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Units of New Hampshire History
Unit 18: Civics and Government Today
Find It! Civics and Government Today

Find It! Civics and Government Today

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All the resources that appear in this unit are gathered here for you—the photographs, maps, objects, audiovisuals, documents, videos, biographies, and vocabulary words. Click on the image below to see a larger view of each resource with more information about each one. On some of the resources you can even zoom in and get a closer look. So go ahead, dive in, and explore. Before you know it, you’ll be thinking like a historian.

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Documents in this Unit:

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Document

1944 Republican Primary Ballot

1944

Caption:

This ballot was used in the primary election in Albany, NH, in 1944. Notice that although voters are voting in the presidential primary, there are no spaces or names to show which candidate a voter supports. Primary voters in 1944 could only vote for delegates, who would then vote for candidates.

Image Credit: Courtesy the New Hampshire State Archives

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Document

New Hampshire Constitution of 1776

1776

New Hampshire Provincial Congress

Caption:

After war broke out between England and the American colonies, New Hampshire was the first of the 13 colonies to establish an independent government. Their governor, John Wentworth, had left the colony because the people did not support him. First the people elected a new government, called the Provincial Congress. The Provincial Congress decided to write down the rules of their new government in a document called a constitution. This was the first written constitution, not just in the American colonies, but in the whole world! It was intended to be temporary until the Revolutionary War ended. All of this happened six months before the Declaration of Independence was written!

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

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Document

Workers' Compensation Law

1985

Caption:

This poster explains the rights that workers have under New Hampshire's workers' compensation law. This law makes sure that workers who get hurt on the job have certain benefits. For example, their medical expenses are paid for, and they can still earn their wages if they have to miss work because of their injury, or stop working altogether. Posters explaining the law have to be displayed in every workplace so that workers know their rights. This poster was hung in the Harvey Lake Hotel in Northwood, NH.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Explainer Videos and Virtual Field Trips in this Unit:

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Video

Mason Explains: First Amendment Rights

2022

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Mason Explains: How a Bill Becomes a Law

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Video

Mason Explains: How a Bill Becomes a Law

2022

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

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Video

Mason Explains: How a Primary Works

2019

Mason Explains: Rights and Responsibilities

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Video

Mason Explains: Rights and Responsibilities

2022

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Mason Explains: The Constitutional Convention

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Video

Mason Explains: The Constitutional Convention

2021

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

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Video

Mason Explains: The Preamble

2022

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

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Video

Virtual Field Trip: The N.H. Supreme Court

2023

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts in this Unit:

A colored chart showing three vertical columns, separated by yellow lines. Each column contains a gray building - each different in size and design - a title, a purple arrow facing down, and a short caption. The text in those columns includes, from left to right: "Legislative/makes/the/laws," "Executive/carries out/the/laws," and "Judicial/evaluates/the/laws." The title of the entire chart, located along the upper border, reads "THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT."

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Maps & Charts

Branches of Government

Caption:

State governments and the national government are divided into three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Each branch has specific powers and responsibilities that the other branches do not have. Each branch can also check the other branches, which keeps any one branch from becoming too powerful. All three branches are supposed to work for the common good of the people.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored map of the state of New Hampshire, colored in green. The map is set against a turquoise background and has the title "CITIES OF NEW HAMPSHIRE" featured in the upper left-hand corner. The map has the state's rivers featured in blue, and has several stars placed around the state, each one with a different label.

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Maps & Charts

Cities in New Hampshire

Caption:

There are 13 cities in New Hampshire.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored cartoon drawing of two arrow graphs. Between the two graphs is a circle with a smiling moose in the center. The moose has its arms raised, and is wearing a white beard and a red, white, and blue top hat. Surrounding the moose are the words "TOWN OF/MASONVILLE." The arrow graph to the left of the circle is labeled "Select/Board" in black text and has a group of five moose sitting at a gray semi-circle table. Beneath the table are three arrows pointing to three different sized buildings, which are labeled "POLICE" (in blue), "FIREHOUSE" (in red), and "LIBRARY" (in green). The arrow graph to the right of the circle is labeled "School/Board" in black text and has a group of five squirrels sitting at a rectangular table. Beneath the table are three arrows that point to three different sized buildings, colored in purple. A label beneath the buildings read "SCHOOLS" in purple text.

