US Supreme Court justices argue their opinions in this 1977 FIRST AMENDMENT case...(And yes, they actually DO advocate bumper stickers as a means of exercising your constitutional rights!) << BEFORE: Live free in court @ Lebanon, NH ... NOTE: Although he does not appear in this comic, future Supreme Court Justice David Souter was NH … Continue reading Wooley v. Maynard (1977)
Live Free in Court
The story of the NH state motto takes a surprising turn: Are we free to NOT display it? << BEFORE: Choosing a state motto ... NEXT: Live free or die in the U.S. SUPREME COURT! >> SOURCES: Basic info about the case @ OYEZ.org >> Also see the Wikipedia entry
Marriage Announcement (Henniker, 1815)
How they announced a marriage in the early days...
Choosing Freedom (1945)
The people of New Hampshire choose their first official state motto ... << BEFORE: Old John Stark proposes a toast ... NEXT: Live free in court! >> Source: As related on p. 501 of H.P. Moore's A Life of General John Stark of New Hampshire (1949). I suspect the year given in panel #7 should be 1969, … Continue reading Choosing Freedom (1945)
John Stark’s Last Orders
By 1809, the general is far too old and sick to travel... << BEFORE: "Your state motto is SO COOL!" NEXT: How it became the NH state motto >> This is how I imagine General John & Molly Stark may have composed his response to the 1809 invitation to a veterans' reunion for the Battle … Continue reading John Stark’s Last Orders
Darby Field Climbs Mount Washington (1642)
Two Indian guides lead the first European expedition to the top of the White Mountains... I first encountered this account in Colin G. Calloway's Dawnland Encounters, but the full text is available on pp. 62-63 of John Winthrop's Journal (1630-1649). In addition to keeping such detailed notes on New England history, John Winthrop was of course a … Continue reading Darby Field Climbs Mount Washington (1642)
Daniel Webster on Slavery, the Constitution, and Secession
A career-defining speech on slavery and the constitution, given by NH native Daniel Webster to the US Senate on 7 March, 1850 ... << BEFORE: The ages of Daniel Webster ... SOURCE: Adapted from full text of speech @ DANIEL WEBSTER: Dartmouth's Favorite Son (There is really a WHOLE LOT MORE to the speech... you can read it for yourself!) … Continue reading Daniel Webster on Slavery, the Constitution, and Secession
Video: “John Weeks, 1911”
A sing-along music video based on the landmark Weeks Act of 1911... https://youtu.be/f5TBLWKyPWo ALSO SEE: The Weeks Act Comic! >> DOWNLOAD:Printable 2-page PDF 2-page JPG version: SOURCE MATERIALS: Here are some of the primary sources that helped make this song & comic possible: The Weeks Act itself = I looked up the pages from the 1911 … Continue reading Video: “John Weeks, 1911”
“Your state motto is SO COOL!”
Let's take a closer look at that little motto on our license plates... NEXT: General John Stark proposes a toast... >> You can read up on this topic on the "State Emblem" page at the state government's New Hampshire Almanac, and also on Wikipedia pages for John Stark and "Live Free or Die". (If you want … Continue reading “Your state motto is SO COOL!”
Mr. Barnes & the Bear (Henniker)
In honor of the start of hunting season, we continue with (what else?) another action-packed story of ursine urgency! ... << BEFORE: Fishing for bear in Chesterfield. *"BY THIS TIME, BARNES BEGAN TO REALIZE..." ~ I just love that line. (source = Cogswell) Elisha Barnes was a leading figure in the early days of Henniker; for … Continue reading Mr. Barnes & the Bear (Henniker)
Fishing for Bear (Chesterfield)
An unusual hunting tale from the Keene area... << BEFORE: Mrs. Huse and the bear NEXT: Mr. Barnes and the bear >> SOURCE: "The Bear in the Boat" from HSCC ALSO SEE: Color splash page from this story...
Civic Ignorance (w/ Justice David Souter)
A comics discussion with former Supreme Court Justice David Souter...
Daniel Webster, Young & Old
After drawing his statue at the State House, I started reading up on Daniel Webster and became captivated by these two images: Both these cartoon images come from original images made of Daniel Webster during his lifetime. Young Daniel is drawn from a painting by Francis Alexander (1834 or 1835), which appears to be a rather touched-up romanticized version … Continue reading Daniel Webster, Young & Old
“Walk to Camp” by Becky Rule (Guest Post)
NH storyteller Becky Rule adds some quick cartoons to her tale of a fashionable bear encounter: (Drawn & told at the Weeks Act Centennial festivals, 2011)
Mrs. Huse & the Bear (Henniker)
A resourceful wife prepares dinner for her hunting husband:
Daniel Webster Statue (Concord)
Sketch of the Daniel Webster statue in front of the NH State House: The two state seals represent, obviously, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Technically, it's MA's coat of arms, and I didn't realize it was so intense! The latin motto translates as, "WITH SWORD, SHE SEEKS QUIET PEACE UNDER LIBERTY." Looks more like quiet peace … Continue reading Daniel Webster Statue (Concord)
The First Voter Check-List (Henniker, 1813)
In 1813, NH tests out a strange new voting procedure: keeping track of voters with an official checklist! { SOURCE = Cogswell's History of the Town of Henniker... } SEE ALSO: John T. Gilman
State House Facade (Concord)
Here's a QUICK SKETCH of the State House East Facade, with special surprise reading... I just could not help but notice that, even though I've spent countless hours drawing in tons of churches and cathedrals, I have simply never before encountered an actual BIBLE READING MARATHON... until I sat down on the NH State House … Continue reading State House Facade (Concord)
John T. Gilman
Gilman served as governor of NH from 1794-1805, and again from 1813-1816. The town of Gilmanton is named after his family. He was governor when the state legislature passed NH's first mandatory voter check-list law. During the American Revolution he served in the "Minutemen" militia. Drawn from an engraving by Max Rosenthal. [Also see John Taylor Gilman … Continue reading John T. Gilman
Sarah Wilder Patterson
Drawn from a portrait in the reading room at Tucker Free Library (Henniker, NH): Like her husband James, Sarah was also a teacher.... The portrait is by NH painter Joseph Alexander Ames, who is of course the brother of Nathan Ames, the famous inventor of the modern escalator.
James Willis Patterson
Drawn from a portrait in the reading room at Tucker Free Library (Henniker, NH): Patterson taught school in New Hampshire, and later served as a Republican member of Congress during the Civil War, where he supported the establishment of Freedmen's Schools in the South. [Also see James W. Patterson on Wikipedia]
The Weeks Act Story (1911)
Here's a comic to celebrate the Weeks Act of 1911 & the origins of our National Forest system! Download the printable PDF >> "John Weeks 1911" music video >> Support this work @ Patreon >> PRIMARY SOURCES: The starting point for my research was the text of the Weeks Act itself: SOURCE: The official descriptive … Continue reading The Weeks Act Story (1911)
Unknown Soldier (Stoddard, 1864)
Henry Stevens finally joins the 18th NH volunteers, but he never makes it into battle... SOURCE: HSCC Monadnock Moment No. 029: Stoddard's Unknown Soldier Originally published in Monadnock History Comics (Keene Sentinel, 2005) Discussion questions: This episode mentions the names of several historical figures. Which names do you recognize? Why are they famous? Abraham Lincoln William Tecumseh Sherman … Continue reading Unknown Soldier (Stoddard, 1864)
Live Free and Draw 📖 