Patriot or loyalist? Britain or America? The New Hampshire Historical Society’s newest exhibition, “If You Had to Choose: Patriots and Loyalists in Revolutionary New Hampshire,” presents the stories of New Hampshire colonists in 1775 and 1776. People then didn’t have the benefit of hindsight — they didn’t know how the revolution would unfold or how it would end. They just knew they had to make a choice.
“If You Had to Choose” explores the American Revolution as a civil war that pit American against American. It highlights 11 New Hampshirites and the choices they made during the tumultuous early years of the conflict. The exhibition includes people from all walks of life, from the royal governor, John Wentworth, who was forced to flee to Nova Scotia; to Jonathan and Sarah Chase, farmers and tavern-owners in Cornish and committed patriots; to Prince Whipple, an enslaved man in Portsmouth who signed the Freedom Petition seeking emancipation in 1779.
“If You Had to Choose” is joined by another new exhibition, “Lafayette’s Visit to New Hampshire,” which follows the story of this remarkable young aristocrat and his commitment to democracy in America and France. When the Marquis de Lafayette visited Concord in June 1825, more than 700 people attended a dinner in his honor on the State House lawn, complete with toasts, speeches, and songs, including the song that first described New Hampshire as “the granite state.” The exhibition includes objects from the Society’s collections related to Lafayette’s visit, including a wine glass used by the Marquis himself at the State House dinner.
These two exhibitions are part of the New Hampshire Historical Society’s efforts to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary. The Society has planned public programs, special publications, battlefield tours and a return of the popular 603 History Hunt for 2026.
The Society, located at 30 Park Street in Concord, is open to the public Tuesdays to Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults. Members of the New Hampshire Historical Society and children ages 18 and under are admitted free of charge. Full-time students and active military personnel and their families also are admitted free of charge with a valid ID.
Founded in 1823, the New Hampshire Historical Society is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving, preserving and sharing New Hampshire history. Nowhere will you find a more extensive collection of objects and archives related to New Hampshire’s history. The Society shares these vast collections through its research library, museum, website, publications, exhibitions, and youth and adult educational programs. The Society is not a state-funded agency. All of its programs and services are made possible by membership dues and contributions. For more information about the Society and the benefits of membership, visit nhhistory.org or call 603-228-6688.