NH State House Visitor Center

08/29/2024

State House hydrangeas are spectacular this summer!

08/26/2024

This lovely commemorative sundial is out front of our State House and it’s just one more lovely piece of interest when you come to visit the Capitol.

08/23/2024

Preparing for the unveiling of the Christa McAulliffe statue at the NH State House! September 2 at 10 am

08/08/2024

06/21/2024

June 21, 1788: New Hampshire becomes the ninth and last necessary state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, thereby making the document the law of the land.

By 1786, defects in the post-Revolutionary War Articles of Confederation were apparent, such as the lack of central authority over foreign and domestic commerce. Congress endorsed a plan to draft a new constitution, and on May 25, 1787, the Constitutional Convention convened at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. On September 17, 1787, after three months of debate moderated by convention president George Washington, the new U.S. constitution, which created a strong federal government with an intricate system of checks and balances, was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the convention. As dictated by Article VII, the document would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states.
Beginning on December 7, five states—Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut—ratified it in quick succession. However, other states, especially Massachusetts, opposed the document, as it failed to reserve undelegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. In February 1788, a compromise was reached under which Massachusetts and other states would agree to ratify the document with the assurance that amendments would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, and it was subsequently agreed that government under the U.S. Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789. In June, Virginia ratified the Constitution, followed by New York in July.

On September 25, 1789, the first Congress of the United States adopted 12 amendments to the U.S. Constitution—the Bill of Rights—and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments were ratified in 1791. In November 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Rhode Island, which opposed federal control of currency and was critical of compromise on the issue of slavery, resisted ratifying the Constitution until the U.S. government threatened to sever commercial relations with the state. On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island voted by two votes to ratify the document, and the last of the original 13 colonies joined the United States. Today the U.S. Constitution is the oldest written constitution in operation in the world.

06/18/2024

John Stark led the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775

06/15/2024

Happy Flag Day!

05/29/2024

From hikes and ice cream to State House tours and wine tastings, we've got you covered.

05/29/2024

05/21/2024

The Lafayette Artillery and Revolutionary reenactors celebrate Lafayette Day with gun and cannon salutes

05/21/2024

Lovely commemoration for Lafayette Day!

05/17/2024

05/17/2024

Procession for Law Enforcement Memorial

05/17/2024

NH Law Enforcement Memorial

05/17/2024

From hikes and ice cream to State House tours and wine tastings, we've got you covered.

05/17/2024

One of the old back doors of the State House

05/03/2024

NH State Flower! Purple Lilac!

04/24/2024

Miss N.H. Contestants toured their State House today!!!

04/15/2024

The State House magnolias are in bloom!!!

04/11/2024

Tartan Day at the State House

04/08/2024

John Stark Day and the Eclipse

03/27/2024

NHMEA day at the State House. Musical performances in front of building all day until about 2:30 today.

03/24/2024

02/09/2024

Capitol City sites that are downright head-scratching