Under an English land grant, Capt.
John Smith sent settlers to establish a fishing
colony at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, near
present-day Rye and Dover, in 1623. Capt. John
Mason, who participated in the founding of
Portsmouth in 1630, gave New Hampshire its name.
After a 38-year period of union with Massachusetts,
New Hampshire was made a separate royal colony in
1679. As leaders in the revolutionary cause, New
Hampshire delegates received the honor of being the
first to vote for the Declaration of Independence on
July 4, 1776. New Hampshire gained a measure of
international attention in 1905 when Portsmouth
Naval Base played host to the signing of the treaty
ending the Russo-Japanese War, known as the Treaty
of Portsmouth.
Abundant water power turned New Hampshire into an
industrial state early on, and manufacturing is the
principal source of income. The most important
industrial products are electrical and other
machinery, textiles, pulp and paper products, and
stone and clay products. Dairy and poultry, and
growing fruit, truck vegetables, corn, potatoes, and
hay are the major agricultural pursuits.
Because of New Hampshire's scenic and recreational
resources, tourism now brings over $3.5 billion into
the state annually.
Vacation attractions include Lake Winnipesaukee,
largest of 1,300 lakes and ponds; the 724,000-acre
White Mountain National Forest; Daniel Webster's
birthplace near Franklin; and Strawbery Banke,
restored buildings of the original settlement at
Portsmouth. In 2003, the famous “Old Man of the
Mountain” granite head profile, the state's official
emblem, fell from its perch in Franconia. |
