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Units of New Hampshire History
Unit 4: Building a Colony
Find It! Building a Colony

Find It! Building a Colony

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All the resources that appear in this unit are gathered here for you—the photographs, maps, objects, audiovisuals, documents, videos, biographies, and vocabulary words. Click on the image below to see a larger view of each resource with more information about each one. On some of the resources you can even zoom in and get a closer look. So go ahead, dive in, and explore. Before you know it, you’ll be thinking like a historian.

Find It! Scavenger Hunt

Can you help Mason find these items on the page and answer the questions?

Scavenger Hunt

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Biographies in this Unit:

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Biography

Benning Wentworth

1696–1770

Caption:

Benning Wentworth was New Hampshire’s first colonial governor. His family were wealthy merchants who lived in Portsmouth and were also political leaders. In 1740, the king of England decided that New Hampshire should have its own governor. Up until then, New Hampshire shared a governor with Massachusetts. The king chose Benning Wentworth to be New Hampshire’s governor. While he was governor, Wentworth helped to establish a lot of towns in New Hampshire. He made money by selling land throughout New Hampshire, and he gave a lot of land and government jobs to his relatives. But he also helped to make sure that the new towns were self-sufficient and governed themselves through town meetings. Eventually, the colonists in New Hampshire got tired of how Benning Wentworth and his family kept getting richer and more powerful. He also got in trouble for selling land that actually belonged to New York, so he had to resign. His nephew, John Wentworth, became the next colonial governor.

Image Credit: Portrait of Benning Wentworth by Joseph Blackburn, 1760, New Hampshire Historical Society

A circular, colored portrait of a white man looking off to the right. He wears a blue coat with a yellow collar and a black tri-cornered hat. — John Stark

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Biography

John Stark

1728–1822

Caption:

John Stark is one of New Hampshire’s most famous military leaders. He was born in Londonderry. He was a farmer, hunter, and trapper. As a young man he was captured by Native Americans and spent about a year living with an Abenaki family in Canada, until he was sent back to New Hampshire. When fighting broke out between the patriots and the British in 1775, he raced to Massachusetts to defend the colonies. He fought in important battles like the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Trenton, where he helped George Washington. Stark was eventually promoted to general and in 1777 he led New Hampshire troops to victory at the Battle of Bennington. This victory helped save New England from a British invasion. Stark is still known as the “Hero of Bennington.” In 1809 he wrote a letter to some of the soldiers he had served with and used the phrase: “Live free or die; death is not the greatest of evils.” Those words, “Live free or die,” later became the state motto.

Image Credit: Portrait of John Stark by Ulysses Dow Tenney, 1876, Courtesy of the State of New Hampshire

A solid black image of a moose, with white capital letters inside reading "SORRY, NO PICTURE AVAILABLE." — Nero Brewster

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Biography

Nero Brewster

circa 1711–1786

Caption:

Nero Brewster was born in Africa. He was enslaved as a child and transported to New England. His enslaver was William Brewster, a tavern owner in Portsmouth who was involved in the patriot cause. It was common at that time for enslaved persons to use the last name of their owner. Nero Brewster was a leader in the African American community in Portsmouth, where he was known as “King Nero.” He was the leader of the group of enslaved men who sent a petition to New Hampshire’s government in 1779 asking for their freedom. When Brewster died in 1786, at the age of 75, he was a free man, but there is no record of when he was freed.

A black and white drawing of a man in a jacket with large buttons, wearing a hat with a large feather on his head. He also wears a sash with a diamond pattern on it across his chest. The man's portrait is framed in an oval, surrounded by vines and ribbons. Underneath the oval are three lines of text written in French. — Robert Rogers

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Biography

Robert Rogers

1731–1795

Caption:

Robert Rogers was New Hampshire’s most famous soldier during the French and Indian War. He commanded a group of New Hampshire men called Rogers’ Rangers. These soldiers were familiar with the forests and mountains of New Hampshire. They could blend into their surroundings without anyone hearing or seeing them. They also were good at surviving in the wilderness during all kinds of bad weather. Rogers’ Rangers even fought battles on snowshoes and ice skates. Robert Rogers wrote a book about these military strategies. Parts of this book are still used today by the U.S. Army Rangers, which are named after Rogers’ Rangers.

Image Credit: Engraving of Robert Rogers, undated, New Hampshire Historical Society

Documents in this Unit:

A vertical handwritten document in black ink on white paper with three paragraphs of text. The paper are several small tears and folds along the right-side border. — Apprenticeship Papers of Thomas Hatch

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Document

Apprenticeship Papers of Thomas Hatch

1777

Samuel Lane

Caption:

This is an apprenticeship certificate. An apprenticeship is when someone agrees to work for a skilled employer for a set amount of time. During that time, the apprentice learns that skill or craft. When the time is finished, the apprentice is ready to go out on their own to practice the skill or craft and earn a living. In this case, Thomas Hatch agrees to work for Samuel Lane until he is 21 years old. Lane will teach him to be a tanner, or someone who makes products out of leather, and other sorts of work. Lane also agrees to feed and house Thomas Hatch during this period, even if he gets sick. Hatch promises he will be honest and obedient during his term of service.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A square-sized, handwritten document in black ink on white paper, with one paragraph of text. The paper has several small tears along its borders. A red wax mark is seen towards the bottom of the right-hand side. — Bill of Sale for Peter

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Document

Bill of Sale for Peter

1782

Martha Avery

Caption:

This document is a bill of sale, like a receipt, for a seven-year-old enslaved boy. The child was sold by Martha Avery of Gilmanton, New Hampshire, to Luther Smith from Connecticut. The bill of sale says that Peter is to be freed when he is 26 years old. The bill of sale is dated February 20, 1782. Someone, possibly Martha Avery's granddaughter, added notes to the document much later. The notes say that Peter purchased his own freedom at the age of 21.

Image Credit: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Frederick L. and Lauren M. Burton

A vertical handwritten document in black ink on yellowing paper. Several lines of text are placed next to numbers. — Edmund Quincy Bill of Sale

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Document

Edmund Quincy Bill of Sale

1755

Caption:

This is a receipt, or bill of sale. It says that Daniel Prince of Portsmouth bought some items from Edmund Quincy. Prince bought items like a carriage and hay, but he also bought two enslaved persons for £300 each. (£ is the symbol for pounds, which is a type of money in Great Britain.)

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A large handwritten document on white paper. The text of the document is written in small and large cursive handwriting, in black ink. — Freedom Petition Submitted by Enslaved People to the New Hampshire State Legislature page 1 of 4

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Document

Freedom Petition Submitted by Enslaved People to the New Hampshire State Legislature page 1 of 4

Nero Brewster

Caption:

In 1779, 20 enslaved men in Portsmouth wrote this petition to the government of New Hampshire. The petition asked the government to pass laws freeing the slaves and abolishing slavery. The government ignored the petition. Some of the enslaved people who signed the petition were freed eventually, but most of them remained enslaved for the rest of their lives. New Hampshire's government finally passed a law freeing them in 2013.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the New Hampshire State Archives

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Document

Freedom Petition Submitted by Enslaved People to the New Hampshire State Legislature page 2 of 4

Nero Brewster

Caption:

In 1779, 20 enslaved men in Portsmouth wrote this petition to the government of New Hampshire. The petition asked the government to pass laws freeing the slaves and abolishing slavery. The government ignored the petition. Some of the enslaved people who signed the petition were freed eventually, but most of them remained enslaved for the rest of their lives. New Hampshire's government finally passed a law freeing them in 2013.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the New Hampshire State Archives

A large handwritten document on white paper. The text of the document is written in small and large cursive handwriting, in black ink. At the end of the document are several signatures. — Freedom Petition Submitted by Enslaved People to the New Hampshire State Legislature page 3 of 4

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Document

Freedom Petition Submitted by Enslaved People to the New Hampshire State Legislature page 3 of 4

Nero Brewster

Caption:

In 1779, 20 enslaved men in Portsmouth wrote this petition to the government of New Hampshire. The petition asked the government to pass laws freeing the slaves and abolishing slavery. The government ignored the petition. Some of the enslaved people who signed the petition were freed eventually, but most of them remained enslaved for the rest of their lives. On this page, you can see all the names of the enslaved men who signed the petition. New Hampshire's government finally passed a law freeing them in 2013.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the New Hampshire State Archives