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Maps & Charts

Town Government Structure

Caption:

New Hampshire has 221 towns. Town government is divided into two parts: the town and the school. Town government is led by an elected select board or town council. The select board oversees the town departments, such as the police, fire, and parks and recreation. The school side of town government is overseen by the school board. School board members are also elected by the people in the town. The school board works with the superintendent of the school district to make decisions about how the town’s schools should be run.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Objects in this Unit:

A black pointed-toe leather shoe, with a slight heal and no laces.

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Objects

18th-century Shoe

1759

Ebenezer Lane

Caption:

This shoe was made in the 1700s by a shoemaker named Ebenezer Lane who lived in Hampton, NH. At that time, shoes were made entirely by hand. The shoemaker had to cut pieces of leather, sew them together, and attach the sole and heel. Lane made this shoe for his baby daughter.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Rectangular, wooden ballot box with handle at one end. There is a sliding wooden lid with slit for ballots. Next to it are ballots from primaries in 1922 and 1960.

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Objects

Ballot Box

circa 1850

Caption:

This ballot box was used in Hart's Location from 1850 until the 1980s. Once all ballots are inside, the top slides off so someone can count the results. The ballots next to the box are from 1922 and 1960. Hart's Location has a long tradition of midnight voting, which continues to this day.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A vertical poster on a wooden stick, which has the words "SAVE MARKET/BASKET!" handwritten in black ink at the top. Beneath those words are two colored photographs of two white men. Next to the first photograph are the words "ARTIE/T." handwritten in black ink and a thumbs-up symbol. Next to the second photograph are the words "ARTHUR/$" handwritten in black ink and a thumbs-down symbol.

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Objects

Save Market Basket! Sign

2014

Caption:

Have you ever shopped with your family at Market Basket? Market Basket is a popular chain of grocery stories in New Hampshire and Maine. A few years ago, there was a big disagreement between two leaders of the Market Basket company. The two leaders were cousins, and they were both named Artie! One Artie (Artie S.) fired the other Artie (Artie T.), who was very popular. A lot of employees and customers of Market Basket boycotted the store to protest Artie T's firing. They picketed, or gathered together marching, outside the stores. This sign was held by a protestor on a picket line at a Market Basket in Concord, NH. The protests worked! Artie S. agreed to sell his part of the company to Artie T., and Artie T. went back to work.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photographs & Prints in this Unit:

A colored cartoon drawing of a donkey and elephant holding signs. The donkey, standing on the left side of the image against a blue background under the title "DEMOCRATS," holds a sign that reads "VOTE/DONKEY." The elephant, standing on the right side of the image against a red background under the title "REPUBLICANS," holds a sign that reads "VOTE/ELEPHANT."

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Photograph/Print

American Political Parties

Caption:

Political parties are a way for people who agree with one another to work together to support each other. By working together, they have a better chance to get other politicians elected who also share their beliefs. Political parties in the United States have changed and shifted over the years. Since 1860, the two major American political parties have been the Democratic party and the Republican party.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white photograph of a room full of people standing and sitting among several rows of chairs. The photograph is taken from a elevated position on a stage, which has a podium and a microphone at the front of it.

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Photograph/Print

Andover Town Meeting

circa 1980s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white photograph of a room full of men and women seated in rows of chairs. At the center of the photograph, a man with a mustache is standing and gesturing with his left arm.

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Photograph/Print

Bristol Town Meeting

1987

Caption:

At least once a year, New Hampshire towns hold a town meeting. All of the voters in the town come together and discuss the issues they will vote on. Everyone has a chance to ask questions and share their views. This photo shows a voter speaking about an issue at a town meeting in Bristol, NH.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white photograph of a white man with parted dark hair, wearing a collared shirt, a tie, and a suit jacket. He has his right hand raised, and looks off to the right.

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Photograph/Print

David Hackett Souter

circa 1983

Caption:

David Souter is one of the few people from New Hampshire to serve on the United States Supreme Court. Souter grew up in Weare, NH, and graduated from Concord High School. He became a lawyer and worked in public service. That means that he was a lawyer whose job was to make sure that laws were followed, and prosecute people who broke the law. Later he became a judge in New Hampshire, and worked to make sure that laws were interpreted fairly. In 1990 President George H.W. Bush appointed him to the United States Supreme Court. Justice Souter retired in 2009.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored photograph of a white man with brown hair, sitting on the edge of a desk. He wears a blue collared shirt and an orange tie with black polka dots. Behind him, there is a framed photograph, a framed document, and framed painting hanging on the walls. A large blue flag on a small flag pole stands to right of the desk.

