The New Hampshire Colony

Children's Literature

The state motto for New Hampshire, "Live Free or Die," has its origins in the Revolutionary War. Native New Hampshire resident, General John Stark, used those words to inspire his troops as they took on the red-coated British soldiers. This fierce desire to be free typified the early history of what was to become the ninth state of the United States. In The New Hampshire Colony, Kevin Davis traces some of the early history of one of America's most picturesque states. Even today New Hampshire remains a state of vast wilderness and forested areas. In the colonial era, New Hampshire was a source of raw materials, such as lumber, that helped outfit the British navy. Over time, the European settlers in the region drove away the Native American residents and exploited New Hampshire's natural wealth. In this illustrated chapter in the "Our Thirteen Colonies" series the author outlines these events as well as New Hampshire's role in both the Revolution and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. By combining a smooth and compact text with many maps and illustrations, Kevin Davis has done a competent job of compressing a large subject into few pages. This is a solid place for younger readers to start their study of a part of New England that remains one of the more beautiful locales in the United States. 2004 The Child's World, Ages 8 to 10.
— Greg M. Romaneck