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

Find It! Civics and Government Today

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.

Find It! Scavenger Hunt

Can you help Mason find these items on the page and answer the questions?

Scavenger Hunt

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Photographs & Prints in this Unit:

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

Photograph/Print

New Hampshire State House

Illustrated Postal Card Company

circa 1898–1952

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

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

Photograph/Print

Reporters Covering the 1952 Primary

Whitman Levensaler

1952

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

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

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

Photograph/Print

Andover Town Meeting

circa 1980s

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photograph/Print

N.H. Supreme Court

Annie Ropeik, NHPR

2020

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 NHPR

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

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

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

Photograph/Print

Hopkinton Town Meeting

Sarah Gibson, NHPR

circa 2019

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 NHPR

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

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

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

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

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

Photograph/Print

Voting

Mark Bolton for the "New Hampshire Now" project

2020

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

Photograph/Print

New Hampshire Legislature

Michael Sterling for the "New Hampshire Now" project

2020

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

Maps & Charts in this Unit:

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

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

Maps & Charts

Cities in New Hampshire

Caption:

There are 13 cities in New Hampshire.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Objects in this Unit:

Object

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

Object

18th-century Shoe

Ebenezer Lane

1759

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

Object

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

Documents in this Unit:

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

Document

New Hampshire Constitution of 1776

New Hampshire Provincial Congress

1776

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

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