Boys' High School and the Girls' High School ofPortsmouth, established either in 1827 or 1830, depending on the source.[127][128][129]
New Hampshire has more than 80 public high schools, many of which serve more than one town. The largest isPinkerton Academy inDerry, which is owned by a private non-profit organization and serves as the public high school of several neighboring towns. There are at least 30 private high schools in the state.
In the spring, New Hampshire's manysap houses hold sugaring-off open houses. In summer and early autumn, New Hampshire is home to manycounty fairs, the largest being theHopkinton State Fair, inContoocook. New Hampshire'sLakes Region is home to many summer camps, especially aroundLake Winnipesaukee, and is a popular tourist destination. The Peterborough Players have performed every summer inPeterborough since 1933. TheBarnstormers Theatre inTamworth, founded in 1931, is one of the longest-running professional summer theaters in the United States.[137]
In September, New Hampshire is host to theNew Hampshire Highland Games. New Hampshire has also registered an officialtartan with the proper authorities inScotland, used to make kilts worn by theLincoln Police Department while its officers serve during the games. Thefall foliage peaks in mid-October. In the winter,New Hampshire's ski areas andsnowmobile trails attract visitors from a wide area.[138] After the lakes freeze over they become dotted withice fishing ice houses, known locally as bobhouses.
The fictional New Hampshire town of Grover's Corners serves as the setting of theThornton Wilder playOur Town. Grover's Corners is based, in part, on the real town ofPeterborough. Several local landmarks and nearby towns are mentioned in the text of the play, and Wilder himself spent some time in Peterborough at theMacDowell Colony, writing at least some of the play while in residence there.[141]
Al Capp, creator of the comic stripLi'l Abner, used to joke thatDogpatch, the setting for the strip, was based onSeabrook, where he would vacation with his wife.[142]
In the sixth season ofHBO hit seriesThe Sopranos, in an episode named for New Hampshire's famous slogan of "Live Free or Die", characterVito Spatafore fleesNew Jersey for the small fictional town of Dartford, New Hampshire, because of his inadvertently beingouted as a gay man.[144]
^In the event of a vacancy in the office of governor, the president of theState Senate is first in line to assume the gubernatorial powers and duties as acting governor.
^For use in a reference publication seeMencken, H. L. (1990).American Language Supplement 2. Knopf-Doubleday.The adjoining New Hampshire is usually called theGranite State, which the DAE traces to 1830. It has also been called theWhite Mountain State, theMother of Rivers, and theSwitzerland of America
For official use see"Fast New Hampshire Facts".New Hampshire Almanac. State of New Hampshire. Archived fromthe original on May 25, 2017. RetrievedFebruary 12, 2018.
For contemporary use see"'Live Free or Die'—The Story of the New Hampshire Motto".New England Today. Yankee Publishing, Inc. August 10, 2017. Archived fromthe original on February 12, 2018. RetrievedFebruary 12, 2018.For tourism purposes, however, New Hampshire typically tones it down a bit, presenting itself as the Granite State or the White Mountain State...
^"Visit NH: State Facts". NH Department of Resources and Economic Development. Archived fromthe original on October 14, 2010. RetrievedAugust 30, 2010.
^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived(PDF) from the original on February 1, 2019. RetrievedFebruary 21, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Adults in New Hampshire".Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. May 11, 2015.Archived from the original on September 25, 2017. RetrievedSeptember 19, 2017.
Sletcher, Michael (2004).New England. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.ISBN978-0-313-32753-7.
Land Use in Cornish, N.H., a 2006 documentary presentation by James M. Patterson of theValley News, depicts various aspects of the societal and cultural environment of northern New Hampshire.
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