A large handwritten document on half a piece of white paper. The text of the document is written in small and large cursive handwriting, in black ink. — Freedom Petition Submitted by Enslaved People to the New Hampshire State Legislature page 4 of 4

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Document

Freedom Petition Submitted by Enslaved People to the New Hampshire State Legislature page 4 of 4

Nero Brewster

Caption:

In 1779, 20 enslaved men in Portsmouth wrote this petition to the government of New Hampshire. The petition asked the government to pass laws freeing the slaves and abolishing slavery. On this page, you can see some notes made by the clerk in April 1780, when the petition was first heard by the legislature. The petition was supposed to be printed in the newspaper, and then the legislature was supposed to consider it again a few months later, but that vote was postponed, and it never came up again. Some of the enslaved people who signed the petition were freed eventually, but most of them remained enslaved for the rest of their lives. New Hampshire's government finally passed a law freeing them in 2013.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the New Hampshire State Archives

A horizontal document of three paragraphs of text. Each paragraph is written in cursive handwriting. There are several ink splotches on the document, and there is a small tear along the upper border of the paper. — Inventory of the Ship *Exeter*

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Document

Inventory of the Ship Exeter

1756

Caption:

In 1755, the ship Exeter sailed from Portsmouth to Africa. It returned the following year with 61 enslaved persons on board, according to this inventory. An inventory is a list of items in a particular place. The enslaved persons were then sold. Cargo, like tobacco, rum, rice, and tar, was also sold. The Exeter was owned by a Portsmouth merchant named John Moffatt.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A close-up image of a typed document with several lines of text from a newspaper column. The edges of the document are bordered by black lines. — James Stoodly's Sale

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Document

James Stoodly's Sale

1762

New-Hampshire Gazette

Caption:

This is a newspaper advertisement for a slave auction at Stoodly's (sometimes spelled Stoodley) Tavern in Portsmouth. A slave auction was a sale of enslaved people, where the audience would bid against each other to get the best price. (Note: In the 18th century, the word “Negro” was used to refer to people who had darker skin, who are now called Black, and was not offensive at that time. The word “Negro” should not be used today except when referring to historical documents.)

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A vertical handwritten document on white paper that is covered in black cursive handwriting. — Josiah Bartlett's Memoirs

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Document

Josiah Bartlett's Memoirs

undated

Josiah Bartlett

Caption:

This is a page from Josiah Bartlett's memoirs. A memoir is a nonfiction narrative about someone's life. Josiah Bartlett was one of New Hampshire's first governors and signed the Declaration of Independence. He was also an enslaver. He purchased a 12-year-old boy in 1770. This page of his memoir describes an incident several years later when the boy, named Peter, tried to run away.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A close-up image of a typed document with six lines of text. The text reads "Died, on Monday last, at Col. William/Brewster's, NERO, late King of the Af-/ricans, in this town, aged 75.----A Mo-/narch, who, while living, was held in re-/verential esteem by his subjects---conse-/quently, his death is greatly lamented." — King Nero's Death Notice

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Document

King Nero's Death Notice

1786

The New-Hampshire Mercury and General Advertiser

Caption:

This newspaper article announces that "King" Nero Brewster has died. Brewster was an enslaved man who lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was a leader in Portsmouth's Black community. The Black community had a holiday called Negro Election Day. (The word “Negro” isn’t a word we use today, but it was common in the 18th century.) On Negro Election Day, the Black people in Portsmouth came together and elected a leader for the community who was called the “King of the Africans.” For the next year, the king helped settle arguments and provided guidance for the Black community. Nero Brewster was a highly respected "King of the Africans."

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A vertical handwritten document on a small piece of white paper. The text is organized into one paragraph, and there is a date and signature on the bottom. — Mary Bartlett Letter

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Document

Mary Bartlett Letter

1776

Mary Bartlett

Caption:

Mary Bartlett wrote this letter to an unknown person. It was written while her husband, Josiah Bartlett, was away in Philadelphia at the Continental Congress. Josiah Bartlett was a Founding Father and signed the Declaration of Independence a few months after this letter was written. In the letter, Mary Bartlett asks for help finding a Black boy named Peter. The Bartletts enslaved Peter and he had run away.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

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Document

Runaway Notice for Cato

1765

New-Hampshire Gazette

Caption:

This newspaper advertisement asks for help capturing an enslaved person who has tried to escape to freedom. Captain Daniel Rogers, a blacksmith and militia captain, is also an enslaver. Cato, his slave, has run away. Anyone who finds Cato and brings him back to Captain Rogers will be paid a reward of eight dollars. (Note: In the 18th century, the word “Negro” was used to refer to people who had darker skin, who are now called Black, and was not offensive at that time. The word “Negro” should not be used today except when referring to historical documents.)

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A newspaper clipping of a short article written in black text. The article reads "RAN AWAY on the evening of the/29th inst. A NEGRO MAN, named/Seneca, about five feet eight inches/high, 47 years of age; a stout thick fett fel-/low, talks good English; he carried with/him two coats, one red the other blue; one/blue pea Jacket; one brown lappell'd, and/one strip'd homspun dit. 2 pair leather/breeches; 2 pair worsted, and 2 pair yarn/stockings; 2 pair shoes; a mill'd cap turn'd/up with fur, &c. Whoever will return said/ Negro, or confine him so that his master/may have him again, shall have FOUR/DOLLARS reward, and all necessary char-/ges paid by SAMUEL HALL./Portsmouth, May 31st. 2-4." — Runaway Notice for Seneca Hall

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Document

Runaway Notice for Seneca Hall

New Hampshire Gazette

Caption:

Seneca Hall was an enslaved man in Portsmouth. His owner was Samuel Hall, a tanner. He ran away at least twice, in 1764 and 1776. He was returned to Samuel Hall both times. In 1779, Seneca Hall and 19 other enslaved men signed a petition to the New Hampshire government, asking for their freedom and the end of slavery. Note: In the 18th century, the word “Negro” was used to refer to people who had dark skin and black African heritage, and was not offensive at that time. Today, it is not used because the term used to refer to people who were enslaved.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A close-up image of a typed document with five lines of text from a newspaper column. The text reads "Likley Negro Boys/And GIRLS just Imported from Gambia, and to/be Sold on board the Sloop Carolina, lying at the/Long Wharff in Portsmouth, Enquire of Mr. Traill,/ or of Mr. Harrison on board said Sloop." — Sloop Carolina from Gambia

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Document

Sloop Carolina from Gambia

1758

New-Hampshire Gazette

Caption:

This newspaper advertisement lets readers know about a slave sale. A sloop, or type of boat, has arrived in Portsmouth harbor. On board are enslaved people from Gambia that the ship's captain will sell. Gambia is a country in western Africa. The sloop was named Carolina.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

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Document

Thomas Beck's Sale

1767

New-Hampshire Gazette

Caption:

This is a newspaper advertisement for an estate sale. A man named Thomas Beck has died, and his possessions will be sold. His family will then keep the money from the sale, or it will be used to pay any debts he may owe to other people. Some animals and clothes will be sold. One enslaved girl will be sold as well. (Note: In the 18th century, the word “Negro” was used to refer to people who had darker skin, who are now called Black, and was not offensive at that time. The word “Negro” should not be used today except when referring to historical documents.)

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Explainer Videos and Virtual Field Trips in this Unit:

Mason Explains: Slavery in the United States

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Video

Mason Explains: Slavery in the United States

2022

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Mason Explains: The New Hampshire and Massachusetts Border

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Video

Mason Explains: The New Hampshire and Massachusetts Border

2022

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

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Video

Virtual Field Trip: Fort at No. 4

2023

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts in this Unit:

A colored horizontal map showing two maps of North America, resting side by side. The map on the left is labeled "1754" and the map on the right is labeled "1763." Both maps have sections of land colored in red, gray, yellow, and dark blue, but only the "1754" map has pieces of land colored in green. Both maps have the same map key, located in the lower left-hand corner, which labels the land in dark blue as "British Colonies," the land in green as "French Colonies," land in yellow as "Spanish Colonies," and land in red as "Russian Colonies." The map's title, located along the upper border, reads "EUROPEAN COLONIES IN NORTH AMERICA." — European Colonies in North America Before and After the French and Indian War

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Maps & Charts

European Colonies in North America Before and After the French and Indian War

Caption:

This map shows European colonies in North America in 1754, before the French and Indian War began, and in 1763, once the war had ended. The British and Americans defeated the French in this war. Notice how the map changes. Which country or countries gained territory? Which country or countries lost territory?

