New Hampshire
New Hampshire is an American state, and was one of the first 13 states. It was the 9th state to ratify the Constitution of the United States of America. Its largest city is Manchester and its capital is Concord. Its highest point is Mount Washington, one of the windiest places on Earth.
| Capital | Concord |
|---|---|
| Nickname | The Granite State |
| Official Language | English |
| Governor | John H. Lynch, D |
| Senator | Judd Gregg, R (202) 224-3324 Contact |
| Senator | Jeanne Shaheen, D (202) 224-2841 [no contact info] |
| Ratification of Constitution/or statehood | June 21, 1788 (9th) |
| Flag of New Hampshire | Motto: Live Free or Die |
New Hampshire had a fairly conservative foundation for example the "Live Free or Die" motto. The state has no personal income tax and no general sales tax. It is the first state to hold primary elections for US Presidential candidates. Recently, it is counted on as a solid center-left state with Democrat majorities in government and the population has more registered Democrats than Republicans. It voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential election and on June 3, 2009, the New Hampshire legislature passed a bill to make the state the sixth to allow gay marriage.
Dartmouth College, the smallest of the Ivy League universities, is located in Hanover, New Hampshire. Despite its small size, it is a full-scale university, with medicine, engineering and business schools.
Notable residents
- Dan Brown, author of controversial novels, one of which, The Da Vinci Code, made spurious claims about attacked the Catholic Church
- New Hampshire was the birthplace and home of President Franklin Pierce.
- Gene Robinson, the first openly homosexual bishop of an Episcopalian church, is the current bishop of the diocese of New Hampshire.
- Alan Shepard, astronaut - first American in space, commander of Apollo 14, and one of the men who have walked on the Moon
- David Souter, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1990-2009, who switched positions from conservative to liberal early in his term on the bench
See also
References