New Hampshire was named by Captain John Mason in 1788, after the English county of Hampshire. It was the ninth region of America to be granted statehood, which occurred on June 21 of that year.Continue Reading
Its motto, "Live Free or Die," originated in a longer statement written by General John Stark, Revolutionary War hero of the Battle of Bennington.
Although the state is most commonly nicknamed the "Granite State," in reference to its granite geology and many quarries, New Hampshire actually has three alternatives. After the numerous rivers of New England, it is known as "Mother of Rivers." For the White Mountain Range, whence some of the rivers originate, it is called the "White Mountain State." Finally, for the visual impact of these natural beauties combined, New Hampshire is also sometimes called the "Switzerland of America."
The various State Symbols of New Hampshire were adopted over the course of the twentieth century. These include:
In 1985, Granite, Smokey Quartz and Beryl were introduced as New Hampshire's State Rock, Gem and Mineral respectively.
The State Seal features a granite boulder along with the iconography of a rising sun and laurel wreath.Learn more about US History
New Hampshire was a planned colony founded in 1623 by Captain John Mason, who was granted the land by Great Britain in order to establish a fishing colony in the New World. The name of the colony came from the fact that Mason lived in Hampshire County, England.Full Answer >
In 1623, New Hampshire was founded by Captain John Mason, along with other Englishmen, in a land-grant from the Council of New England. By virtue of Mason's directive, the first British colony in New Hampshire was established near the Piscataqua River by David Thomson and his company.Full Answer >
As one of the original 13 colonies, some of New Hampshire's most interesting facts center around its struggle for independence and its many notable firsts. New Hampshire's most notable first was being the first colony to establish an independent government.Full Answer >
People originally settled in New Hampshire because of its numerous natural resources, including abundant fish and fertile soil, and it was an ideal location that was easy to get to when crossing the ocean from Europe. The initial settlers came from England to explore the area as early as the 1500s; however, a permanent settlement was not created until 1623.Full Answer >