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New Hampshire's History
Home » New Hampshire » New Hampshire History and Overview » New Hampshire's HistoryNew Hampshire’s modern history began when Captain John Mason sent David Thomson and Edward and Thomas Hilton from England to establish a fishing colony at the mouth of the Piscataqua River. The state was eventually given its name after Mason’s hometown of Hampshire, England. Mason died in 1635, before he ever set foot on the land he helped discover.
The area became a royal province in 1679 with John Cutt serving as governor. This continued until 1698 when it came under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. New Hampshire returned to its royal provincial status in 1741 under King George II.
In January of 1776, New Hampshire was the first of the colonies to declare its independence from Great Britain and establish its own government. New Hampshire became the ninth and deciding state to ratify the new Constitution of the United States in 1788.
New Hampshire is made up of seven diverse regions: the Seacoast, the Merrimack Valley, the Monadnock Region, the Cornish Region (including Hanover and Lake Sunapee), the Lakes Region, the White Mountains, and the Great North Woods.
Related New Hampshire History and Overview Articles
- New Hampshire History and Overview
- New Hampshire's History
- The Seacoast
- The Merrimack Valley
- The Monadnock Region
- The Cornish Region, Hanover, and Lake Sunapee
- The Lakes Region
- The White Mountains
- The Great North Woods
- Visiting New Hampshire