Readers might know that New Hampshire's proud motto is "Live Free or Die." But do they know that it was a quest for sassafras and a shortcut to Asia that brought the first Europeans to this part of America? Or that John Smith of the Virginia Colony officially claimed the land for England in 1614? Now readers can follow the rich history and changing boundaries of this colony. Scott Auden's narrative also details the challenges of colonial life, how good relations with the native Abenaki deteriorated into nearly a century of warfare, and the daring deeds of New Hampshire Patriots during the War of Independence.