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Though New Hampshire’s nickname is the Granite State I think the state’s motto is more fitting. In 1945 the state adopted the words Live Free or Die. The sentiment came from a letter written by one of New Hampshire’s Revolutionary War heroes, General John Stark. In 1809 Stark wrote, “Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.” It fits the state well since New Hampshire fought for its freedom many times.

New Hampshire was created as a land grant in 1622 and first settled the next year. Until 1679, when the King of England decreed the area as a royal province, it was considered part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It was a turbulent time in British North America and New Hampshire’s independence was short lived; in 1686 it was reabsorbed by Massachusetts. Vehemently opposed to this change, New Hampshire returned to a short-lived separate existence in 1691. By 1698 Massachusetts again had control. That system remained in place for over 40 years, when finally in 1741 New Hampshire was again established as an independent royal province.

Thirty some years later New Hampshire joined with the other twelve colonies in declaring its independence from England. Although the colony was firmly established, territorial disputes, namely with Vermont and Canada, continued well into the 1800s.

During the 1800s three of New Hampshire’s most famous residents made names for themselves. Starting with the oldest one first, we have Daniel Webster. Webster was born in New Hampshire in 1782 and quickly rose to fame as a lawyer. His oration skills and successful law practice led him to a political career. Webster served for Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Though he ran for President three times, the highest office he achieved was appointment as Secretary of State. He held that office twice, from 1841 to 1843 and later from 1850 to 1852.

During those years the U.S. government was trying to hold the country together as the issue of slavery became more and more divisive. Webster, a New Englander, sought out ways to keep the peace with some success until he voiced support of the Compromise of 1850. His fellow Northerners felt betrayed and Webster was forced to resign his Senate seat. History praises Webster for his efforts to preserve the Union yet also notes his lust for money, gambling and the bottle. Notably, John F. Kennedy, Jr. included him in his book Profiles in Courage as a Senator who stood up for what he believed even when it cost him the Presidency. Fittingly enough, Webster died in 1852 when he fell, drunk, off his horse.

A love of alcohol was shared by a fellow New Hampshire born politician, Franklin Pierce. Pierce was twelve years younger than Webster and also a lawyer. He was merely in the right place at the right time when he was elected as the fourteenth President of the U.S. Pierce, who held the office from 1853 to 1857, is notable for three things; first he was good friends with Nathaniel Hawthorne second, he authorized the Gadsden Purchase and third, he is regarded as one of the worst Presidents in our country’s history.

Pierce, like Webster, was in politics at a volatile time; the fight to abolish slavery had already begun, at least in words. Pierce, like Webster only more so, was a Northerner with Southern sympathies. Midway through his term in office Pierce was given the derogatory label of “doughface”, meaning a half-baked man who didn’t have any convictions. Pierce remains the only President to not be renominated by his own party. He died of cirrhosis in 1869.

Our final character was not born in New Hampshire but he did reside in the state for over 50 years. Robert Frost was born in California in 1874. He was one of the rare men at the time who was born in the west but moved to the east; in the 1800s the direction was usually reversed. After a brief stint at Harvard University, Frost attempted poultry farming in Derry, New Hampshire. When the farm failed, Frost moved his family around New Hampshire, making a living as a teacher and, obviously, writing. Frost was eventually awarded four Pulitzer Prizes for his writing, but what I find most remarkable was his relationship with John F. Kennedy, Jr.

The elderly Frost not only spoke at JFK’s inauguration in 1961, but the next year he was sent by JFK to meet with Nikita Krushchev, leader of the Soviet Union. JFK later denounced Frost because of a comment Frost made in an interview. According to sources JFK refused to reconcile with the old man, even when Frost asked for him from his deathbed.

Leaving our characters behind, let’s focus on the physical aspects of New Hampshire. The first settlers in the area tried farming but the soil was not productive. Settlers soon turned to harvesting the plentiful trees. When you think of New Hampshire in the fall what comes to mind? Red, orange and yellow leaves? Consider this, the astounding swaths of fall color that occur in New Hampshire are the direct result of hundreds of years of logging. The deciduous trees that blaze in the fall are second or even third growth forests in an area once dominated by pine trees. Multiple types of birch, beech, maple, ash and poplar all require full sun to grow—which the tall pines, while standing, did not afford them.

Today, New Hampshire is the second most forested state behind Maine, in part because the farms failed and the fields were abandoned. New Hampshire lays claim to another superlative in that it has the shortest ocean coastline in the U.S. with a mere 18 miles. The state is also home to Mt. Washington which at 6,288’ is New England’s highest peak. Mt. Washington is infamous for its bad weather; to date the world’s fastest wind speed (recorded on land), 231 mph, was recorded atop the peak in 1934. Mt. Washington is part of the White Mountains which in turn are part of the larger Appalachian Mountain Range. The Whites were named by Verrazano in 1524 when he spied them from the coast, gleaming white. What he saw wasn’t snow but sunlight glinting off the shiny mica schist on the bare mountaintops.

The White Mountain area is an outdoor mecca with something for every season. In winter the slopes teem with people enjoying the snow; in some areas snow sports even continue through spring. Summer brings hikers on the Appalachian Trail, mountain bikers, fishermen, river rafters, and kayakers while the fall foliage attracts people with its brilliant colors. It should come as no surprise that tourism is one of the state’s leading industries.

New Hampshire stands out for several more reasons, the first of which has to do with the President of the United States of America. Since 1952, the state has held the first political party primary of the Presidential election cycle. Although the Iowa Caucus is a week earlier, it does not have nearly the influence New Hampshire’s primary enjoys. To quote former Governor John Sununu, “The people of Iowa pick corn, the people of New Hampshire pick Presidents.” New Hampshire’s status as a make it or break it state may soon be lost as political parties look to more populous states for their popular vote.

New Hampshire is the only state without a general sales tax or a personal income tax—the money for the state budget comes from property taxes. Property owners, who bear the onus of the taxes are increasingly vocal about what they feel is a disproportionately large burden. Apparently, the area’s scenic vistas are attracting out-of-state buyers who are driving up property values. For a state as leery of centralized authority as New Hampshire, it might prove to be an impossible issue to resolve.

Talking about unresolved matters, consider “America’s Stonehenge” in Salem, New Hampshire. The hilltop covered with stone structures has been purported to be a site with astronomical alignments, ancient Celtic inscriptions and even a “sacrificial slab.” That the site has been dated as roughly 4,000 years old doesn’t bother me, but the unsupported and poorly documented claims of early European builders does.

I admit I haven’t visited the site but from all my research I have seen very little scientific “proof” of any of these claims. If the arrangements of rock have been around for so long, why is there no mention of them until the 1800s? Plus, there is the disturbing fact that past owners of the site are known to have altered the landscape dramatically. The few scientifically sound excavations that were conducted have only turned up evidence of early Native Americans. True, the Celtic-European option has not been completely disproved; but then again, neither has the alien landing site one.

Clearly, there’s nothing boring about the beautiful Granite State.