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored vertical map of the eastern border of the United States. Parts of the map are colored in dark blue, yellow, or green. The map's key, located in the lower right-hand corner, marks the green land as "French/Colonies," the dark blue land as "English/Colonies," and the yellow land as "Spanish/Colonies." The title of the map, located in the upper left-hand corner, reads "EUROPEAN COLONIES/IN NORTH AMERICA/1754." — European Colonies in North America, 1754

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Maps & Charts

European Colonies in North America, 1754

1754

Caption:

New Hampshire was an English colony. There were lots of other English colonies in North America in the 18th century. Other European countries, like France and Spain, had colonies in North America too. When these countries fought wars with each other, the wars spilled over into North America.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored horizontal map of a hand-drawn piece of land that has been sectioned into square and rectangular plots. The map is framed by a blue border, outlined in orange. To the left of the map is a long list of names written in cursive handwriting. The title of the map, located along the upper border, reads "A PLAN OF THE TOWN OF GOFFSTOWN TAKEN FEBY 1772." — Goffstown Map, 1772

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Maps & Charts

Goffstown Map, 1772

1772

Caption:

This plan of the town of Goffstown, New Hampshire, shows how the land was divided up into different plots owned by the townspeople. When the town was founded, in 1761, each settler was randomly assigned three lots. The lots could be anywhere—next to each other, across town from each other, even in the middle of a pond! Then they had to trade with each other if they wanted their lots to be close together. If you look closely at the names in the plots, you will see that some people were not able to do that!

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A close-up image of a map showing the border of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Several towns in southern New Hampshire are labeled in typed black text. — Map of New Hampshire, 1761 (Merrimack Valley detail)

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Maps & Charts

Map of New Hampshire, 1761 (Merrimack Valley detail)

1761

Joseph Blanchard and Samuel Langdon, engraved by Thomas Jefferys

Caption:

This was the first printed map of New Hampshire. It was made around the time of the French and Indian War. This detail, or small part, of the map shows the Merrimack Valley. Many of the towns in this region were founded by Scots-Irish settlers. Others were founded by people who moved from Massachusetts in search of more land. Note that the town marked "Penacook or Rumford" is known as Concord today, and the town marked "Dunstable," near the border with Massachusetts, is known as Nashua today.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored vertical map of the state of New Hampshire, colored in green. The state's rivers and lakes are outlined in blue. All around the state are yellow dots and stars. The map is divided into irregular-shaped sections, bordered by a black line. The sections are labeled in black text, with a black line pointing to each section. Those labels read, from left to right: "CHESHIRE/COUNTY," "HILLSBOROUGH/COUNTY," "ROCKINGHAM/COUNTY," STRAFFORD/COUNTY," and "GRAFTON/COUNTY." The title of the map, located in the upper left-hand corner, reads "NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWNS/INCORPORATED BY 1770." The map's key, located directly beneath the map's title, labels the yellow dots as "Towns with LESS/than 1000 people" and the stars are "Towns with MORE/than 1000 people." — New Hampshire Towns Incorporated by 1770

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Maps & Charts

New Hampshire Towns Incorporated by 1770

1770

Caption:

This map shows all of the New Hampshire towns founded by settlers up to 1770, just before the American Revolution. It also shows the five counties in New Hampshire at that time. As the population grew, more counties were added. Today there are 10 counties in New Hampshire.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white hand-drawn map of a piece of land divided up into small rectangular plots. Some of the rectangular plots are drawn at a diagonal on the right side of the map. A name or a number is written in each of the plots. The title of the map, located centered along the upper border reads "[benjamin Adam's Copy of Plan.]." — Plan of New Ipswich

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Maps & Charts

Plan of New Ipswich

circa 1753

Benjamin Adams

Caption:

This map of the town of New Ipswich shows how the settlement was divided up into plots for different families. The settlers had to fulfill certain requirements before they could get an official town charter. For example, they had to build houses with chimneys and clear a certain amount of land for farming. They also had to build a meeting house and a sawmill. Once they fulfilled these requirements, the settlers could keep the land and set up a town government.

Image Credit: New Hampshire State Papers, volume 28

A black and white hand-drawn map of a trapezoid-sized piece of land divided up into small square plots. There is a number written in each of the plots. Overlapping some of the plots are markings for rivers and ponds. The title of the map, located centered along the upper border, reads "NEW LONDON." — Plan of New London

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Maps & Charts

Plan of New London

1773

Jeremiah Page

Caption:

This map of the town of New London shows how the settlement was divided up into plots for different families. The settlers had to fulfill certain requirements before they could get an official town charter. For example, they had to build houses with chimneys and clear a certain amount of land for farming. They also had to build a meeting house and a sawmill. Once they fulfilled these requirements, the settlers could keep the land and set up a town government.

Image Credit: New Hampshire State Papers, volume 28

A black and white hand-drawn map of a piece of land divided up into small square plots. A name is written in each of the square plots, and there is a marked body of water in the upper left-hand corner of the map. There is also a wide road drawn on a diagonal through the middle of the map. The title of the map, located centered along the upper border, reads "[Plan of Oss/ee, 1774]." — Plan of Ossipee, 1774

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Maps & Charts

Plan of Ossipee, 1774

1774

James Hersey

Caption:

This map of the town of Ossipee shows how the settlement was divided up into plots for different families. The settlers had to fulfill certain requirements before they could get an official town charter. For example, they had to build houses with chimneys and clear a certain amount of land for farming. They also had to build a meeting house and a sawmill. Once they fulfilled these requirements, the settlers could keep the land and set up a town government.

Image Credit: New Hampshire State Papers, volume 28

A black and white hand-drawn map of a piece of land divided up into small rectangular plots. There is a number written in each of the plots. Overlapping some of the plots are markings for rivers and ponds. The title of the map, located centered along the upper border, reads "[Plan of Ossipee, 1782]." — Plan of Ossipee, 1782

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Maps & Charts

Plan of Ossipee, 1782

1782

James Hersey

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire State Papers, volume 28

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Maps & Charts

Plan of Ossipee, circa 1775

circa 1775

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire State Papers, volume 28

A black and white hand-drawn map of a piece of land divided up into small rectangular plots. A name or a number is written in each of the plots. The title of the map, located centered along the upper border reads "[Plan of Peterborough]." — Plan of Peterborough

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Maps & Charts

Plan of Peterborough

1748

Caption:

This map of the town of Peterborough shows how the settlement was divided up into plots for different families. The settlers had to fulfill certain requirements before they could get an official town charter. For example, they had to build houses with chimneys and clear a certain amount of land for farming. They also had to build a meeting house and a sawmill. Once they fulfilled these requirements, the settlers could keep the land and set up a town government.

Image Credit: New Hampshire State Papers, volume 28

A colored horizontal map of North America and the countries of Europe. While most of the countries are marked in gray, the country of Ireland is colored in green and the country of Scotland is colored in red. The state of New Hampshire, on the continent of North America, is colored in blue. Two dotted lines connect the countries together: one dotted line, labeled "1600s," connects Scotland to Ireland; the other dotted line, labeled "1719," connects Ireland with New Hampshire. The title of the map, located along the bottom border, reads "THE SCOTS-IRISH PATH/TO NORTH AMERICA." — The Scots-Irish Path to North America

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Maps & Charts

The Scots-Irish Path to North America

Caption:

In the early 18th century, the Merrimack Valley was settled by the Scots-Irish. These people were originally from Scotland, which is part of Great Britain. In the 1600s, they moved to Ireland, which was a British colony at that time. That's why they were called Scots-Irish. Then in the 1700s, many of them moved to Britain's colonies in North America, including New Hampshire.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored horizontal map of the continents that border the Atlantic Ocean. Those continents are colored in green and are labeled with white text as folllows, from left to right: "North America," "West Indies," "Europe," and "Africa." There are several arrows in purple, red, yellow, and blue that go between the continents. Resting on top of the arrows are either an image of wheat, barrels, cogs, or handcuffs. The map's title, located in the upper left-hand corner, reads "TRIANGLE TRADE" in white text with an orange border. The map's key marking all of the images used on the map is located in the lower left-hand corner. — Triangle Trade

