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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. |
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