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Photograph/Print

Governor Sununu

circa 2020

Caption:

The executive branch in New Hampshire's government is the governor, the executive council, and all of the state departments and agencies in the state government. Right now, the governor of New Hampshire is Chris Sununu. He was first elected in 2016. In New Hampshire, the governor is elected to two-year terms.

Image Credit: Photo courtesy of the Governor's Office

A two-story white building with black shutters. White columns in the front. Green shrubs line the walkway to the door. A sign above the door reads Hopkinton/Town/Hall in black letters. There is an American flag on a flagpole to the left of the building.

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Photograph/Print

Hopkinton Town Hall

2018

Caption:

New Hampshire has a strong tradition of local government. There are 221 towns, each with a town hall or town office where the town government is located. Town government is usually run by a select board or town council, who are local residents elected by the town. Many town halls in New Hampshire are historic buildings located in the center of town.

Image Credit: Image by John Phelan at Wikimedia Commons

A colored photograph of a gymnasium filled with people sitting in rows. At the forefront of the photograph is a table, which has three people seated on one side and three people standing on the other.

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Photograph/Print

Hopkinton Town Meeting

circa 2019

Sarah Gibson, NHPR

Caption:

At least once a year, each New Hampshire town is required to hold what is called a town meeting, when all of the voters in the town can come together and discuss the issues they will vote on. People vote at the town meeting in an exercise of direct democracy. This is a photo of a town meeting in Hopkinton, NH.

Image Credit: Image courtesy of <a href="https://www.nhpr.org/politics/2021-01-06/n-h-senate-votes-to-extend-town-meeting-provision" target="_blank"> NHPR</a>

A colored photograph of a white man and a white woman in black robes sitting behind a high counter, facing the viewer. They look at a bald white man, who stands with his back to the viewer in front of a podium, and a seated man with brown hair, who also faces away from the viewer.

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Photograph/Print

N.H. Supreme Court

2020

Annie Ropeik, NHPR

Caption:

Courts are part of the judicial branch of government. This photo shows the N.H. Supreme Court, the highest court in the state. It meets in Concord, the state capital. All judges in New Hampshire are appointed by the governor and the executive council instead of being elected by the people.

Image Credit: Image courtesy of <a href="https://www.nhpr.org/politics/2020-03-10/in-suit-over-state-n-h-house-gun-ban-supreme-court-hears-separation-of-powers-debate" target="_blank">NHPR</a>

A New Hampshire governor addresses a session full of people.

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Photograph/Print

New Hampshire Legislature

2020

Michael Sterling for the "New Hampshire Now" project

Caption:

In New Hampshire, the legislative branch of government is called the General Court. It is made up of the N.H. House of Representatives and the N.H. Senate. There are 400 representatives and 24 senators. In this photo, the representatives and senators are all together in Representatives' Hall in the State House. They are listening to the governor give a speech.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Now collection, New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored print of a gold-bordered circle, surrounded by gold vines and stars on a dark blue background. The circle has the drawing of a ship with two tall masts banked on a sandy shore. In the background there is a small body of water and a rising sun. Surrounding the circle are the words "SEAL*OF*THE*STATE*OF*NEW*HAMPSHIRE*1776*" in gold text against the blue background.

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Photograph/Print

New Hampshire State Flag

Caption:

New Hampshire's state flag is blue with the state seal in the center.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

A colored postcard of a large building surrounded by tall trees. The building is two stories high, with a large dome sitting on top. The front of the building has a porch held up by several columns and has a pointed roof. The words "State Captiol Concord, N.H." are written in black text in the lower left hand corner. Sitting in the top right hand corner is a badge with a a setting sun, a large sailboat on a beach, and several people walking around. The words "NEW HAMPSHIRE" are written along the bottom of the badge.

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Photograph/Print

New Hampshire State House

circa 1898–1952

Illustrated Postal Card Company

Caption:

The New Hampshire State House in Concord opened in 1819 and is the oldest state capitol in the country where the lawmakers still meet in their original chambers. The State House was built with granite from the Swenson quarries in Concord, and the stone was cut by prisoners at the state prison. State buildings are often popular tourist stops.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored photograph of a two-storied building, with a large dome sitting on top. The front of the building juts out from the rest of the building, and has a two-storied porch held up by several columns and has a pointed roof. There is a flag pole on either side of the dome, which both have flags on them.

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Photograph/Print

New Hampshire State House

Caption:

The executive branch and legislative branch of the New Hampshire government are based at the State House in Concord. Concord is New Hampshire's state capital. The New Hampshire State House opened in 1819. It is the oldest state capital building in the country where the legislature still meets in its original meeting space.

