Take A Look Back At New Hampshire's Year Without A Summer
By Michelle|Published July 03, 2019
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Michelle
Author
Michelle's life is a colorful map of exploration and adventure. From the iconic streets of New York to the sunny shores of Florida, the jagged coast of Maine to the rugged terrain of Montana, she's been fortunate to call some of America's most beautiful states home. Beyond the U.S., Michelle's wanderlust has taken her on a motorcycle journey through India, led her to teach English in Hanoi, and saw her studying Spanish in Guatemala. Michelle graduated with a communications degree from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and in addition to a career in advertising has worked with OnlyInYourState since 2016, where her love for travel and storytelling converges. Alongside writing and exploring, Michelle finds joy in photography, staying active, and time with her family.
For questions, comments and inquiries please email: mstarin@onlyinyourstate.com.
If you’ve spent enough time in New England, you’ve probably heard someone refer past history as “1800 and froze to death.” As in, “the last time I saw her was 1800 and froze to death!” While it might be used as a funny way to refer to a very, very long time ago, the phrase comes from a very real time in our history. The year 1816 is also referred to as the “Year Without a Summer” in New Hampshire or “The Starvation Year.” It was during this time that the summer months saw snow and ice.
A typical June day in New Hampshire might look a lot like this - bright green trees and blue sky for as far as the eye can see. But in 1816, a volcanic eruption thousands of miles away changed what most people expected to see on a summer day.
Farmers had no idea this summer would be unlike any other and sheered their sheep as always. When the frost and snow came, they scrambled to find ways to keep them warm.
Many New Hampshire moved to the Midwest to try escaping the problem. This has been referred to as "Ohio Fever." In fact, in some states you might find an "Ohio Street," which is named because it was the main route out of town!
It took climate experts nearly 150 years to determine that the end of the world was not eminent.
New Hampshire was actually experiencing a "volcanic winter" which caused sulfur dioxide to form aerosols in the stratosphere, blocking solar radiation and resulting in winter-like conditions.
