Hundreds of years ago people from all over came to America to start a new life. In the 1600’s seven explorers came to the land that would be known as New Hampshire. In 1603, Martin Pring was looking for a shortcut across America to Asia. During his journey, he discovered New Hampshire! John Smith later claimed the land for England.

King James gave the land Smith had claimed to John Mason and Sir Ferdinano Gorges. Since Mason lived in Hampshire, England, he named the new land New Hampshire. In 1623, David Thomson built the first settlement, Pannaway Plantation.

Settlers in New Hampshire got to meet the Algonquian Indians that had been living in that area for more than one hundred years. When the Indians killed an animal they didn't waste any part of their body. The settlers learned survival skills like this from the Indians, and the Indians learned things from the settlers.

The farmers in New Hampshire had to move trees and rocks to plant their fields. They used the rocks to make walls around their fields. They grew corn, beans, and pumpkins. They raised sheep, cows, chickens and pigs. They also made money fishing and hunting.

New Hampshire had so many trees colonists could build ships for a living. Some of the pine trees were marked to go to England. Colonists could be arrested if they cut down one of these pine trees.

Meeting houses were used for all-day church services on Sundays. In 1679, England turned New Hampshire into a royal Colony, which separated it from Massachusetts. School laws were passed forcing towns with fifty families or more to have a school available. This was the beginning of the public schools we have today!

The French and English both wanted to rule the land, and wanted the Indians to fight on their side. The Indians noticed the English had come to stay, and the more towns they built the more space the Indians lost. So, the Indians sided with the French. The French and Indian war went on for 74 years and caused thousands of Colonists and Indians to lose their lives.

The King of England told the Colonists to pay more taxes to help England pay for the French and Indian War. In 1774, leaders from all colonies met in Philadelphia for sixty days to find out what could be done. The leaders of the colonies talked about a revolution so they could have freedom from England.

The colonists didn't have any gunpowder so they stole it from the English. In April 1775, the Revolutionary War began and New Hampshire sent 5,000 men to help. Captain John Paul Jones was called the Father of the American Navy. His ship was the first to fly the American flag.

New Hampshire’s motto is Live Free or Die. The White Mountains are one of New Hampshire’s most famous landmarks. Robert Frost lived in New Hampshire and has left many beautiful poems about its history and beautiful landscape.