In some senses, New Hampshire can be described as the original United States of America, since it was the first of the British colonies to dissolve relations with the mother country in 1776. One of the 13 original states that banded together to form an independent nation later that year, New Hampshire also participated in the Constitutional Convention.
Despite its status as one of the very smallest states in the Union, this area in the northeast of the nation abounds with New Hampshire vacation rentals for tourists who would like to visit the lands first settled by Europeans hundreds of years ago.
One of the best times to visit New Hampshire is during the early stages of a presidential election cycle. This is because New Hampshire has long had the distinction of being the first state to hold primary elections. From these elections, the major parties' candidates are largely selected. New Hampshire is filled with small towns where major candidates campaign; few other places in the nation offer ordinary Americans such a good chance at getting to meet, and even talk with, those who may become our future leaders.
The state motto of New Hampshire is "Live Free or Die," a slogan which captures the Revolutionary War spirit and era of the state, a spirit which lives on in the fact that New Hampshire to this day has no state sales tax and strict limitations on state income taxes as well.