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New Hampshire: Polity Style: 1680-2024
7/17 Nov 1629 part of the territory of New England in North America, styled as New Hampshire, is enfeoffed to John Mason in accordance with a legal contract concluded between the President and Council of New England and John Mason on 7/17 Nov 1629 (New Hampshire Provincial and State Papers, 1:21-26, 29:28-32) [1]
9/19 Oct 1641 the town of Dover and the lands upon the Piscataqua River (Portsmouth) are placed under the administration of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay in accordance with a resolution of the General Court of Massachusetts of 9/19 Oct 1641 (Massachusetts Governor and Company Records, 1:342-343)
7/17 Sep 1643 the town of Exeter is placed under the administration of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay in accordance with a resolution of the General Court of Massachusetts of 7/17 Sep 1643 (Massachusetts Governor and Company Records, 2:43-44)
22 Jan/1 Feb 1680 the towns and lands in the Province of New Hampshire, "lying and extending from three miles northward of Merrimack River, or any part thereof unto the Province of Maine," are placed under the administration of the President and Council in accordance with a royal commission of 18/28 Sep 1679 which was read and published on 22 Jan/1 Feb 1680 in Portsmouth (Laws of New Hampshire, 1:1-8; New Hampshire Provincial and State Papers, 19:655-656) [2]
22 Jan/1 Feb 1680 - 25 May/4 Jun 1686 Province of New Hampshire [3]
25 May/4 Jun 1686 the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay, the Provinces of New Hampshire and Maine and the Narragansett Country (King's Province) are placed under the administration of the President and Council of the Territory and Dominion of New England in accordance with a royal commission to Joseph Dudley of 8/18 Oct 1685 which was read and published on 25 May/4 Jun 1686 in Boston (Massachusetts Royal Commissions, pp. 37-43; Dudley Records, pp. 226-230)
28 Feb/10 Mar 1690 the Province of New Hampshire is placed under the administration of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay in accordance with an act passed by the Governor and Council of Massachusetts on 28 Feb/10 Mar 1690, approved by the General Court of Massachusetts on 19/29 Mar 1690 (Laws of New Hampshire, 1:371-373)
13/23 Aug 1692 part of the Province of New Hampshire, "lying and extending itself from three miles northward of Merrimack River or any part thereof unto the Province of Maine, with the south part of the Isle of Shoals" are placed under the administration of the Governor and Council in accordance with a royal commission of 1/10 Mar 1692 which was read and published on 13/23 Aug 1692 (The National Archives, CO 5/940; New Hampshire Provincial and State Papers, 2:57-62, 2:70-71)
13/23 Aug 1692 - 5 Jan 1776 Province of New Hampshire [3]
5 Jan 1776 the Provincial Congress of New Hampshire assumed "the name, power and authority of a House of Representatives or Assembly for the Colony of New Hampshire" in accordance with a resolution passed by the Congress on 5 Jan 1776 in Exeter (Laws of New Hampshire, 4:xii-xiv; New Hampshire Provincial and State Papers, 8:2-4)
5 Jan 1776 - 11 Sep 1776 Colony of New Hampshire [4]
4 Jul 1776 the British colonies represented in the Continental Congress are proclaimed "free and independent states" in accordance with a declaration approved by the Congress on 4 Jul 1776, session of the Congress, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Journals of the Continental Congress, 5:510-515)
11 Sep 1776 the name of the Colony of New Hampshire is changed to the State of New Hampshire in accordance with an act passed by the House of Representatives (Assembly) of New Hampshire (10 Sep 1776), concurred in by the Council (11 Sep 1776) (Laws of New Hampshire, 4:37; New Hampshire Provincial and State Papers, 8:332) [5]
11 Sep 1776 - State of New Hampshire
4 Mar 1778 the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union are approved, the delegates of New Hampshire to the Continental Congress are authorized to proceed with ratification in accordance with a resolution passed by the House of Representatives (Assembly) of New Hampshire (4 Mar 1778), concurred in by the Council (4 Mar 1778) (New Hampshire Provincial and State Papers, 8:778; Journals of the Continental Congress, 11:662)
9 Jul 1778 the engrossed copy of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union is signed and ratified by the delegates of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and South Carolina to the Continental Congress, session of the Congress, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Journals of the Continental Congress, 11:677)
1 Mar 1781 New Hampshire formed part of the United States upon the taking effect of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union (Journals of the Continental Congress, 19:213-223)
  1. The indenture made on 7/17 Nov 1629 between the President and Council of New England and John Mason was the first document where the name New Hampshire was used to define the enfeoffed territories. Other grants of lands within the territory of the future State of New Hampshire included those to Edward Hilton (1631), John Mason (1635) and others. The towns and plantations established under these grants did not have a central government.
  2. The commission was received by the President and Council on 1/11 Jan 1680 in Portsmouth, and was read at the session of the Council on 14/24 Jan 1680. The President and members of the Council took the oaths of office on 21/31 Jan 1680.
  3. The authority of the governors appointed by royal commissions between 1679 and 1728 did not extend over all that was called New Hampshire, but was limited by the right of jurisdiction to that part of the Province of New Hampshire, lying and extending itself from three miles northward of the Merrimack River, or any part thereof, to the Province of Maine, with the south part of the Isles of Shoals.
  4. Occasional references to Colony of New Hampshire as opposed to the official style Province of New Hampshire used by the British authorities first appear in 1775 in the proceedings of the provincial Congresses, revolutionary assemblies held in 1774-1775 [New Hampshire State Papers, 7:399ff].
  5. Full title: An Act to adopt and take the Name, Stile, and Title of State, in Lieu of Colony, in New Hampshire.
Last update: 13 Dec 2023
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