New Hampshire is one of the smallest states that located in New England region of the northeastern United States. It’s bordered by the Quebec province of Canada to the north, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, Massachusetts to the south and Vermont to the west. “The Granite State” and “The White Mountain State” are two popular nicknames for New Hampshire. There are many interesting facts about New Hampshire. We will talk about 10 of them in this article.
1. New Hampshire was the First British North American Colony to Declare its Independence from Great Britain
New Hampshire became the first British North American Colony to declare its independence from Great Britain and adopt its own constitution on January 4, 1776. New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution in June 1788. The name of New Hampshire itself comes from Hampshire County in England.
2. Concord is the Capital City of New Hampshire and Manchester is Its Largest City
The capital city of New Hampshire is Concord. It has been the capital city of New Hampshire since 1808. The largest city in New Hampshire is Manchester, named for Manchester of England by Samuel Blodgett. Manchester is also the most populous city in Northern New England. Manchester and Nashua, the second largest city of New Hampshire, are part of the Greater Boston Metropolitan Area that lies in 3 states (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island).
3. Amoskeag Manufacturing Company was the Largest Cotton Textile Plant in the World
The Amoskeag Manufacturing Company was founded in 1810 by Benjamin Prichard. It was a textile manufacturer founded in Manchester, New Hampshire. The Amoskeag Manufacturing Company grew throughout the 19th century and became the largest cotton textile plant in the world at that time. There were 17,000 employees and around 30 buildings in Amoskeag at its peak time. Amoskeag went bankrupt in 1935 changing economic and social conditions.
4. New Hampshire is the State with the Lowest Poverty Rate
New Hampshire has the lowest property rate among all the states in the United States. The poverty rate of New Hampshire is 7.42%. New Hampshire is also among the states that have the lowest unemployment rate. New Hampshire is also one of the states that have the lowest violent crime rate. New Hampshire is among the wealthiest states with a high median household income.
5. New Hampshire Has One of the Lowest Tax Burden Among All States
New Hampshire is among the states that has the lowest overall tax burden. There are only nine states that don’t levy state income tax and New Hampshire is one of them. New Hampshire is also among the states that have no tax on sales. New Hampshire also has no taxes on capital gains or inheritance. With no taxes on income, sales, capital gains and inheritance, New Hampshire becomes one of the states with the lowest overall tax burden.
6. The Highest Ground Wind Speed was Recorded in Mount Washington New Hampshire
On April 12, 1934, the highest ground wind speed was recorded in Mount Washington, New Hampshire at 372 km/h (231.00 mph) using a hot-wire anemometer. It was the highest ground wind speed in the world until a new record that recorded in an automatic weather station on Barrow Island, Australia at 408 km/h (253 mph) on April 10, 1996.
7. Mount Monadnock is the One of the Most Frequently Climbed Mountains in the World
Mount Monadnock is the highest point of Cheshire County that is located near the towns of Jaffrey and Dublin in New Hampshire. Mount Monadnock is only 3,165 feet (965 m) in elevation. Mount Monadnock is considered as the one of the most frequently climbed mountains in the world behind Mount Fuji in Japan. The reason behind that is the proximity to population as it’s only two-hour drive from Boston and less than five hours from New York.
8. Mount Washington is the Highest Natural Point in New Hampshire
At 6,288.2 ft (1,916.6 m) elevation, Mount Washington is the highest natural point in New Hampshire. Mount Washington is also the most topographically prominent mountain east of the Mississippi river. Mount Washington has erratic weather. It’s the site of the highest ground wind speed on April 12, 1934 that we have talked about before. Mount Washington is located in Coös County, New Hampshire.
9. Purple Finch is the Official State Bird of New Hampshire
The official state bird of New Hampshire is the purple finch (Haemorhous purpureus) that was designated in 1957. The purple finch has breeding habitat in mixed forest and wooded area in Canada, the northeastern United States as well as the U.S. Pacific coast. The purple finch of northern Canada migrates to the southern United States. Their nest can be found in the horizontal branch or in a fork of a tree.
10. The Official State Flower of New Hampshire is Purple Lilac
The purple lilac (Syringa vulgaris) has been the official state flower of New Hampshire since 1919. Syringa Vulgaris can grow up to 6–7 m (20–23 ft) high. Syringa Vulgaris in New Hampshire was initially imported from England and planted on the governor’s home in 1750. It was chosen as the state flower among others as it is symbolic of that hardy character of the men and women of the Granite State. New Hampshire also adopted the pink lady’s slipper (Cypripedium acaule) as the official state Wildflower.
We have talked about 10 interesting New Hampshire facts. There are surely many more interesting facts about New Hampshire that are not mentioned here. If you know other interesting facts it’s surely welcome to share your facts with us here.