Between the year 1692 and the American revolution there was a succession of fifteen governors in New Hamp shire. The colony, in the meanwhile, was involved in war with the French and the contiguous Indian tribes. About the year 1719, it received a very considerable accession of inhabitants, by the emigration of one hundred families from the north of Ireland. They brought with them the ne cessary implements, and introduced the manufacture of linen. Their spinning wheels, turned by the feet, were a great novelty in the country. They also introduced the culture of the potatoe. The most of the emigrants set a town by themselves, which they called London derry, from that in Ireland, near which they had mostly re sided. During its colonial state, New Hampshire suffer ed much by Indian hostilities. It was at one time so much harrassed, the population so much reduced, and subsist ence so scanty, that the province was near being abandon ed. The conquest of Canada, at length, gave peace to the frontiers of New Hampshire ; and the colony continued thenceforward to prosper beyond every calculation. It en tered into the general revolution, in 1775, with a popula tion of 82,200. It was well prepared to share in the strug gle for national liberty. Its yeomanry were brave, hardy, capable of enduring fatigue, had 'ong been accustomed to the use of arms, and were complete woodsmen. Some of them had acquired u considerable stock of military expe rience in the previous wars, to the dangers and calamities of which they had been particularly exposed. After the declaration of independence, no part of the territory of New Hampshire was, at any time, the seat of war : but many of its inhabitants fought bravely, and bled freely in the common cause. Dr. Belknap, the founder of the Mas sachusetts Historical Society, published an excellent histo ry of New Hampshire, which is brought down to the year 1792.
The principal denominations of Christians, in New Hampshire, are congregationalists and presbyterians. There are a few episcopalians, baptists, universalists, qua kers, and two small societies of sandemanians and shakers.
According to the constitution adopted in 1792, the civil authority is vested in a governor and council, senate and house of representatives, and a judiciary. The governor in elected annually by the people ; and must be worth five hundred pounds. If there be no choice by the people, the legislature complete the election. The executive council consists of five members. The legislature is called "The General Court." Each branch has a negative on the other. The senate consists of thirteen members, elected from as many districts ; and must be worth each a freehold of two hundred pounds. Every town, having 150 rateable polls, sends one representative to the general court ; and is enti tled to another for every additional 300 polls. The repre sentative must be worth one hundred pounds. The judi ciary is composed of a superior court, having four judg es; an inferior court in each county, having four judges ; a court of general sessions in each county, in which the justices of the peace preside ; a court of ordinary, holden monthly in each county, by one judge ; and justices courts.
All judges hold their offices during good behaviour. The population of New Hampshire, in 1810, according to the federal census, was 214,460. This entitles it to six repre sentatives, besides two senators, in the congress of the United States. The prosperity and growth of the state may be seen by the progress of its population in the period of sixty years, ending with 1810. The number in All able bodied males, between the ages of sixteen and forty-five, are liable to perform militia duty. These com pose a force of about twenty thousand.
Literature, until in latter years, has not been so much cultivated in New Hampshire as in others of the New England states. In 1769, a college, which has recently been erected into an university, was founded, and liberally endowed. It was called Dartmouth, from William, earl of Dartmouth, one of its early and principal benefactors. The edifice stands on a plain, about the half of a mile from Connecticut river, in Hanover County. The rev. Dr. Wheelock, the son of the gentleman who was chiefly in strumental in procuring its charter, at his decease, in 1817, bestowed nearly 40,000 dollars upon the institution. Besides several liberal donations, the funds of the uni versity consist in 80,000 acres of land, which now yield fifteen hundred dollars per annum ; but are daily becoming more productive. When properly tenanted, and judici ously managed, they will afford a handsome revenue. In 1812, there were in the institution a president, who is pro fessor of civil and ecclesiastical history; a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy ; a professor of lan guages ; and several tutors. There has also been erected a medical department, in which there are a professor of medicine, and a professor of chemistry. Until some re cent feuds of a political and religious nature obstructed the administration, this institution flourished. At one time it had upwards of two hundred students within its walls, in the pursuit of science, who enjoyed the advantages of a valuable chemical and medical apparatus, and a library of 4000 volumes. Connected with the university of Dart mouth is Mcore's charity school ; the funds of which, be sides an edifice, consist of 12,000 acres of land, mostly in the state of Vermont ; and 11,000 dollars, vested by a so ciety in Scotland for the education and religious instruc tion of the aborigines. This school has continued in ope ration nearly 65years ; and has been successful, to a great degree, in improving the manners and religion of several tribes of savages, within and near the boundaries of the United States. There are also several academies in the state. One at Exeter, called Phillips' Academy, was incor porated in 1781, is richly endowed, and has generAly from 80 to 100 students. It is one of the best conducted semi naries in the United States. Every town is obliged by law to support one or more common schools. From the pre mises it will be seen, that science and literature have had liberal friends in New Hampshire.