HISTORY MATTERS

Portsmouth is staking its claim once again as a literary capital. Bestselling authors are lining up to speak at the Music Hall and Riverrun Bookstore. Back in the 19^th century top authors like Whittier, Hawthorne, Twain, Emerson and Thoreau visited New Hampshire’s only seaport. Most were en route to poet Celia Thaxter’s summer literary salon on Appledore Island. (Continued below)

HISTORY MATTERS

Extreme history is here. A new literary mash-up is at the top oc the New York Times bestseller list. It features President Abraham Lincoln hunting vampire’s during the Civil War. At the same time, the "real" story of America is being decided by a small collection of conservative educators. Does history stand a chance? (Continued below)

HISTORY MATTERS

Sure he’s dead, and has been in South Cemetery for over 150 years. But George Fishley is on his way to becoming one of Portsmouth’s most famous veterans – again. The man who fought with Washington at Valley Forge is among the only known Revolutionary War soldiers ever photographed. And that picture is getting more and more attention.

HISTORY MATTERS

Revisionist history has proven that Black Yankees have lived in New England for ove three centuries. In NH’s only seaport, we now know their stories, but we have never seen their faces. The search for pictures of African Americans in early Portsmouth teaches us just how much blacks were marginalized in the North as well as in the South. (Read the article and see pictures)