New Hampshire Colony

This page tells about the history of the New Hampshire Colony.

New Hampshire Colony

The New Hampshire Colony began with small fishing settlements along the Atlantic coast and later became closely tied to neighboring Massachusetts. Over time, New Hampshire developed its own government and eventually became a separate royal colony.

Pannaway Plantation

New Hampshire was founded in 1622 when John Mason and Ferdinando Gorges received a land grant from the Council for New England. In 1623, only a few years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, the first settlers arrived near present-day Portsmouth. Many of these settlers were fishermen. Before long, they built a fort and fish-processing buildings and named the settlement Pannaway Plantation. Some settlers later moved from Pannaway, and in 1629 another settlement called Strawbery Banke was founded. Strawbery Banke eventually developed into the city of Portsmouth.

The Upper Province of Massachusetts

In 1641, Massachusetts claimed authority over the New Hampshire settlements, and the region became closely connected to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. New Hampshire remained under Massachusetts control for much of the seventeenth century, although the relationship changed several times. In 1679, New Hampshire became a separate royal province, but it was later reunited administratively with Massachusetts. In 1741, New Hampshire once again became a separate colony and Benning Wentworth was appointed royal governor. He governed the colony until 1766.

Why it mattered: New Hampshire's early fishing settlements and long political connection with Massachusetts helped shape the development of northern New England before the colony emerged with its own separate government.

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New Hampshire Colony