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Maps & Charts

Triangle Trade

Caption:

Many merchants in Portsmouth and all throughout the British North American colonies participated in the triangle trade. These were trading routes in the 1600s–1800s that linked Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Raw materials, manufactured goods, food stuffs, and enslaved people were traded between the three continents. It is called the triangle trade because it involved an exchange of goods between three continents, and there are three sides to a triangle.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Objects in this Unit:

A horizontal piece of cloth decorated with embroidery made from blue and black strings. Blue stitched dots border the upper border and the two sides of the cloth. The stitched dots are also used to separate five lines of embroidered letters, which list out the alphabet in uppercase letters, minus the letter "J." The letters are stitched in blue string. Beneath the letters is the name "BETSY" stitched in black string. — Betsy Philbrick's Sampler

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Objects

Betsy Philbrick's Sampler

circa 1800

Betsy Philbrick

Caption:

In 18th-century New Hampshire, white girls in farming families were expected to grow up, get married, and have families of their own. They usually received a different education from their brothers. They would learn reading, writing, and basic math. But they also had to learn skills that would help them become wives and mothers. One of those skills was sewing. They made samplers to practice their sewing skills. Often the samplers included letters, numbers, poems, or Bible verses. So the samplers also helped teach them the alphabet and the numbers. This sampler was made by a girl who lived in Hillsborough, NH, when she was about nine years old.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A tall wooden cylinder, that is wider at the bottom than at the top. There is a wooden stick sticking out of the top of the cylinder. — Butter Churn

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Objects

Butter Churn

circa 1700–1800

Caption:

Butter is made from cream. After a cow is milked, farmers skim off the top layer, cream, which is higher in fat. The cream is then churned, which causes the fat globules to combine into lumps butter. The liquid that is left over is buttermilk. The butter is then washed in cold water and salt is kneaded into it to add flavor and make it smooth. Before motorized machines were invented to churn butter, women used "dasher churns," like this one, to make butter. They poured the cream into the crock, and then pulled the "dasher" up and down until butter was formed. The dasher was a wooden pole about three feet tall attached to a paddle in the shape of a plus sign. The paddles churned the cream around until the butter formed. It was hard work!

Image Credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. Russell Sage, 1909

A vertical piece of light brown fabric with letters, birds, trees, urns, and flowers on it. All of the images are sown on to the fabric in different colored pieces of string. Towards the bottom of the piece of fabric is the sentence: "Hannah Foster her sampler wrought/in the twelfth year of her age A.D 178." — Hannah Foster's Sampler

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Objects

Hannah Foster's Sampler

circa 1796

Hannah Foster

Caption:

This sampler was made by Hannah Foster, who lived in Canterbury, New Hampshire. A sampler is a piece of needlework made to show sewing skills and display basic literacy knowledge. In the 1700s and 1800s, girls often learned the alphabet and numbers while also learning to sew. Women and girls in New Hampshire's farming communities had to sew all of their own clothes. As girls got older and more skilled at sewing, their samplers became more complicated. Instead of the alphabet, they might embroider poems or Bible verses on their samplers.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A vertical piece of cloth decorated with embroidery made from colored strings. There are three bordered rows of stitched letters from the alphabet at the top of the cloth, each completed in different stitching styles and in either upper or lowercase font. At the center of the cloth is the stiched sentence "Laura W Sanborn of New/Chester was born in Sept 5,/1804 aged ten years in 1814." Beneath this are two additional bordered rows of the alphabet. The last row is incomplete, only listing the letters "A" through "E." To the right of the incomplete row of letters is a heart with a crown over each of the humps. Inside the heart is a small tree. — Laura Sanborn's Sampler

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Objects

Laura Sanborn's Sampler

1814

Laura Sanborn

Caption:

In 18th-century New Hampshire, white girls in farming families were expected to grow up, get married, and have families of their own. They usually received a different education from their brothers. They would learn reading, writing, and basic math. But they also had to learn skills that would help them become wives and mothers. One of those skills was sewing. They made samplers to practice their sewing skills. Often the samplers included letters, numbers, poems, or Bible verses. So the samplers also helped teach them the alphabet and the numbers. This sampler was made by ten-year-old girl who lived in Hill, NH (then called New Chester).

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

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Objects

Linen Shirt

1700s

Caption:

This shirt was made out of linen in America in the 1700s. Linen is a textile, or cloth, made out of a plant called flax. Scots-Irish immigrants brought flax to the Merrimack Valley when they immigrated in the early 1700s. Towns like Londonderry became known for producing linen cloth.

Image Credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art, gift of Mr. Claggett Wilson, 1941 (creative commons license)

A horizontal piece of cloth decorated with embroidery made from colored strings. From top to bottom, there is a border of flowers and vines along the upper border of the cloth; a listing of the alphabet in uppercase letters, minus the letter "J;" a listing of the numbers one through twelve; a listing of the alphabet in lowercase letters, minus the letter "J;" and the following sentence: "POLLY FOSTER her sample wrought in the thirteenth year/of her Age*A*D*1787*." Beneath all of this are two large birds with long tails standing on either side of an urn with flowers in it. Surrounding this scene are several other small birds, flowers, and trees. — Mary Foster's Sampler

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Objects

Mary Foster's Sampler

1787

Mary Foster

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photographs & Prints in this Unit:

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Photograph/Print

18th Century Abenaki Couple

2015

Francine Poitras Jones

Caption:

This painting shows an Abenaki couple in the 18th century, around the time of the French and Indian War. It was created by an artist in the present day who is a member of the Nulhegan Band of Coosuk Abenaki. The Abenaki traded with their French allies for goods made in Europe, such as red or blue wool, or linen fabrics. Do you notice those goods in this painting? What else do you notice?

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white drawing of the interior of a house, with a large fireplace on the left side of the room. A group of men, women, and children are all working at various chores around the room. One woman places coals on top of a pot in the fireplace; one woman works at a spinning wheel; another woman stands next to a cylinder barrel; another woman rolls out dough with a rolling pin; a man peels apples over a bowl; and two children play on the floor in the center of the room. Various herbs and vegetables hang from the ceiling. The title of the drawing, located along the bottom border, reads "A NEW ENGLAND KITCHEN,/A HUNDRED YEARS AGO." — A New England Kitchen

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Photograph/Print

A New England Kitchen

circa 1876

H. W. Pierce

Caption:

New Hampshire farm families in the late 1700s and early 1800s were focused on their farms and their towns. The kitchen was the center of the home. People didn't have family rooms or living rooms like many houses have today. The kitchen fireplace, or hearth, provided heat for the house. It was also where the women cooked all the meals. What kinds of other work are the different family members doing in this picture?

Image Credit: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

A black and white drawing of several ships floating in a body of water. The body of water is bordered by two pieces of land. The piece of land on the left has large clouds of smoke coming up from the ground. — A View of the Plundering and Burning of the City of Grymross

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Photograph/Print

A View of the Plundering and Burning of the City of Grymross

1758

Thomas Davies

Caption:

The French and Indian War was fought from 1754 to 1763. The war was between the French and their indigenous allies (who were called Indians then) and the British. This drawing shows a British attack on a town on the eastern coast of Canada called Grymross (present-day Gagetown). The French colonists who lived there, called Acadians, all had to flee. The British troops burned every building in the town, along with all of the fields, and killed all of the farm animals. The British eventually won the war, and Canada became a British colony.

Image Credit: Image from Wikimedia Commons, original at the National Gallery of Canada

A black and white drawing of a woman seated in front of a spinning wheel. She wears a long-sleeved dress with an apron and a large bonnet on her head. She holds a wooden rod with fluffy materials wrapped around the end of it in her hands. — A Woman Spinning Flax

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Photograph/Print

A Woman Spinning Flax

1861

François Bonvin

Caption:

This woman is using a spinning wheel to spin flax into thread to make a type of cloth called linen. Flax is a type of plant with long, strong fibers. First the fibers have to be wound around a distaff, which the woman in the picture is holding. Then the spinning wheel twists the fibers into thread, which is later woven into cloth. Many Scots-Irish immigrants to the Merrimack Valley in the 1700s were flax farmers who grew flax and produced linen cloth. Londonderry became famous for its linen. Although this image is from the 19th century, the type of spinning wheel the woman is using is similar to the spinning wheels that Scots-Irish immigrants used.

