In 1720, English settlers in New Hampshire lived in just a few towns that were all located in the southeastern corner of the state. By 1775, there were over 150 towns in New Hampshire, and they were spread out all over.

Each town was independent, and townspeople governed themselves. But all the towns were united together as a colony, ruled by Great Britain. The people of New Hampshire had their own legislature and their own governor. The capital of the colony was in the busy seaport town of Portsmouth.

Many people moved to New Hampshire during these years. They worked hard to settle the land and build farms and communities for their families, but by 1775, a lot of them were unhappy about living under British rule. They started to think that America would be better off as an independent country.