New Hampshire Statehouse In Concord Presenting Founding Documents During America 250

CONCORD, NH — New Hampshire is marking the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution with public displays of two Declaration of Independence documents at the State House Visitor Center.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte and other state leaders said visitors can view New Hampshire’s 1776 Dunlap Broadside of the Declaration of Independence through July 8 and an 1823 William J. Stone engraving of the Declaration through July 10.

The display is part of the state’s America 250 observance and will also be part of State House tours on July 4. The New Hampshire State House will be open for tours that day, including viewing of the Dunlap Broadside and the Stone engraving.

“New Hampshire has played a proud role in shaping our nation’s history — from being the first colony to rebel against British rule with the Pine Tree Riot, to adopting the first state constitution, to our First in the Nation Primary,” Gov. Kelly Ayotte said. “I’m excited that Granite Staters and people visiting our state during the celebration of America 250 will have the opportunity to view these historic documents and that we will also play a part in the celebration in our nation’s capital. As we honor our nation this Independence Day, I invite everyone to come catch a glimpse of history at the State House.”

John Dunlap printed about 200 single-sheet broadsides of the Declaration after the Continental Congress adopted it on July 4, 1776. One of those copies reached New Hampshire on July 16, 1776, where it was read aloud to residents and reprinted in local newspapers. The document is believed to have passed through the hands of Meshech Weare, identified in the release as New Hampshire’s first president.

The state, through the New Hampshire State Archives, shares custody of the Dunlap Broadside with the American Independence Center in Exeter, according to the release. The 1823 engraving by William J. Stone was commissioned by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams to preserve the Declaration’s text and appearance for future generations.

“New Hampshire’s revolutionary spirit runs deep, and there’s no better way to mark the nation’s semiquincentennial than by exhibiting some of the most precious foundational documents among the millions in the State Archives,” New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan said. “Given New Hampshire’s primary role in the cause for independence, we’re pleased to share them with Granite Staters.”

New Hampshire’s second Stone Copy, part of the N.H. The State Library collection will be displayed at the U.S. Department of State’s Harry S. Truman Building in Washington, D.C., through July 2027 as part of the National Museum of American Diplomacy’s “Among the Powers of the Earth” exhibition.

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