Image Credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art, gift of Lila and Herman Schickman, 2000

A colored drawing of two people standing next to each other. The person on the left wears a blue shirt, green pants, a yellow and blue cape, and a brown cone-shaped hat. The person on the right wears a large gray cape and blue pants, with a cone-shaped hat that has yellow and blue geometric designs on it. — Abenaki Couple

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Photograph/Print

Abenaki Couple

circa 1750–1780

Caption:

This watercolor drawing shows an Abenaki couple wearing traditional Abenaki clothing in the 1700s. It was made by a Canadian artist. The Abenaki homeland, N'dakinna, includes part of what is now known as Quebec in Canada. During the period of English settlement, many Abenaki moved to Quebec from New England. They were pushed out by war and settlers taking their land. Today thousands of Abenaki live in Canada. The Abenaki are one of the indigenous groups recognized as a First Nation by the Canadian government.

Image Credit: City of Montreal Archives

A black and white drawing of two groups of peole fighting with muskets in a forest. The group on the right side of the drawing wears feathered headresses and loose-fitting shirts and pants. The group on the left wears jackets with an X-design on the front, pointed hats, knee-length pants, and boots. — Battle of the Monongahela

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Photograph/Print

Battle of the Monongahela

1755

From Our Greater Country, Being a Standard History of the United States by Henry Davenport Northrop, 1901

Caption:

This book illustration shows an important battle in the French and Indian War. The French and Indian War broke out in 1754. It was one of the biggest wars between Britain and France in the 18th century. It is called the French and Indian War because the French and their indigenous allies (who were called Indians at the time) fought against the British. American colonists fought on the same side as the British. The battle in this picture took place in Pennsylvania near the Monongahela River. It was a big defeat for the British. Note that the artist drew this picture many years after the battle took place.

Image Credit: Internet Archive

A colored photograph of a beaver. The beaver has wirey and brown fur, small black ears and hands, and large black feet. It also has a large, flat tail. — Beaver

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Photograph/Print

Beaver

undated

Ilkka

Caption:

Beavers are mammals that live all over North America. They live on land but like wet environments, so they can be found in New Hampshire's wetlands. The Abenaki hunted beavers and used the pelts for clothing and blankets. When Europeans came to New Hampshire, they traded with the Abenaki for beaver pelts and hunted beavers themselves. Beavers were hunted so much that they almost became extinct, but now they are plentiful in New Hampshire again.

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

A colored painting of a man standing in a blue coat with gold edges and buttons, blue breeches, knee-high white stockings, and black shoes with large buckles. His left hand rests on a long wooden cane and his right hand rests in his right pocket. Behind the man is an exterior landscape of tall trees to his left and a large red curtain to his right. — Benning Wentworth

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Photograph/Print

Benning Wentworth

1760

Joseph Blackburn

Caption:

Benning Wentworth was the royal governor of New Hampshire from 1740 to 1766. He was appointed by the king of England, and his job was to be in charge of the colony and make sure all the laws were followed. He had to share power with an Assembly, which was made up of elected representatives from New Hampshire towns.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored painting of a piece of green land and a row of multi-storied houses bordered on three sides by a body of water. Several people are seen either riding on horseback, in a horse-drawn carriage, or walking on land. There is a small group of people rowing in a row boat in the water. — Colonel George Boyd's Estate

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Photograph/Print

Colonel George Boyd's Estate

1774

unknown

Caption:

This painting, titled "The South West Prospect of Colonel George Boyd of Portsmouth," shows the estate of a wealthy merchant in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. George Boyd participated in the Triangle Trade. He owned a shipyard, a mill, and warehouses. He built ships and loaded them with lumber that he owned, and sent them to the West Indies. His ships' captains sold the lumber there and filled the ships with sugar, and sailed on to England. In England, they sold the sugar and the ships to merchants in London. Notice how large his house and property are. He probably had many servants who worked for him, as well as sailors, warehouse workers, and other employees.

Image Credit: Lamont Gallery, Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, New Hampshire, Image from National Gallery of Art

A black and white drawing of a horse-drawn wagon driving up a dirt road with a slight incline to a multi-storied house and several farm buildings. The wagon has various bundles in it and the horse is directed by a person sitting at the front of the wagon. To the left of the road is a fenced-in piece of land, scattered with grass and trees. — Colonial Farm

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Photograph/Print

Colonial Farm

circa 1760s

From Indian History for Young Folks by Francis S. Drake, published 1885, at the Internet Archive

Caption:

This book illustration shows what a colonial farm would have looked like in the 1760s.

A colored painting of several large ships sailing on a body of water. All of the ships fly a red flag with a blue and red cross pattern on it. In the distance, there is a piece of land with a town overlooking the water. The town has many houses and tall church steeples. In the distance are several green hills. — Colonial Harbor

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Photograph/Print

Colonial Harbor

circa 1723–1730

"A South East View of the City of Boston" by Thomas Carwitham

Caption:

This busy harbor scene shows Boston, Massachusetts in the early 1700s. Lots of ships are sailing in and out of port, bringing products in from other parts of America, like New York or Philadelphia, or places farther away like Europe, Africa, or the West Indies. The ships also bring natural resources, like fish, fur, and forests, out. Merchants bought these natural resources from people living further inland and then shipped them to people living in other places. This exchange of goods is called trade, and it made a very comfortable living for colonial merchants. Although this is a picture of Boston, Portsmouth would have looked very similar.

Image Credit: Boston Public Library, Digital Commonwealth

A black and white drawing of a group of men, women, and children sitting in a wood-panelled room. The men wear long coats and shirts with wide collars, knee-length pants, long stockings, and buckled shoes. The women wear long dresses and bonnets. The men all sit on one side of the room and the women all sit on the other side. All of the people sit looking forward at a man with a puffed and ruffled collar and cape, who stands behind a podium with an open book on it. — Colonial New England Church

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Photograph/Print

Colonial New England Church

From American History, First Book (1492–1763) by Arthur C. Perry and Gertrude Price (New York: American Book Company, 1913)

Caption:

Religion was important to the early settlers. Most colonists attended church every Sunday. Usually a town's meeting house was used for town meetings and other town business, church services, and school.

A colored painting of two men with their backs to the viewer, standing along the shore of a body of water. Across the water is an elevated piece of land, with several churches and houses. A tall ship and two rowboats float in the water. — Colonial Portsmouth

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Photograph/Print

Colonial Portsmouth

circa 1781

Print by Barre Publishers, 1967, after a picture by Joseph F. W. Des Barres published in The Atlantic Neptune in 1781

Caption:

This painting is a view of Portsmouth across the Piscataqua River during the time of the American Revolution.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white drawing of a three-storied house. The title of the drawing, located along the upper border, reads "Colonial State House 1758 Parade (Now Market Square." — Colonial State House

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Photograph/Print

Colonial State House

1758

Caption:

New Hampshire's first state house was built in Portsmouth in 1758. At that time New Hampshire was a colony of Great Britain, so the colonial government met there. In the years before the American Revolution, patriots held protests against the Stamp Act and against British tea in front of the colonial state house. During the American Revolution, the patriot government met in Exeter, although the first state house in Portsmouth was still used for important events, like a reading of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. After independence, the state capital was moved to Concord. This building was used as a courthouse, but it was damaged by fire in the early 1800s. Eventually it was torn down. This drawing was made in the early 20th century by an unknown artist. It shows what the artist thought the building looked like when it first opened.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white drawing of a group of men and women gathered around a table, which has maps and various pieces of paper scattered on top of it. The men wear long dark-colored coats with wide white collars, knee-length pants, long stockings, and buckled shoes. The women wear long dark-colored dresses and bonnets. They all look towards a man at the center of the table, who stands and reads from a document. — Colonial Town Meeting

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Photograph/Print

Colonial Town Meeting

From Essentials in Civil Government by Samuel Eagle Forman, published in 1908, at the Internet Archive

Caption:

New Hampshire's tradition of town meetings started in the 1630s. The townspeople would meet, sometimes as often as once a week, to discuss and vote on issues that were important to the town. For example, they would decide how to divide up the land, how much each person should pay in taxes, and where the farm animals were allowed to graze. All adult men who owned land could vote in town meeting. Women and enslaved people were not allowed to vote. Town meetings usually took place in the meeting house, which was also where church services were held.

