New Hampshire

New Hampshire was founded by Captain John Mason. New Hampshire was named after Captain John Mason hometown, which is Hampshire County in England. He was granted the land when the Council for New England surrendered its charter in 1635. The grant also included Sir Ferdinando Gorges. John Mason and Sir Ferdinando Gorges had been interested in New England from the beginning.

The problem was that New Hampshire was a part of Massachusetts until 1691. The king separated them and New Hampshire was considered a royal province. Mason claimed the right to the land of New Hampshire. New Hampshire grew very slowly for many years. New Hampshire didn’t have a stable government, and there was constant discord and turbulence.

Captain John Mason had a lot of plans for the land. He had sent settlers to the new territory to create a fishing colony. He had invested more than twenty-two thousand pounds in clearing the land. He also used the money to build houses, and prepare for its defense. He died before seeing what he had invested his money in. His heirs claimed the right to the land. They had endless dispute with the settlers concerning the land titles.

Despite being separated, New Hampshire and Massachusetts shared governors.

During the middle of the eighteenth century an argument arose between New Hampshire and New York concerning the territory lying west of the Connecticut River. Governor Benning Wentworth had laid out about one hundred and forty townships in this disputed region. They were called the “New Hampshire Grants.” The Green Mountain Boys fought off the New York officers. In 1777, the New Hampshire Grants was recognized as an independent state by the name of Vermont.