Quick Facts: New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and Canada to the north.

ABBREVIATION: NH
NICKNAME: The Granite State
POPULATION: 1,409,032 (2024 est.)
CAPITAL: Concord
STATE BIRD: Purple Finch
STATE FLOWER: Purple lilac
AREA: 9,304 sq. mi.
TIME ZONE: Eastern
ENTERED UNION: June 21, 1788
ALTITUDE: High, 6,288 ft. Mount Washington
CLIMATE: Short mild summers, cold winters; moderate rainfall, heavy mountain snows.

Inspired by New Hampshire’s granite-ribbed ridges, Nathaniel Hawthorne once wrote: “Mountains are earth’s un-decaying monuments.” But his poetic line overlooks the fact that the state’s mountains, middle-aged by the timetable of geography, have been decaying for eons.

Once rising in sharply pointed towers like today’s relatively young Rockies, they have been ground down by glaciation and erosion to their present rounded shapes. But monumental they are none the less. The sculptured white mountains, pierced by sheer gorges like Franconia and Crawford Notches, dominate the whole of New England and also play an important role in New Hampshire’s economy.

New Hampshire’s scenic and recreational resources, tourism now brings over $3.5 billion into the state annually.

Although New Hampshire has many dairy and produce farms-most of them in the fertile valleys south of the mountains-manufacturing provides a sizeable chuck of the state’s income. Fast falling rivers, notably the Connecticut and the Merrimack, supply hydroelectric power for major industries, notably computer and electronic products.

Dartmouth College’s Baker Library, Hanover, New Hampshire

New Hampshire’s pine and hemlock forests, cut in the 18th Century to supply masts for the British Navy and logged off by the pulp industry in the 20th Century, have grown back with the application of modern forestry techniques. The state’s trees have not only been conserved for use by industry but also for their sheer beauty.

Federal Wilderness Areas exist within New Hampshire’s White Mountains National Forest. Almost 150,000 acres are protected in 6 designated areas. These areas are protected from logging and commercial industries and are used solely for recreational and scientific purposes.

Fun Facts:

In 1963 New Hampshire became the first U.S. state to adopt a legal lottery in the 20th century. Since it started, the lottery has raised more than a billion dollars to aid education.
New Hampshire was named by Captain John Mason after his home county of Hampshire in England.
The famous naturally carved granite profile known as The Old Man of the Mountain in Franconia Notch State Park was destroyed by a rock slide in 2003. For centuries it served as a rugged symbol of the state.
The first strike organized by women workers in the United States occurred in December 1828. Several hundred workers walked out of the Dover Cotton Factory to protest new management policies that forbid them to talk on the job, reduced wages from 58 cents a day to 53 cents a day, and docked them a fourth of a day’s wage if they arrived after the morning bell stopped ringing.
The first public library in the United States was founded in 1833 in Peterborough, New Hampshire.
The first private citizen in space was Christa McAuliffe, a school teacher from Concord, New Hampshire. After her death in the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster in 1986, a planetarium/discovery center was built in her honor in Concord.

History:

New Hampshire, one of the original thirteen colonies, holds a significant place in the early history of the United States. Nestled in the northeastern region known as New England, New Hampshire’s past is shaped by Native American heritage, colonial settlement, revolutionary fervor, and industrial innovation.

Before European contact, the area now known as New Hampshire was inhabited for thousands of years by Algonquian-speaking Native American tribes, including the Abenaki and Pennacook. These communities lived by hunting, fishing, and farming, moving seasonally and forming intricate trade and social networks. Their knowledge of the land later aided European settlers but was also disrupted by disease and displacement.

In 1623, English fishermen and traders established the first European settlements at Odiorne’s Point near present-day Rye and Dover. This made New Hampshire the first colony to be founded outside of Virginia and Massachusetts. The area was originally part of land grants given by the English crown, and throughout the 17th century, it was often caught in jurisdictional disputes between Massachusetts and other colonial powers.

By 1679, New Hampshire became a separate royal colony, though its ties to Massachusetts remained strong for decades. The colonial economy centered around fishing, shipbuilding, lumber, and small-scale farming. Its abundant forests and rivers made it ideal for sawmills and trade, which laid the foundation for the state’s later industrial economy.

New Hampshire played a notable role in the American Revolution. In December 1774, months before the war officially began, a group of patriots led by John Langdon and John Sullivan raided the British-held Fort William and Mary (now Fort Constitution) near Portsmouth, seizing gunpowder and arms. This event was one of the earliest acts of rebellion against British authority.

In January 1776, New Hampshire became the first colony to establish its own independent government and constitution, months before the Declaration of Independence. It sent three delegates to the Continental Congress, including Josiah Bartlett and William Whipple, who signed the Declaration.

The state’s “Live Free or Die” motto, adopted later, reflects its strong revolutionary spirit.

Following independence, New Hampshire helped draft and ratify the U.S. Constitution, becoming the ninth and decisive state to ratify it in 1788, which officially made the document binding.

During the 19th century, New Hampshire transitioned into a center of manufacturing, particularly in textiles and machinery. The city of Manchester became one of the largest industrial centers in New England. Meanwhile, the state’s scenic beauty attracted artists, writers, and tourists, helping establish New Hampshire’s reputation as a retreat from urban life.

Politically, New Hampshire holds a unique role in modern American politics due to its “first-in-the-nation” presidential primary, which has influenced national elections since the early 20th century.

Today, New Hampshire balances its historic identity with modern growth. From its Native roots and colonial beginnings to its central role in American independence and political culture, the state’s history is a proud legacy of independence, resilience, and civic engagement.