Province of New Hampshire

Long ago, the Abenaki people lived in this land.

They lived in big houses. They fished and grew food like corn and beans.

Later, people from England came to stay. A man named John Mason gave the land a name. He called it New Hampshire. Many people moved there to fish and cut wood.

New Hampshire was a small place at first. It had many small towns by the sea. People worked hard to build these towns.

Sometimes, the land was hard to keep. People fought over where the borders should be. This caused many arguments.

Soon, the people wanted to be free. They joined other colonies to start a new land. Now, it is a part of the United States.

Long ago, the Abenaki people lived in this land.

They lived in large houses called longhouses. They fished, gathered plants, and grew corn, beans, and squash.

In the 1620s, people from England arrived. A man named John Mason named the area New Hampshire. He chose the name after a place in England. Early settlers built small towns near the sea and rivers. Most people came to fish or work with timber, which is wood from trees. The king wanted the best trees for ship masts. This caused some fights between the settlers and the king.

New Hampshire had many different types of people. Some moved there because they had different religious ideas. For a long time, the leaders of Massachusetts ruled the area. Later, the king gave New Hampshire its own charter, or a set of rules. This made it a separate colony.

In 1776, the people chose to be free. They joined twelve other colonies to form the United States. This change was made official in 1783.

Map of the old province.

The Province of New Hampshire was an English colony in New England. It sat between the Merrimack and Piscataqua rivers on the North American coast.

Before English settlers arrived, the Abenaki people lived there. They lived in large longhouses and moved with the seasons. They fished, gathered plants, and grew corn, beans, and squash. Some even farmed tobacco in the land. This area has a long history of different people living together.

English settlement began in the early 1620s. Captain John Mason was the first named proprietor of the land. He named the area after Hampshire, a county in southern England.

Early settlers like David Thomson and Edward Hilton arrived to fish. They built small villages along the coast and Great Bay. Many people were Puritans moving to New England. Some were dissenters who wanted different religious rules than Massachusetts. This made the population more diverse than its neighbors.

Government in the colony changed many times. For a long time, Massachusetts ruled the area. In 1679, King Charles II gave New Hampshire its own charter. This made John Cutt the first president of the province. Later, the land was part of the Dominion of New England. This was a plan to join all New England colonies together. But the Dominion was unpopular and eventually collapsed. In 1691, New Hampshire became a separate English crown colony again.

Life in the province relied on nature. The economy was based on fishing and timber.

The king had a rule called the Broad Arrow Policy. This rule said the best trees were for ship masts. This caused many arguments between the people and the Crown. Between 1680 and 1760, the province also faced many wars. These conflicts happened with New France and the Abenaki people. These wars made it hard for settlements to grow inland.

Changes in leadership also changed the map. Governor Benning Wentworth ruled from 1741. He claimed lands west of the Connecticut River. This caused a big fight with the Province of New York. This dispute eventually helped create the state of Vermont. In 1776, the people chose to be independent. They joined twelve other colonies to form the United States. This new status was confirmed by the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

The Province of New Hampshire was an English colony in North America. It was located in the New England region. The territory sat between the Merrimack and Piscataqua rivers.

This province eventually became a state in the United States. It played a key role in the early history of the American coast. Understanding its history helps us see how colonies grew and changed.

Before English settlers arrived, the Abenaki people lived in this area. They lived in large villages made of longhouses. These people moved based on the seasons. They fished and gathered plants near their homes. They also engaged in sugaring and trading. Some Abenaki groups farmed tobacco. They also grew the "three sisters," which are corn, beans, and squash. English and French explorers like John Smith and Samuel de Champlain explored the coast in the early 1600s.

English settlement began in the early 1620s. Land grants were given to John Mason and Sir Ferdinando Gorges in 1622. Mason was the first named proprietor. He named the land after Hampshire, a county in southern England. Early settlers like David Thomson and Edward Hilton arrived to profit from fisheries. They built villages along the coast and Great Bay. In 1638, John Wheelwright founded Exeter. He had been banished from Massachusetts for his religious views. This helped make the population more religiously diverse than nearby colonies.

Governance in the province changed many times over the years. For a long time, the Massachusetts Bay Colony ruled the area. In 1641, the settlements agreed to be governed by Massachusetts. They did this to get protection. However, they kept some self-rule and religious freedom. In 1679, King Charles II issued a charter for the province. This made John Cutt the first president. Later, the territory was part of the Dominion of New England. This was an attempt to unite all New England colonies. The Dominion was unpopular and collapsed after the Glorious Revolution. In 1691, New Hampshire became a separate English crown colony again.

The economy of the province relied on natural resources. Timber and fishing were the most important industries. The timber trade was very lucrative. However, it caused conflict with the British Crown. The Crown used the Broad Arrow Policy starting in 1698. This policy reserved the best trees for ship masts. This meant the best trees belonged to the King, not the settlers. The province also faced many military conflicts. Between 1680 and 1760, there were wars with New France and the Abenaki people. These included King William's War and Dummer's War. These conflicts often happened on the northern frontier.

Leadership changes also altered the boundaries of the land. From 1699 to 1741, the governor often ruled both New Hampshire and Massachusetts. This changed in 1741 when Benning Wentworth became governor. Wentworth claimed lands west of the Connecticut River. He issued many land grants to make money. This caused a major dispute with the Province of New York. King George III eventually ruled in favor of New York in 1764. This struggle led to the formation of the Vermont Republic and the state of Vermont.

The population of New Hampshire grew significantly over time. In 1630, there were only about 500 people. By 1780, the population reached 87,802. The black population grew from 30 people in 1640 to 674 in 1773. Religious diversity also increased. By 1776, there were 125 regular places of worship. These included Congregational, Presbyterian, Baptist, and other groups. This was different from Massachusetts, where the Congregational Church was the established church.

New Hampshire eventually joined the fight for independence. At first, many inhabitants were not in favor of it. However, the fighting at Lexington and Concord changed things. Many people joined the revolutionary cause. After Governor John Wentworth fled in 1775, the people adopted a constitution. In January 1776, they established the State of New Hampshire. This made them the first former European colony to have an independent government. Their independence was confirmed by the Treaty of Paris in 1783.