Province of New Hampshire

Quick Facts: Who was Province of New Hampshire?

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Province of New Hampshire

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English colony in North America, spanning from initial settlements to statehood.

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Origins & Early Life

The Province of New Hampshire was an English colony and later a British province in New England. It corresponds to the territory between the Merrimack and Piscataqua rivers on the eastern coast of North America. It was named after the English county of Hampshire in southern England by Captain John Mason in 1629, its first named proprietor. In 1776, the province established an independent state and government, the State of New Hampshire, and joined with twelve other colonies to form the United States. The English first settled New Hampshire in the 1620s, and the province consisted for many years of a small number of communities along the seacoast, Piscataqua River, and Great Bay.

Career & Major Achievements

These villages were primarily settled by the Puritans during their migration to New England, though New Hampshire was often a destination of Puritan dissenters from Massachusetts. In 1641 the communities were organized under the government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, until Charles II issued a colonial charter for the province and appointed John Cutt as President of New Hampshire in 1679. After a brief period as a separate province, the territory was absorbed into the Dominion of New England in 1686. Following the collapse of the unpopular dominion, on October 7, 1691, New Hampshire was again separated from Massachusetts and organized as an English crown colony. Its charter was enacted on May 14, 1692, during the coregency of William and Mary, the joint monarchs of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Between 1699 and 1741, the province's governor was often concurrently the governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. This practice ended completely in 1741, when Benning Wentworth was appointed governor. Wentworth laid claim on behalf of the province to lands west of the Connecticut River, east of the Hudson River, and north of Massachusetts, issuing controversial land grants that were disputed by the Province of New York, which also claimed the territory. These disputes resulted in the eventual formation of the Vermont Republic and the U.S. state of Vermont. The province's economy was dominated by timber and fishing.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1629: 1629 Milestone — It was named after the English county of Hampshire in southern England by Captain John Mason in 1629, its first named proprietor.
2. 1641: 1641 Milestone — In 1641 the communities were organized under the government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, until Charles II issued a colonial charter for the province and appointed John Cutt as President of New Hampshire in 1679.
3. 1686: 1686 Milestone — After a brief period as a separate province, the territory was absorbed into the Dominion of New England in 1686.
4. 1691: 1691 Milestone — Following the collapse of the unpopular dominion, on October 7, 1691, New Hampshire was again separated from Massachusetts and organized as an English crown colony.
5. 1692: 1692 Milestone — Its charter was enacted on May 14, 1692, during the coregency of William and Mary, the joint monarchs of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
6. 1699: 1699 Milestone — Between 1699 and 1741, the province's governor was often concurrently the governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
7. 1741: 1741 Milestone — This practice ended completely in 1741, when Benning Wentworth was appointed governor.
8. 1776: 1776 Milestone — In 1776, the province established an independent state and government, the State of New Hampshire, and joined with twelve other colonies to form the United States.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Province of New Hampshire

True or False: “The Province of New Hampshire was immediately granted full self-governance by the English Crown upon its first settlement in the 1620s.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Initially, the settlements were governed under the authority or influence of the Massachusetts Bay Colony before receiving formal royal charters.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Province of New Hampshire