Unit 1: A Time Before New Hampshire
Pre-1623 to 1700
Abenaki societies thrived in a land abundant with natural resources. The lakes and rivers of the area between what has since been named the St. Lawrence River and the Atlantic Ocean provided for their daily needs as well as swift travel and trade routes. Social and political structures existed within The People of the Dawn Land, but they were not truly defined until after the arrival of European explorers and settlers as a strategy to match the new arrivals’ social organization.
The rebuilding of European populations after their decimation by the Black Death in the 1350s was still ongoing by the late 16th and early 17th centuries, requiring more and more resources, particularly food. This, along with national rivalries and mercantilist drive to colonize, brought Europeans to North Atlantic shores, both unofficially and at the behest of stakeholders. The first English colonies in what would become known as “New Hampshire” began as fishing operations backed by investors in the mother country.
Inquiry 1.1: How did the First Nations of this region live?
Inquiry 1.2: On what did early colonists base their settlements?
State Learning Standards:
SS:HI:1 Political Foundations and Development Students will demonstrate an understanding of the major ideas, issues and events pertaining to the history of governance in our state and nation.
SS:HI:2 Contacts, Exchanges & International Relations Students will demonstrate an understanding of the events, actions and policies of our nation in relation to other peoples and governments over time.
SS:HI:3 World Views and Value systems and their Intellectual and Artistic Expressions Students will demonstrate an understanding of conceptions of reality, ideals, guidelines of behavior and forms of expression.
SS:HI:4: Economic Systems & Technology Students will demonstrate an understanding of the changing forms of production, distribution and consumption of good and services over time.
SS:HI:5: Social/Cultural Students will demonstrate an understanding of the interaction of various social groups, including their values, beliefs and practices, over time
Instructional Resources and Assessments
The following links connect to secondary sources and primary source repositories created and maintained by other educators, historians, and institutions. I do not claim ownership of these materials. Instead, I share them as recommendations based on what has proven meaningful and effective in my own classroom experience. Teachers are invited to explore and adapt these resources to best meet their students’ needs, and encouraged to align with district expectations and protocols for using outside resources.
Website Timeline of New Hampshire History, NH Historical Society
Exploring this timeline is a great activity for classes 1, 2, and 5. Each entry has an easy-to-navigate list of facts regarding the entry, and many lead to primary sources.Website NH Historical Society Collections Catalogue
Staying with the NHHS site, this part of it can find usage on primary source investigation days. The advanced search feature helps keep results in the time frame you wish to stay in, and you can adjust the settings of what kinds of catalogue entries you want to see.
Website New Hampshire’s Historical Highway Markers
Similar to the Timeline found on the NHHS page, this easy-to-use site can help start the unit. Students can explore the signs by list or by map, recognizing different terms and names as well as recognizing where things took place and when.
Short Video “Beneath the Isles of Shoals,” NH Chronicle, WMUR-TV
This video is not only a great introduction to the unit, but also on how primary sources should be examined to make conclusions about time and place.
Short Videos “Abenaki History: Keene NH,” Presentation by Franklin Pierce Professor Robert Goodby, Cheshire County Historical Society
There are a few videos of different lengths in this collection, covering archeological finds near Keene Middle School, some of them dating to the paleo-Indian era.Website “Abenaki Lifestyle” section of Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki
This non-profit group carries out school visits and has some classroom resources on their site. The lifestyle section explains rituals and ceremonies common among Abenaki societies.Documentary “People of the Dawn” Home: The Story of Maine, Maine Public Television
Being from Maine Public this presentation covers the tribes of Abenaki in that state, but since the First Nations did not divide themselves along the same lines the English colonists did, the first half of the presentation is very helpful for New Hampshire classrooms.Documentary Surviving New England’s Great Dying, NH PBS
Produced just a few years ago and using the COVID-19 pandemic as a starting point, this documentary attempts to explain what caused the death and relocation of thousands of Native Americans up and down the coast from Maine to Cape Cod in the early 17th century. NH PBS also has a film series from the 1970s called Our New Hampshire . While production quality and some language may be outdate, the content is solid. Viewing these clips would be a good for a historiography lesson.Website Historic Houses section of Strawbery Banke Museum’s Website
Each house at Strawbery Banke is correct to a different time period in the neighborhood’s past. Look at the Wigwam and Sherburne House as primary sources for this unit.Website Historic New England: The Jackson House
This website provides a brief but exceptionally informative history of the Jackson family and the history of their home. There are also several descriptive photographs of the interior and exterior of the home, perfect for a Primary Source Analysis activity.