Opposition to the British Crown fermented in New Hampshire for similar reasons and to a similar degree as the other colonies. However, compared with much of British North America, New Hampshire had a promising future on the horizon by the end of the Seven Years War. Its longtime royal governor, Benning Wentworth, oversaw significant geographic growth for the province, which translated to a prosperous economy built mostly on timber and the shipbuilding industry the felled trees fed. The King’s Proclamation of 1763, forbidding colonists from going west of the Appalachians, didn’t affect New Hampshire much, allowing for more concentration on internal settlement and improvements rather than concern over border rivalries and security. Benning Wentworth’s nephew, John Wentworth, inherited the position, and continued holding much favor among the population as he went about governing similarly as his uncle had. The new Governor Wentworth chartered a college along the Connecticut River that would be named Dartmouth, saw to the building and improvement of roads, and even established the nation’s very first resort town, Wolfeboro. Nevertheless, resentment against all things British began to build in New Hampshire beginning in the mid 1760s..

If the Mast Tree Riot of 1734 is evidence of anything, it is that anti-British sentiments existed in the colonies before the 1763. Up until the 1760s, though, resistance in the region and around the North American colonies usually fizzled out or were put down before they could grow into movements. This is was largely because they were one-dimensional uprisings, and any anger or frustration shared by one demographic was not necessarily felt by others. However, the post-Seven Years War era saw the confluence of different groups and their interests that had yet to take place. The emerging merchant class, which centered itself mostly around the Seacoast, held animosity towards the Mother Country as newly-introduced taxes were intruding on their profits. Working class people in cities and farmers in the countryside were feeling the strain of taxes as well, and the two forces began working together to undermine British authority. Though New Hampshire was one of the four colonies who did not participate in the Stamp Act Congress, a society of patriots began to make themselves known. Proximity to Boston and the communication channels with its patriot class surely influenced New Hampshire revolutionaries such as John Langdon, John Sullivan, William Whipple, Nathaniel Folsom, and Josiah Bartlett.

Langdon and Sullivan led the most notable revolutionary action to take place in New Hampshire; the December 1774 raid on Fort William and Mary. Overwhelming a garrison of a dozen troops, patriots made off with munitions and powder which would later aid rebel fighters at the Battle of Bunker Hill. And while there was much tension among the populace (which compelled Governor Wentworth to flee), producing occasional brawls and vandalism, New Hampshire’s role in the Revolutionary War was more about contributing men and material than as a battleground. Langdon’s Shipyard produced early ships for the Continental Navy and Portsmouth gave soon-to-be-famous John Paul Jones a home while he waited his vessel’s construction. Former Rangers turned into Minutemen, training and leading NH volunteers in battles throughout the colonies. The most famous example of this description, General John Stark, became the “Hero of Bennington” for his exemplary leadership in the 1777 battle along the New York border with Vermont. Stark was too old and frail to travel to the 1809 commemoration of the Battle of Bennington, but sent along a toast to his men, which concluded “Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.”

The Revolution had arguably concluded and proved itself successful by the time of Stark’s now-famous words. New Hampshire paralleled the national government by creating and recreating its Constitution after the War. The new Federal Government proved to be very popular in the state, especially near the coast as the strong central government made a point to support the global trade that made Portsmouth and Dover prosperous. Efforts to extend its society, economy and culture further inland brought a series of turnpikes into existence, as did other infrastructure ideas such as canals and bridges. As the recipe for another conflict with Great Britain came together, New Hampshire’s response resembled what it had during the Revolutionary War. That being said, the passion for the War of 1812 did not match the patriotic spirit of ‘76, with many in New Hampshire sharing anti-war sentiments with the rest of New England.