A black and white drawing of a two-storied house, with several barns and out buildings attached to the back of it. The house faces a tree-lined road and a field bordered by a stone wall. The title of the drawing, located along the bottom border, reads "RESIDENCE OF BYRON KIMBALL, NORTH BRIDGTON, ME." — Connected Farm

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Photograph/Print

Connected Farm

From History of Cumberland County, Maine by W. W. Clayton (1880)

Caption:

This picture shows a connected farm. This type of housing style was popular on New England farms in the late 1700s and 1800s. Most farms started off with a small house but then added to it as the farm produced more goods. Farm families who were doing well built a bigger house at the back of the small house or built a room that linked the house to the barn. These types of buildings are called connected houses because the different parts of the house are connected together. If you look closely at this image starting from the left side, you will notice that the older buildings are all connected. The larger, newer barns on the right side of the picture are connected to each other, though not to the main house.

Image Credit: Internet Archive

A colored photograph of a dirt road bordered by forested land. The trees in the forest have orange and yellow leaves. Tires marks and puddles of water can be seen in the road. — Crown Point Road Today

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Photograph/Print

Crown Point Road Today

Henry S. Magnuski

Caption:

During the French and Indian War, New Hampshire soldiers built the Crown Point Road. The British army needed a way to get from New Hampshire and Massachusetts to the Hudson River Valley in New York. Crown Point Road connected the Fort at No. 4 in Charlestown, New Hampshire, to Fort Crown Point on Lake Champlain. The soldiers had to hack their way through forest and over mountains to build the road across what is now Vermont. After the war ended, settlers built towns along the road. Parts of it still exist today. This is a photo of a piece of the Crown Point Road today, near Weathersfield, Vermont.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

A colored postcard of a green valley set between three tree-covered hills. To the left of the valley is a large tree and a shrub lined road. The title of the postcard, located along the bottom border, reads "GREETINGS FROM DERRY. N.H." — Derry Farm Scene

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Photograph/Print

Derry Farm Scene

Curt Teich and Company

Caption:

The first settlers in the Merrimack Valley were Scots-Irish, people who were originally from Scotland, but had moved to Ireland. Beginning in 1719, many Scots-Irish moved from Ireland to New Hampshire. They wanted more land and to preserve their culture and religion. Many were farmers, and soon farm towns full of Scots-Irish settlers spread all over the Merrimack Valley.

Image Credit: Derry Public Library Collection, Internet Archive

A colored print of a green-bordered circle with the words "*CITY OF DOVER INC. 1855/TOWN SETTLED 1623." typed in white text. Inside the circle, on a white background, there is a pale yellow ribbon with the words "INDUSTRIA ET COPIA" typed in black text above a coat of arms, which shows several farming tools, as well as a sailboat and train. Above the coat of arms is an arm holding up a hammer. — Dover Town Seal

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Photograph/Print

Dover Town Seal

Caption:

This is the town seal for Dover, one of New Hampshire's first four English towns. A town seal is a symbol of a town. It usually has the date of settlement or the date of incorporation on it. It may also include images of places or things that are significant to the town. Dover was settled in 1623. The words on the seal, "industria et copia," are Latin. They mean "industry and abundance." Notice the images on the seal. What can you learn about Dover from them?

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

A colored painting of a group of men in fishermen's outfits. All of the men are engaged in different activities, like lying filleted fish bodies on wide wooden racks, carrying a pile of filleted fish, salting the fish, or helping each other out of a rowboat. In the distance is a large ship with three tall masts and sails. The title of the painting, located centered along the bottom border, reads "DRYING COD." — Drying Cod Painting

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Photograph/Print

Drying Cod Painting

EverGreene Painting Studios, Inc., after a design by Allyn Cox, 1993–1994

Caption:

There were no refrigerators or freezers in the 1600s and 1700s. So fishermen had to preserve the codfish they caught before they shipped it back to England. They would salt it and lay it out in the sun to dry. This kept the fish from spoiling on the journey across the Atlantic Ocean. Cod was an important trade item because it was a popular food in England. This painting is part of a mural that hangs in one of the hallways of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC.

Image Credit: Architect of the Capitol

A black and white photograph of a Black woman sitting with her hands placed on her lap. She wears glasses, a long dress with long sleeves, a shoulder-length cloak, and a bonnet. — Esther Whipple Mullinaux

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Photograph/Print

Esther Whipple Mullinaux

circa 1850

Caption:

This photograph of Esther Whipple Mullinaux is the earliest known image of a member of Portsmouth's Black community. Esther was the daughter of Prince and Dinah Whipple. Prince was formerly enslaved by William Whipple, but was freed in 1784, around the time that Esther was born. Prince was one of the men who signed the freedom petition in 1779, which asked the New Hampshire government to end slavery. Esther worked in housekeeping and saved enough money to purchase a house. She and her family were active members of the North Church in Portsmouth. She died in 1868.

Image Credit: From the North Church Collection, courtesy of the Portsmouth Athenaeum

A colored print of a dark blue-bordered circle with the words "*TOWN OF EXETER*/NEW HAMPSHIRE" typed in gray text. Inside the circle, on a white background, there is a drawing of a fish and the words "FOUNDED/1638" typed in blue text. — Exeter Town Seal

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Photograph/Print

Exeter Town Seal

Created by Albert N. Dow, circa 1930

Caption:

This is the town seal for Exeter, one of New Hampshire's first four English towns. A town seal is a symbol of a town. It usually has the date of settlement or the date of incorporation on it. It may also include images of places or things that are significant to the town. Exeter was settled in 1638. The fish on the seal is an alewife. Each spring, alewives swim from the Atlantic Ocean to the Exeter River to breed, where they could be caught. Alewives were eaten by the Abenaki and the early settlers, but later used mostly for fertilizer or bait.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

A black and white drawing of two men watching a tree with a cut trunk fall to the ground. Both men hold axes in their hands. The tree falls away from the viewer into a clearing lined with tall trees. The title of the drawing, located centered along the bottom border, reads "Felling." — Felling Mast Trees

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Photograph/Print

Felling Mast Trees

Drawn in 1979 for Wooden Boat Publications

Samuel F. Manning

Caption:

Shipbuilding was an important industry for the English people who settled New Hampshire. New Hampshire had an important natural resource, white pine trees, that were used to make ships' masts. Masts are the tall poles on ships that carry the sails. "Felling" is the process of cutting down trees. It was a lot of hard work to cut down the tall pine trees and transport them through the forest and to the harbor, where the shipyard was.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Susan Manning

A black and white drawing of a two-storied house, with a small attic window on the third floor. The house has a short roof on one side and a long, slooping roof on the other. The house faces a field lined with a stone wall. To the right of the house is a large tree. The title of the drawing, located along the bottom border, reads "FIRST FRAMED HOUSE IN NUTFIELD." — First Framed House in Nutfield

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Photograph/Print

First Framed House in Nutfield

From Willey's Book of Nutfield by George Franklin Willey, 1895

Caption:

This is an illustration of the first house built in the settlement of Nutfield, which is called Londonderry today. Nutfield was settled by Scots-Irish immigrants beginning in April 1719. They called it Nutfield because there were so many nut trees there—butternut, black walnut, chestnut, hickory, and others. Their first houses were made of logs covered with bark. By the end of 1719, the settlers had built a sawmill. The sawmill sawed logs into wooden planks. The settlers used the planks to build new, larger houses made of timber. The first one was built for Reverend James McGregor, who was the leader of the settlement.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white drawing of a large group of men and women standing and sitting to the right of a large tree. In front of the tree is a man facing the crowd, with his arms raised up in front of him. The title of the drawing, located along the bottom border, reads "THE FIRST SERMON IN NUTFIELD." — First Sermon at Nutfield

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Photograph/Print

First Sermon at Nutfield

1719

From Willey's Book of Nutfield by George Franklin Willey, 1895

Caption:

A group of people called the Scots-Irish settled in the Merrimack Valley in New Hampshire starting in 1719. They built a settlement on the banks of the Merrimack River in an area with a lot of nut trees and good farmland. They called in Nutfield, because of all the nut trees, but it is now known as Londonderry. According to tradition, the Reverend James McGregor held the first religious service for the new settlement of Nutfield on April 12, 1719. It was held under a big oak tree near the shore of Beaver Lake in what is now East Derry. Over the next decades, more and more Scots-Irish came to New Hampshire and spread out all over the colony.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored photograph of a field of white flowers and green bushes. In the distance, there is a group of tall trees with green leaves. — Flax Field

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Photograph/Print

Flax Field

Herry Lawford

Caption:

This is a field of flax growing in Hampshire, England. Flax is a type of plant whose fibers are used to make a cloth called linen. Many Scots-Irish immigrants to the Merrimack Valley in the 1700s were flax farmers, and they brought flax with them to New Hampshire to grow. They harvested it, spun it into thread, and wove the thread into linen. Londonderry became famous for its linen cloth.

