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Our 9 month series, New Hampshire's Immigration Story explored just that... the vast history of who came to New Hampshire, when they came, why they came, the challenges they faced once they landed on Granite State soil and the contributions that they brought to our state. The Exchange, Word of Mouth, and our News Department looked at the issue of immigration from its first arrivals to the newest refugees calling New Hampshire home.We saw how immigration affects our economy, health care, education system, culture and our current system of law. We also looked at what's going on in New Hampshire today, as we uncovered the groups, societies and little known people who are making an impact all over the state.Funding for NH's Immigration Story is brought to you in part by: New Hampshire Humanities Council, Norwin S. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation, The Gertrude Couch Trust0000017a-15d9-d736-a57f-17ff89e10000

Who Are We And Where Did We Come From

New Hampshire Historical Society

Link to a PowerPoint Presentation from the New Hampshire Historical Society.

  • First to Arrive: Native Americans
  • The Next Wave (1500s): Europeans
  • 1623: English  (within 175 years, Native Americans were displaced by immigrants)
  • Census from 1790: 787 Africans, 153 Dutch, and 142 French
  • 1800s: Irish begin to move in to New Hampshire
  • 1880 - 1920: Large wave of immigrants of European and French descent. Also, immigrants arrived from Austria, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Sweden.

Nationalities whose numbers of foreign-born New Hampshire residents exceeded 1,000 in at least one of the census years between 1890 and 1920.

Credit Source: New Hampshire Historical Society, data derived from the University of Virginia Geostat Center

Year 2000 Census: Nationalities whose numbers of foreign-born NH residents exceeded 1000 in year 2000.

Credit Source: chart prepared by the New Hampshire Historical Society using 2000 census data showing foreign-born New Hampshire residents

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