Towns

NH, USA

Exeter

Lesson plans and classroom materials.

First to the Republic: New Hampshire's January 1776 Constitution

8-12 · 2-3 class periods

What you'll get

  • 5 primary sources with analysis prompts
  • Quiz with answer key (5 questions)
  • 3 printable handouts
Print full packet
8-122-3 class periods

Learning Objectives

  1. Students will explain why New Hampshire adopted a constitution eight months before the Declaration of Independence
  2. Students will analyze the 1776 NH constitution as a primary source, identifying its republican features and provisional character
  3. Students will evaluate the role of institutional capacity in enabling revolutionary self-governance

Essential Questions

  • What does a community need — institutionally, culturally, economically — to be capable of governing itself?
  • Was the Declaration of Independence a beginning or a codification? What does the New Hampshire example tell us?

Procedure

Primary Sources

New Hampshire State Papers, Volume VIII: Miscellaneous Provincial and State Papers

New Hampshire Secretary of State / Amos Hadley, State Printer · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

Constitution of New Hampshire, January 5, 1776

New Hampshire State Archives · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

Exeter Committee of Safety Records, 1775-1783

New Hampshire Division of Archives and Records Management · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

Experiment in Republicanism: New Hampshire Politics and the American Revolution, 1741-1794

Harvard University Press (Jere R. Daniell) · SECONDARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

American Independence: New Hampshire's Role in the Revolution

National Park Service, Discover Our Shared Heritage · INSTITUTIONAL · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

Handouts & Materials

Exeter Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

Primary Source Analysis

graphic organizer

Structured analysis of Revolutionary-era documents

Key Figures Profile

worksheet

Research template for Revolutionary figures

Exeter in the American Revolution

Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.

1.

What makes Exeter significant in Revolutionary history?

AIt was the site of important Revolutionary events
BIt had no connection to the Revolution
CIt was founded after the Revolution
DIt was a British stronghold throughout the war
2.

Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.

TTrue
FFalse
3.

Name one event that occurred in Exeter during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.

4.

Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?

ADifferent people experienced events differently
BIt makes history more confusing
COnly one perspective is ever correct
DPerspectives don't matter in history
5.

Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.