Image Credit: Herry Lawford, flickr

A colored painting of a group of multi-storied houses facing each other across a green field. The houses and field are bordered by tall fence posts. — Fort at No. 4

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Photograph/Print

Fort at No. 4

Orcutt and Marston Architects

Caption:

The fort at no. (number) 4 was built in 1744 to protect New Hampshire settlers from attacks by indigenous people and their French allies. At the time it was called no. 4 because it was the fourth land grant sold by the Massachusetts government in that area. Now it is called Charlestown, New Hampshire. There was a lot of tension between English settlers and indigenous people during the 18th century. As settlers spread further west, they took more and more land where the indigenous people had lived for thousands of years. Many indigenous groups joined with the French to try to push the English out. The fort at no. 4 was the northernmost British fort, so it was very important. Many soldiers were stationed there during the French and Indian War. This picture is from the 20th century. It was made by architects working to rebuild the fort. It is now a historic site that you can visit!

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored photograph of a white two-storied house, with several multi-storied buildings attached to the back of it. Surrounding the house is a green field and tall trees with green leaves. — Frost Farm

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Photograph/Print

Frost Farm

Vincent Rojo

Caption:

This picture shows a connected farm. This type of housing style was popular on New England farms in the late 1700s and 1800s. Most farms started off with a small house but then added to it as the farm produced more goods. Farm families who were doing well built a bigger house onto the small house. Sometimes they also built a room that linked the house to the barn. This was called a connected farm because the different parts of the house are connected together. This was known as "big house, little house, back house, barn." This connected farm in Derry, New Hampshire, was built in the 1880s and later owned by the Frost family. A famous writer, Robert Frost, lived there with his family from 1900 to 1911.

Image Credit: Courtesy Nutfield Genealogy Blog

In a black and white cartoon, two figures are seen bending over a desk, looking at a piece of paper. They are dressed in formal clothing from the 1600s, and one of them wears a sword. The table and mantle behind them are ornate. Over the tablecloth, a corner of the paper hangs and the viewer can see it says "NEW HAMPSHIRE." The caption reads "Gorges and Mason naming their provinces." — Gorges and Mason Naming Their Provinces

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Photograph/Print

Gorges and Mason Naming Their Provinces

undated

Caption:

This cartoon imagines Captain John Mason and Sir Ferdinando Gorges naming their colonies. They were both awarded a large land grant from the English king in 1622. Later they split the grant, and Gorges got the land that became Maine and Mason got the land that became New Hampshire. Mason named New Hampshire after his home in England, Hampshire County. Mason died before he could ever travel to New Hampshire.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

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Photograph/Print

Grist Mill

Caption:

This diagram shows how a grist mill works. A grist mill uses water power to move large stones. The stones grind grain, like corn or wheat, into flour.

Image Credit: Salisbury Historical Society

A colored painting of a group of multi-storied buildings facing a waterfall. Scattered throughout the water are several large boulders. — Grist Mill at Oliverian Falls

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Photograph/Print

Grist Mill at Oliverian Falls

circa 1870

Mary L. Herbert

Caption:

This gristmill was located on Oliverian Falls in Haverhill, New Hampshire. A gristmill is a building next to a river that uses water power to move large stones that grind grain into flour. Oliverian Falls is on Oliverian Brook, which flows into the Connecticut River. The town of Haverhill was founded in 1763 and the gristmill was built in 1764. According to the charters for the towns that were founded at this time, settlers had to build a meeting house, gristmill, and sawmill in order to keep the land for their town. This painting of Haverhill's gristmill was made around 1870. The mill was destroyed by a flood in 1927.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored print of a yellow-bordered circle with the words "TOWN OF HAMPTON, N.H./SETTLED 1638*INCORPORATED 1639" typed in red text. Inside the circle, on a half blue and white background, is a coat of arms with three red flowers. The top half of the coat of arms is yellow and the bottom half has vertical black and white stripes. Above the coat of arms is a white church with a tall steeple. Below the coat of arms, on a yellow ribbon, is the word "WINNACUNET" typed in red text. — Hampton Town Seal

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Hampton Town Seal

Caption:

This is the town seal for Hampton, one of New Hampshire's first four English towns. A town seal is a symbol of a town. It usually has the date of settlement or the date of incorporation on it. It may also include images of places or things that are significant to the town. Hampton adopted this seal for its 300th anniversary in 1938. It shows a Great Boar's Head, which is a Hampton landmark on the coast, along with salt marshes and Hampton Academy. The original name of Hampton was "Winnacunnet," which comes from a term in the Abenaki language that means something like "beautiful place of pines."

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

A colored painting of a white man with long brown, curly hair. He wears a long red jacket and vest with many gold-colored buttons, knee-length red pants, white stockings, and black shoes with large buckles. He stands with his arms stretched out in front of him and looks at the viewer. — John Wentworth

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John Wentworth

1760

Joseph Blackburn

Caption:

John Wentworth was the lieutenant governor for the province of New Hampshire from 1717 to 1730. During this time, Massachusetts and New Hampshire shared a governor and lieutenant governor. Usually the lieutenant governor focused on New Hampshire and the governor took care of things in Massachusetts. Wentworth was from a family that had emigrated to New Hampshire in the 1630s. When the English king decided to let New Hampshire have its own governor, he chose John Wentworth's son, Benning Wentworth, to be the first royal governor. His grandson, also named John Wentworth, was the governor of New Hampshire in the time leading up to the American Revolution.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white drawing of a snake that has been cut up into several pieces. The cut parts of the snake are labeled with capitalized letters, which read, from left to right: "S.C./N.C./V./M./R./N.J./N.Y./N.E." The title of the drawing, located along the bottom border of the drawing, reads: "JOIN, or, DIE." — Join or Die

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Join or Die

1754

Benjamin Franklin

Caption:

This was the first political cartoon in America, and it was printed in newspapers from the 1750s to the 1770s to encourage colonists to join together to be stronger. Most people think that Benjamin Franklin created it, and it first appeared in his newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, in 1754. The pieces of the snake represent different colonies; SC (South Carolina), NC (North Carolina), V (Virginia), M (Maryland), P (Pennsylvania,) NJ (New Jersey), NY (New York) and NE (New England, or Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire). Only Georgia and Delaware are missing.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Library of Congress

A colored painting of a group of soldiers marching through a forest. A man with a blue coat sits on top of a white horse on the right side of the drawing and points off into the distance, towards the left side of the drawing. Some of the soldiers run towards or point their muskets at the left side of the drawing as well. — Life of George Washington, the Soldier

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Life of George Washington, the Soldier

1755

Claude Régnier after Junius Brutush Stearns, 1834

Caption:

As a young man, George Washington fought as a British soldier during the French and Indian War. This war took place from 1754 to 1763. It was between the French and their indigenous allies (who were called Indians then) and the British. George Washington lived in Virginia, which was a British colony just like New Hampshire. He wanted a military career so he volunteered for the British army. Washington is the figure on the horse in this picture, which shows the Battle of Monongahela. This battle was a big defeat for the British. The battle took place in Pennsylvania in 1755, but this picture was made in 1834.

