Why is New Hampshire Called the Granite State?

Why is New Hampshire Called the Granite State?

New Hampshire is a small state that is part of the New England region in northeast United States; it is popularly known as the Granite State. Why the Granite State? The real significance of this name is to examine the land, people, and history of New Hampshire.

Pilgrims arrived from England in 1620 and built one of the earliest European settlements; the name New Hampshire was derived from the county of Hampshire in southern England. New Hampshire was once part of thirteen colonies under British rule. The American War of Independence broke out in 1775 when the thirteen British colonies sought freedom from Great Britain.

New Hampshire’s state motto ‘Live Free or Die, is a tribute to General John Stark who led the American forces during the American Revolutionary War.
New Hampshire’s traditional rock is granite; as early as the 1800s New Hampshire was known for its abundance in granite with many small quarries scattered along the south; its largest quarry is in Rattlesnake Mountain in Concord. The Library of Congress in Washington D.C. and Boston’s Quincy Market were built from New Hampshire granite. New Hampshire is identified by its rocky soil; its bedrock is rich in granite and its landscape filled with granite outcroppings. The White Mountains in the northern region covers a quarter of New Hampshire also rich in granite. A famous natural landmark in the United States is the ,,Old Man of the Mountains, also ‘the Great Stone Face , can be found in the White Mountains; this is an amazing rock formation of a man’s profile made of five granite ledges.

Granite is a hard and tough rock which signifies the nickname ‘Granite State, characterizing the people of New Hampshire with its history of strong and resilient men during the American Revolutionary War. Granite which is often identified with New Hampshire shaped the land and the early industry of the United States.