New Hampshire, one of the six New England states and one of the smaller states of the United States. The state is bordered on the north by the Canadian province of Québec, on the east by Maine and the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Massachusetts, and on the west by Vermont. Concord is the capital of New Hampshire. Manchester is the largest city.
Settled only three years after the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Massachusetts, New Hampshire was one of the original 13 colonies. As the ninth state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, New Hampshire cast the decisive vote on June 21, 1788, that put the Constitution into effect. New Hampshire has within its boundaries the highest mountains in New England, countless lakes, hundreds of streams and brooks, and large areas of unspoiled woodlands. Tourists have flocked to New Hampshire since the late 1800s. Despite its rural appearance, New Hampshire has long been an industrial state. Two of its early industries, the manufacture of shoes and of textiles, started in the homes of the earliest settlers.
New Hampshire has been a popular resort area for summer vacationers since the late 19th century and for skiers since the 1930s. Since the 1950s improved highways and the expansion of public facilities for camping and recreation have further stimulated tourism. In the mid-1990s travelers each year spent $2.5 billion in the state. The serving and accommodating of tourists provides employment for about 56,000 New Hampshire residents. The rugged White Mountains, the many woodland lakes and scenic splendors, and the cool summers bring many visitors to New Hampshire. The attractions include hunting, camping, hiking, and mountain climbing in the summer and fall; swimming and boating in summer; skiing and snowmobiling in winter; and local theater and music programs.
New Hampshire is known as the Granite State because of its extensive granite formations and deposits. The state was named by Captain John Mason, who in the early 17th century received one of the first land grants in what was to become New Hampshire. He named the area after the English county of Hampshire, where he had spent time as a youth.
