If you are entering a location in New Hampshire, in a profile for example, Wikitree will typically offer you two choices: "someplace, New Hampshire, United States (1776-)"
or
"someplace, New Hampshire (-1776)"
If you select the second choice, prior to the Revolution, the entry will say "someplace, New Hampshire" without further designation, but it is understood that it was not yet part of the United States - yes it was historically a provincial entity, but that's not the WT usage.
If you select the first choice, ie after 1776, Wikitree will use the form to be "someplace, New Hampshire, United States"
In places where the location is not suggested to you, as in a Profile, follow that same pattern.
Yes, the spreadsheet is technically correct, and has engendered much discussion, but mostly I think it's there to confuse us…