On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth American colony to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

Although no major American Revolution battles were fought in New Hampshire, it was the first colony to declare its independence, adopting the first state constitution in 1776, which predated the U.S. Declaration of Independence by several months. And before that, New Hampshire witnessed one of the earliest rebellions against British rule: the Pine Tree Riots of 1772, in which a small mob attacked a sheriff and deputy who had been enforcing a British policy claiming ownership of all large, white pine trees, which were ideal for use as Royal Navy ship masts.

That spirit of self-determination is fitting for a state with perhaps the most famous of state mottos: “Live Free or Die.” Adopted by the state in 1945, the phrase originally dates to an 1809 letter from one of New Hampshire’s most famous soldiers, General John Stark, in a toast he wrote to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Bennington: “Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.”

“We treasure our state motto,” said New Hampshire Senate President Sharon Carson, a 2013 CSG Toll Fellow. “We take it to heart because it’s a very important part of our state history and our political culture. We value our freedom and our privacy. It’s an issue that comes up whenever we’re considering legislation because we try very hard to make sure government doesn’t interfere with that freedom.”

One way this manifests is in New Hampshire lawmakers’ historical opposition to taxation. The state is one of two (joined only by Alaska) without any statewide income or sales tax. And despite having the largest state legislature by a wide margin (424 members), its lawmakers are the lowest-paid in the nation, receiving just $100 per year — a salary enshrined in the state’s constitution and frozen since 1889.

“Why so many legislators? We believe that a government close to the people reflects their will,” Carson said, adding that New Hampshire, proportionally, has a state representative for every 3,000 citizens. “It’s a good thing because people know who you are, so you end up getting into conversations everywhere you go. But my daughter now refuses to go to the grocery store with me because all those conversations mean a 20-minute trip now turns into two hours.”

Economically, New Hampshire enjoys one of the highest median income levels in the nation, as well as one of the lowest poverty rates. Carson credits the state’s low-tax policies, as well as its reputation for quality schools, for attracting well-paying businesses to New Hampshire. Additionally, the state legislature has worked in recent years to make housing more available and affordable, enacting a sweeping package of housing reforms to boost new development, which Carson said is already reaping dividends, increasing new housing production by 20%.

Still, New Hampshire’s main economic driver is tourism. With the White Mountain National Forest, ski mountains and hiking trails to the north, and a 13-mile coastline with sandy beaches and historic coastal towns to the south, New Hampshire offers a variety of recreational activities for visitors.

“New Hampshire is a beautiful state, and each part of the state is unique in its way,” Carson said. “We know a lot of people come here for the great hiking, fishing, hunting, skiing and mountain biking, so we cherish our land. We may be a small state, but we’re friendly — and there really is something for everyone to do and enjoy here.”

One tourism-related novelty unique to New Hampshire is it’s the only continental U.S. state with a Federal Aviation Administration-approved ice runway at Alton Bay Seaplane Base. It operates from January to March each year (as conditions allow) on the southeast corner of Lake Winnipesaukee, the state’s largest lake.

Lake Winnipesaukee, likewise, offers another attraction in the summer not found anywhere else in the U.S.: the oldest floating U.S. Postal Service post office. Known by its formal name, the M/V Sophie C. mail boat has been in service since 1945, delivering postal mail to the lake’s summer island residents. It also doubles as a sightseeing cruise, ferrying up to 125 passengers on a two-hour jaunt around the lake’s 258 islands.

“It’s a very unique experience,” Carson said. “And a great way to spend a day in New Hampshire.”