Image Credit: Image by Alexius Horatius at Wikimedia Commons

A colored print of a gold-bordered circle. The circle has the drawing of a ship with two tall masts banked on a sandy shore. In the background there is a small body of water and a rising sun. Surrounding the circle are the words "SEAL*OF*THE*STATE*OF*NEW*HAMPSHIRE*1776*" in gold text against a dark blue background.

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Photograph/Print

New Hampshire State Seal

Caption:

New Hampshire's state seal shows a rising sun and the ocean. The wreath is made of laurel leaves, which are a symbol of victory. The ship is the USS Raleigh, which was built in Portsmouth in 1776. It was one of the first warships built for the new American Navy.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

A black and white photograph of a room full of men and women seated in rows of chairs. All of the seated people look at a man standing behind a table at the front of the room. Next to the standing man, seated at the table, are a woman and another man.

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Photograph/Print

New Hampshire Town Meeting

circa 1940s

Caption:

New Hampshire's tradition of holding town meetings goes back to the colonial period. At least once a year, all of the voters in a town come together and discuss the issues they will vote on. People vote at the town meeting in an exercise of direct democracy. This photo shows a town meeting in an unidentified New Hampshire town.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white photograph of a room full of men and women seated in rows of chairs. All of the people have one arm raised while holding up a piece of paper.

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Photograph/Print

Newbury Town Meeting

circa 1980s

Caption:

At least once a year, New Hampshire towns hold a town meeting. All of the voters in the town come together and discuss the issues they will vote on. People vote at the town meeting in an exercise of direct democracy. This photo shows people voting at a town meeting in Newbury, NH. Sometimes people vote on a paper ballot, sometimes they vote by voice, where they say "yea" or "nay," and sometimes they vote by raising their hands or their warrant for "yes" or "no." Voters in this photo are holding their warrant in the air to vote. A warrant is a printed list of agenda items for a town meeting.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored cartoon drawing of a moose and squirrel holding a document. The squirrel stands on a gray stool to match the height of the moose. The document they are holding reads "TAX BILL" in yellow text, and a green stamp with the word "PAID" is stamped diagonally across the document.

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Photograph/Print

Paying Taxes

Caption:

Taxes are an amount of money that people have to pay to the government to fund its activities. Local governments, state governments, and the federal government all tax the people. In exchange, the people enjoy all sorts of benefits that the government pays for, like local, state, and national parks. Other examples include libraries, fire and police protection, and infrastructure (roads and bridges).

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white photograph of a group of men and women holding large, old-fashioned cameras, standing in the middle of the street. The road is wet, with several puddles, and the houses and lawns in the background are covered in snow.

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Photograph/Print

Reporters Covering the 1952 Primary

1952

Whitman Levensaler

Caption:

There was a lot of media attention on the 1952 New Hampshire primary. These reporters came from all over the country to cover the primary. They are taking pictures of candidate Estes Kefauver while he is campaigning, probably in Concord.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white photograph of a room full of men and women seated in rows of chairs. The people all look forwards and at a man standing at the front of the room, who stands at a microphone while reading from a document. He wears eye glasses, a flannel long-sleeved shirt, pants with a belt, and shoes.

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Photograph/Print

Speaking at Town Meeting

circa 1980s–1990s

Caption:

Town meetings are a special part of government in New Hampshire. They are a good example of direct democracy. All of the voters in the town come together and discuss the issues they will vote on. Everyone has a chance to ask questions and share their views. This photo shows a voter speaking about an issue at a town meeting in an unidentified New Hampshire town.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored photograph of a cardboard sign leaning up against a street sign on a sidewalk. The sign reads "HONK/IF YOU/HATE the/TAX BILL."

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Photograph/Print

Tax Protest

2017

Caption:

Taxes are an amount of money that people have to pay to the government to fund its activities. Local governments, state governments, and the federal government all tax the people. Paying taxes can make some Americans angry. People argue over how much money the government should spend, what the government should spend money on, who should pay taxes, and how much they should pay. This sign is from a tax protest in Atlanta, Georgia.

Image Credit: Image by John Ramspott at Wikimedia Commons

A black and white photograph of a group of people standing around a long table. At the front of the photograph, a man in a winter coat and a fedora stands on one side of the table and talks to a seated woman on the other side of the table, who is looking through a multi-paged document. In the background of the photograph, two other women stand on opposite sides of the table.

