History of New Hampshire

The region around New Hampshire was explored by Dutch, English, and French explorers throughout the sixteenth century. The first European settlement was found along the Piscataqua River in 1623.

The history of human habitation in New Hampshire dates back to 10,000 years. Before the European settlement, the region was inhabited by the Indian tribes like the Algonkian and the Pennacook. The land was visited by many English and French explorers in the early seventeenth century. The first permanent settlement was made at Hilton's Point.

New Hampshire became a province of Massachusetts in 1643 and remained so till 1680. In 1679, the state was designated a royal colony, but Massachusetts continued to claim the land. The dispute was resolved when the two colonies agreed on the creation of separate boundaries (1739-41). Benning Wentworth was made the first governor of New Hampshire.

New Hampshire actively participated in the American Revolutionary War. Although no battles were fought on its soil, there were 18,500 men enlisted in the war. The raid on Fort William and Mary, on December 14, 1774, in Portsmouth was the only battle fought in the territory of the state. It was first of the original thirteen colonies to declare independence from the British rule and establish an independent government.
New Hampshire ratified the new United States Constitution in 1788 and was admitted to the Union on June 21 the same year. Years later in 1842, the Webster-Ashburton Treaty was signed that fixed the northern boundary of the state.

Industrialization increased in the early decades of the twentieth century. Numerous textile mills were set up that attracted many immigrants from Quebec, Ireland and other nations. The tourism industry advanced rapidly. This era of prosperity, however, did not last long as the Great Depression hit the state. The textile industry collapsed and there was poverty and unemployment.

The economy revived after the Second World War and in the 1980s, New Hampshire became one of the fastest growing economies in the United States.