People and Reasons for Settlement
Around 500 B.C., New Hampshire was inhabited by two Algonquian Indian tribes, the Abenakis and the Penacooks. Mainly hunters and gatherers, the Native Americans migrated from winter fishing grounds to summer hunting grounds. The Native Americans welcomed the first white settlers. In 1623, John T. Mason founded the first permanent settlement in New Hampshire. Although the settlement was founded mostly on commercial morals, London businessmen saw great potential for profit from the colony’s abundant fishing, natural harbors, lumber, and furs.