Early 19th century Baptist activism, hosted at the old district two school house ...
“Vote First Or Die” by Eleri Mai Harris (GUEST POST)
Guest artist ELERI MAI HARRIS presents this outsider's view of the long-running political phenomenon that is New Hampshire!
Colby 16: Visiting Family
1862: Colby talks politics with various branches of the family during his week at home...
Celebration Day – January 8th, 1829 (Henniker)
The people of Henniker party like it's 1829...
Historic Handshake (Claremont, 1995)
In a way, this might be one of NH's strangest Highway Historical Markers...
Sarah Josepha Hale on Thanksgiving (1864)
Hale reflects on the national holiday she helped create in the midst of Civil War. (Note her "peculiarly" 19th century conceptions of politics, gender, charity, & religion.) << BEFORE: Ms. Hale writes an influential letter to President Lincoln ... FURTHER READING: More editorials by Ms. Hale (editress of "Godey's Lady's Book")
Letter to Lincoln (1863)
Newport native Sarah Josepha Hale appeals to President Lincoln in the midst of the Civil War, and instigates an official national holiday! << BEFORE: Thanksgiving, 1862 NEXT: Hale's 1864 Thanksgiving editorial >> I've heavily excerpted the original letter to make this comics-format version. For further reading, see these notes & links: Hale's letter of Sept. 28, … Continue reading Letter to Lincoln (1863)
John Hale Statue (Concord)
John P. Hale was a radical anti-slavery Republican during the Civil War. As his epitaph indicates, he did indeed dedicate his political career to the abolition of slavery, running for President in 1852 with the Free Soil Party and serving in congress during Lincoln's administration.
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!”
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
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
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
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)
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