ABSTRACT
New Hampshire was one of the 13 colonies which adopted the U.S. Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776. It became the 9th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution June 21, 1788.
New Hampshire is divided into 10 counties which have weak governments. The counties are divided into townships, called towns, which have very strong governments. Within the towns are villages which have no government of their own. Municipalities are classified as cities, which are formed from one or more former towns. See Introduction.
