The colony that became the state of New Hampshire was founded on a land grant given in 1622 by the Council for New England to Captain John Mason and Sir Ferdinando Gorges (who founded Maine). It was first settled at Odiorne's Point in Rye (near Portsmouth) by a group of fishermen from England under David Thompson in 1623, just three years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth. The settlers built a fort, manor house, and other buildings, some for fish processing, on Flake Hill. They called the settlement Pannaway Plantation. The first native Newhampshireman, John Thompson, was born there.
David Thompson had been sent by Mason, to be followed a few years later by Edward and Thomas Hilton. They led an expedition to the vicinity of Dover, which they called Northam. Mason died in 1635 without ever seeing the colony he founded. Settlers from Pannaway, moving to the Portsmouth region later and combining with an expedition of the new Laconia Company (formed 1629) under Captain Neal, called their new settlement Strawbery Banke. In 1638 Exeter was founded by John Wheelright.
In 1631, Captain Thomas Wiggin served as the first governor of the Upper Plantation (comprising modern-day Dover, Durham and Stratham). All the towns agreed to unite in 1639, but meanwhile Massachusetts had claimed the territory. In 1641 an agreement was reached with Massachusetts to come under its jurisdication. Home rule of the towns was allowed. In 1653 Strawbery Bank petitioned the General Court of Massachusetts to change its name to Portsmouth, which was granted.
The relationship between Massachusetts and the independent Newhampshiremen was controversial and tenuous. In 1679 the king separated them and Upper Plantation became the "Royal Province" with John Cutt as governor. They were reunited in 1686 and redivided in 1691. The "Royal Province" continued until 1698 when it came once more under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts with Joseph Dudley as Governor. In 1741 New Hampshire returned to its royal provincial status with a governor of its own, Benning Wentworth, who was its governor from 1741 to 1766.
It was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. It was the first state to declare its independence, and the historic attack on Fort William and Mary (now Fort Constitution) helped supply the cannon and ammunition needed for the Battle of Bunker Hill that took place north of Boston a few months later. New Hampshire would raise three regiments for the Continental Army, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd New Hampshire regiments. New Hampshire Militia units would be called up to fight at the Battle of Bunker Hill, Battle of Bennington, Saratoga Campaign, and the Battle of Rhode Island. John Paul Jones' ship the Sloop-of-war USS Ranger and the frigate USS Raleigh were built in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, along with other naval ships for the Continental Navy and Privateers to hunt down British merchant shipping.
On January 5, 1776, the Provincial Congress of New Hampshire, meeting in Exeter, New Hampshire, ratified the first state constitution in the soon-to-be United States, six months before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Source: Wikipedia
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