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Photograph/Print

Voter Check-In

circa 1980s

Caption:

Town meetings are a special part of government in New Hampshire. They are a good example of direct democracy. Anyone can attend a town meeting, but to vote, you need to be a registered voter in that town. Registered voters need to be U.S. citizens, live in the town they are registered in, and be at least 18 years old. In this photo, officials in South Newbury, NH, are checking voters in to make sure their names are on the list of registered voters in the town.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A woman steps out from a voting booth holding a piece of paper. Blue sports jackets line the upper third of the photograph.

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Photograph/Print

Voting

2020

Mark Bolton for the "New Hampshire Now" project

Caption:

One way to be a good citizen in a democracy is to be an informed voter. That means more than just casting a ballot, although that is an important first step. It means knowing how the system works and knowing the facts. Informed voters educate themselves about the process and the candidates so that they can make good decisions when they vote. This voter cast her ballot in Somersworth during the 2020 New Hampshire primary.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Now collection, New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white photograph of an older woman with short hair and large, rounded eye glasses. She wears a long-sleeved dress with a belt, and has her coat draped over her shoulders. She holds a piece of paper on her right hand and places a smaller piece of paper into a slot in a tall wooden box.

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Photograph/Print

Voting at Town Meeting

1995

Caption:

At least once a year, New Hampshire towns hold a town meeting. All of the voters in the town come together and discuss the issues they will vote on. People vote at the town meeting in an exercise of direct democracy. Sometimes people vote on a paper ballot, sometimes they vote by voice, where they say "yea" or "nay," and sometimes they vote by raising their hands or a piece of paper for "yes" or "no." This voter is dropping her paper ballot into a ballot box at a town meeting in Tilton, NH.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white photograph of a group of women in long white dresses and white hats, marching in a parade down a street lined with multi-storied buildings. The women at the front of the group hold a long horizontal sign that reads "FRIENDLY CLUB," though the "F," the "R," and the "I" are blocked by a woman who walks in front of the group.

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Photograph/Print

Women Marching in Concord

1915

Caption:

These women are marching in the Flag Day parade in Concord, NH. They are part of the Friendly Club. The Friendly Club was founded in 1912 in Concord. It provided housing for women and activities for children. In the 1970s it merged with the YMCA.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white photograph of a group of women all dressed in long, light-colored dresses and broad-rimmed hats. Some of the women wears sashes around their shoulders, which read "VOTES FOR WOMEN" and carry American flags. The woman at the center of the photograph pushes a baby in a stroller, and there is a young girl walking behind them.

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Photograph/Print

Women's Suffrage Parade

1912

Caption:

American women did not have the right to vote in any federal elections or in most states until 1920, when the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed. Before then, women campaigned for the right to vote with meetings, letters, speeches, and large public demonstrations and marches, like this parade in New York City. Suffrage is a word meaning the right to vote in political elections, so people who supported women's voting rights, or suffrage, were called "suffragists."

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Library of Congress

A black and white photograph shows the interior of a Jewish temple. There are three men in religious garments on a raised wooden platform with arched, short pillars. One man stands at the center of the platform, reading from a book. The other two men hold the Torah and also read from a book on either side of the man in the middle. On the ground level, a woman plays the piano in the right-hand corner of the photograph. In the background, an American flag and a flag with the Star of David hang on either side of the alter. Above the altar hangs two tablets with Hebrew written on them.

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Photograph/Print

Worship at the Synagogue

undated

Caption:

The Star of David on the podium and the man holding a Torah show that this house of worship is a synagogue. The first synagogue in New Hampshire was founded in Portsmouth in 1911, named Temple Israel. The location of this synagogue is unclear, and this photograph is undated.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Secret Found...
Color Mason The Moose!

GAME SETTINGS

Find It! Civics and Government Today

Find It! Scavenger Hunt

Click On An Icon To Find A Resource!

Documents in this Unit:

Explainer Videos and Virtual Field Trips in this Unit:

Maps & Charts in this Unit:

Objects in this Unit:

Photographs & Prints in this Unit:

Secret Found... Color Mason The Moose!

SECRET FOUND!

Play the Matching Game with Mason The Moose :)

Select Difficulty level:

GAME SETTINGS

Find It! Civics and Government Today

Find It! Scavenger Hunt

Click On An Icon To Find A Resource!

Documents in this Unit:

Explainer Videos and Virtual Field Trips in this Unit:

Maps & Charts in this Unit:

Objects in this Unit:

Photographs & Prints in this Unit:

Secret Found...
Color Mason The Moose!