Image Credit: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

A yellowed piece of paper with a black and white sketch. The sketch shows two buildings, each four-stories tall, with one building facing the street in the foreground, and one positioned along the side street to the right. The streets and sidewalks in front of the buildings are lined with trees, and a few people are walking along them. The street in the foreground, from left to right, contains a horse-drawn carriage pulling logs, a man pushing a wheelbarrow, two sets of cattle pulling carts of hay, and various cattle roaming free. Typed text to the left of the sketch, along the border, reads “Portsmouth, N. H./415”. — Market Square, Portsmouth

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Market Square, Portsmouth

circa 1870

Caption:

This image of Market Square, in Portsmouth, appeared in a magazine in 1870. Market Square has been the center of activity in Portsmouth since the mid-1700s.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored painting of a row of multi-storied buildings facing a narrow body of water. Two rows of ships with tall masts border the body of water on both sides. Two row boats filled with people float between the rows of ships. — Merchants' Docks

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Photograph/Print

Merchants' Docks

From Microcosm of London by W. H. Pyne, William Combe, Rudolph Ackermann, Thomas Rowlandson, and Augustus Pugin, 1904

Caption:

Merchants in Portsmouth in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries made their living from trading raw materials, finished products, and sometimes enslaved people. Trade and shipping provided jobs for many other people in Portsmouth too. Lots of people were sailors on the ships, or helped to build the ships, or worked for the merchants carrying the goods off and on of the ships and loading them into warehouses. This picture shows the busy West India docks, in London, but docks in any port city at this time, like Portsmouth, would have been just as busy!

Image Credit: Internet Archive

A black and white drawing of three women doing different activities in front of a large fire place. The woman on the left is sitting and knitting; the woman in the middle stands in front of the knitting woman, with her back turned towards the viewer; and the woman on the right is sitting and reading a book. All three women wear long dresses with long sleeves and bonnets. The fire place has large pieces of furniture on either side of it. Hanging above the fire place is a musket and powder horn. Inside the fire place are several pots hanging from hooks over a small fire. — New England Farm House

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New England Farm House

1876

F.S. Church in Harper's Weekly, July 15, 1876

Caption:

This illustration shows a typical 17th or 18th century New England farmhouse. Notice the kinds of work the women are doing. The farmhouse in the picture is a replica, or reproduction, from an exposition or big fair called the Centennial Exposition. It was held to celebrate the 100th birthday of the United States in 1876.

Image Credit: Library of Congress

A colored drawing of a white farm house, several out-buildings, and various farming equipment. Chickens, cows, goats, geese, a dog, and two cats roam around the fields and in front of the house. A horse-drawn carriage with a man and a woman seated in the carriage rides past the house, as a man, woman, and small child watch on from the front yard. — New Hampshire Farm Scene

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New Hampshire Farm Scene

1993

Barbara Henba

Caption:

In the early 1800s, most people in New Hampshire lived in farming communities a lot like this one. What do you notice in the foreground of the painting? What do you notice in the background?

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A black and white drawing of a group of Black and white men standing on the deck of a ship. The white men wear broad-rimmed hats, long-sleeved shirts and long pants. They stand off to the right and watch the group of Black men walk down a set of stairs, into the hull of the ship. The Black men wear a cloth around their waists, handcuffs, and are attached by a chain at the ankles. — On Board a Slave Ship

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On Board a Slave Ship

Caption:

During the colonial period, Portsmouth merchants participated in the triangle trade. These were trading routes in the 1600s–1800s that linked Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Raw materials, manufactured goods, food stuffs, and enslaved people were traded between the three continents. It is called the triangle trade because it involved an exchange of goods between three continents, and there are three sides to a triangle. This picture shows one part of the triangle trade called the Middle Passage. The Middle Passage was the journey for kidnapped Africans on ships across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa on the way to be enslaved in the Americas.

Image Credit: Slavery Images: A Visual Record of the African Slave Trade and Slave Life in the Early African Diaspora

A colored print of a turquoise-bordered circle with the words "CITY OF PORTSMOUTH. N.H./INCORPORATED**1849" typed in yellow text. Surrounding the circle is a vine of gold-colored leaves. Inside the circle is a train on train tracks, driving parallel to a body of water and a row of multi-storied buildings. Floating on the body of water are two boats with tall masts. Along the bottom border of the inner circle are the words "SETTLED**1623" typed in yellow text against a red background. — Portsmouth Seal

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Portsmouth Seal

Caption:

This is the town seal for Portsmouth, one of New Hampshire's first four English towns. A town seal is a symbol of a town. It usually has the date of settlement or the date of incorporation on it. It may also include images of places or things that are significant to the town. Portsmouth was settled in 1623. For over 200 years it was a town, and then it was incorporated as a city in 1849.

A black and white photograph of a tall wooden printing press. A plaque placed on top of the printing press reads "FIRST PRESS IN N. H." — Printing Press

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Photograph/Print

Printing Press

circa 1700s

Caption:

This printing press printed New Hampshire's oldest newspaper, the New Hampshire Gazette. The New Hampshire Gazette was started in 1756 by Daniel Fowle, who lived in Portsmouth. Fowle was also an enslaver and Primus Fowle, a slave, operated the printing press for the newspaper. It was difficult work. First he had to set the type (metal cubes with letters on them) by putting down each letter in order. Then he had to spread ink on the type and put a sheet of paper on top of it. Then he had to close the press using the long wooden handle and screw a big wooden block on top of the type and the paper. The weight of the wooden block imprints the type onto the paper.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Portsmouth Athenaeum Gurney Photograph Collection

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Photograph/Print

Robert Rogers

undated

Caption:

Robert Rogers was New Hampshire's most famous soldier during the French and Indian War. He commanded a group of men called Rogers' Rangers. The Rangers were scouts for the British army during the war. They became the basis for the Army Rangers, and some of Robert Rogers' training ideas are still used today.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

A colored postcard of a group of multi-storied houses and churches facing each other across a green field. At the forefront of the postcard is a curved white picket fence. The title of the postcard, located along the upper border, reads "'Storrowton' New England Village, Eastern States Exposition, Springfield , Mass. 72873 35." — Storrowton New England Village

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Storrowton New England Village

Tichnor Brothers postcard circa 1930–1945

Caption:

This postcard shows a typical colonial New England village. Notice that the main public buildings, like the meeting house or church, were centered around the town commons. A commons is a public area, usually flat and grassy, that is used by all members of a community. Storrowton Village Museum is a recreated village of 18th and 19th century buildings from Massachusetts and New Hampshire. All of the buildings were originally located in different places, but they were moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, and set up like a colonial village. That way modern visitors can see what it would have looked like in the 1700s and 1800s.

Image Credit: Boston Public Library, Digital Commonwealth

A colored painting of a group of Black men and women dancing and playing musical instruments. There are two single-storied houses in the background. In the distance, there is a large, multi-storied house and several single-storied house at the edge of a green field. — The Old Plantation

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The Old Plantation

circa 1785–1790

Attributed to John Rose

Caption:

This watercolor painting shows enslaved people in a moment of leisure or celebration. It shows how enslaved people were able to maintain African cultural traditions and create new ones. The scene probably took place on the plantation in South Carolina owned by the artist. Although this painting is from South Carolina, enslaved and free Black people in New Hampshire established an important community in the seacoast region and practiced their own traditions and culture, including storytelling, music, and dancing.

Image Credit: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

A colored painting of a farm yard. Scattered around the farm yard are small groups of white men, women, and children interacting with horses, cows, chickens, sheep, turkeys, dogs, and cats. A Black man is seen pushing a plow behind a team of two horses on the painting's left-hand side. To the right of the people and farm animals is a two-storied house and barn. — The Residence of David Twining, 1787

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Photograph/Print

The Residence of David Twining, 1787

1847

Edward Hicks

Caption:

This painting shows a typical family farm in the late 1700s. Notice all the different activities the people are doing. The farm in this painting is located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, but it is similar to New England farms during this time period.

Image Credit: Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum

A black and white drawing of two men in a shop. One man stands with his back to the viewer on one side of a long counter, and the other man stands facing the viewer on the other side of the counter. Both men wear long buttoned coats and tie their long hair back in a ponytail. The man with his back to the viewer also holds a hat in his right hand and a walking stick in his left. — The Shopkeeper

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The Shopkeeper

Caption:

Many of the early settlers in Portsmouth, one of New Hampshire's first four English towns, were merchants. Merchants are people who buy and sell items to make money. Colonial merchants bought natural resources, like furs, fish, or mast trees from people who lived further inland. Sometimes they traded with the Native Americans too. Then they sold those items to other people, who shipped them all over the world. As merchants became more successful, they could buy their own ships and sell the goods all over the world themselves. As colonial settlements grew larger and larger, some merchants also opened their own shops to sell goods to other colonists.

Image Credit: From <i>The Progress of Man and Society For the Use of Schools</i>, 2nd edition, by John Trusler (M. Gye, 1795)

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