Colonial History

A northern outpost in the contests that shaped North America

New Hampshire’s colonial story begins with coastal exploration and settlement, then turns inland toward defense, trade, lumber, religion, governance, and conflict.

Shown above Lake Jericho, a northern logging area in colonial 1800's New Hampshire

Settlements, frontiers, conflicts and service

Portsmouth, Dover, Exeter, and Hampton anchored early settlement. The colony’s soldiers, civic leaders, ministers, traders, and families endured repeated wars and shifting imperial contests while helping build the institutions that later generations inherited.

The colony furnished soldiers and leaders in the expedition against Louisbourg in 1745, gave rise to figures such as Captain John Lovewell and his Rangers, and stood as a northern outpost in the contests that helped determine the future of North America.

Click the button to view a complete timeline of New Hampshire’s history as documented by the New Hampshire Historical Society.

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Fort William and mary now Fort Constitution
Image Source: NH State Parks

The Fort William and Mary (renamed Fort Constitution in 1791 – shown above) was the site of significant raids leading to Revolution. Read More

Above: Captain John Smith 1614 expedition to the coast of New England
Colonial Timeline

Early Milestones in New Hampshire's colonial story

Captain John Smith explored and mapped the coastlines of present-day Maine and Massachusetts Bay in 1614. On the 1616 map of his creation he named the area New England, a selection approved by Prince Charles of England. Smith visited nine islands lying about six miles offshore of Portsmouth and named them Smith’s Isles, now known as the Isles of Shoals. Half of the islands lie in the New Hampshire town of Rye, including Star Island, and the remainder in the State of Maine. In 1864 Reverend Daniel Austin built a monument on Star Island to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Captain Smith’s visit. In 1914 it was rebuilt by the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of New Hampshire and a new bronze tablet was erected.

  • 1603 - Martin Pring leaves an early record of exploration.
  • 1605 - Samuel de Champlain records coastal exploration.
  • 1614 - Captain John Smith visits the Isles of Shoals.
  • 1623 - Early English settlement begins near the Piscataqua.
  • 1642 - Richard Walderne builds the first sawmill at Cochecho Falls.
  • 1689 - The Cochecho attack marks Dover's frontier memory.
  • 1745 - New Hampshire men serve in the Louisbourg expedition.
  • 1774 - The Fort William and Mary raid signals movement toward Revolution.