New Hampshire Early History

First Early Inhabitants of New Hampshire

Early history examines the archaeological record that tells the story of the first inhabitants of New Hampshire. Learn about the history and culture of the first inhabitants, and what lessons it might teach us about the early history of New Hampshire.

New Hampshire First Early Inhabitants

• 7000 - 1000 B.C. - Archaic Period; Native Americans move seasonally around New Hampshire to live, hunt, gather, and fish
• 1000 B.C. - 1600 A.D. - Woodland Period; Native Americans establish villages and develop trade networks, and ceramic and bow and arrow technology

Archaeologists believe the first humans came to the area now known as New Hampshire around 10,000 years ago after the glaciers receded and the climate warmed. These tribes became more settled and less nomadic as time went on. Because of climate and length of growing season, tribes in the north of New Hampshire probably engaged in more hunting while tribes in the south engaged in relatively more agriculture, although agriculture probably never had the importance in early New Hampshire that it had further south in what we now call Massachusetts.

The Abenaki and Pennacook Indians were living in the area of New Hampshire when Europeans arrived. It is unknown who the first white men to explore the area were, but general exploration began in the 1600s. Europeans came to New Hampshire for economic reasons, looking to exploit the resources of the area, especially forests, furs, and fish.

In 1603, the Englishman Martin Pring explored the mouth of the Piscataqua River. John Smith explored the Isles of Shoals in 1614, naming them Smith’s Islands.

European diseases brought to the New World by early settlers may have killed as many as 95% of the natives in the area of New Hampshire. Those remaining retreated to Vermont and Canada under pressure from English settlers.