2. Founding Was the 5th state Became a state on January 9,1788 One of the original thirteen colonies Connecticut was first inhabited by Native American Tribes before the settlers came People got kicked out of Massachusetts for being to religious and came to Connecticut The name Connecticut comes from a Native American word "Quinatucquet," which meant "Beside the Long Tidal River In 1614 The first Europeans to land in on Connecticut were Dutch traders who were sailing on the Connecticut river By 1633 they purchased land from the Pequot Tribe and made a permanent settlement
3. Continued… Many settlers from Massachusetts came to Connecticut, fell in love with the scenery and decided to purchase land along the river from the Mohegan Indians Later there was trouble between the Indians and the settlers. The Pequot tribe wanted the land that was sold to the settlers by the Mohegan Indians. In 1637 The settlers declared war on the native Americans 20 years later the settlers built a colony in Connecticut The Settlers were upset with the way England was being run so they decided to leave
4. The Connecticut state flag displays the Arms of the State on each side. The field is azure blue.Three supported grape vines are depicted on the shield, each bearing three bunches of grapes. The shield is outlined in gold and silver and is decorated with clusters of white oak leaves and acorns. A white streamer, cleft at each end and bordered in gold and brown, is displayed below the shield. The motto of the state of Connecticut is lettered in dark blue on the streamer. It reads Qui TranstulitSustinet (He who transplanted still sustains).
5. Connecticut Social Structure The social structures that existed in Connecticut before our time were the following Slavery of the Native Americans and Blacks Men also had more freedom than women Connecticut was home to many “Sundown” towns, these towns only allowed white residents to inhabit the neighborhoods There are still a few to this day, but a majority of them no longer exist
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7. Religion Connecticut became home to many puritan emigrants from Massachusetts in 1636 led by Thomas Hooker Looking for freedom from persecution and puritan intolerance Religion wasn’t a personal or spiritual decision on people’s parts it had a political aspect to it Religion had great influence over daily lives Puritan was the only legal religion until 1708 In 1708 the colony let go of their authority and allowed individuals to practice other religions These individuals no longer had to pay taxes to the state Congregational Church as long as they contributed to their other churches If Sunday service was not attended than colonists were fined The tax dollars collected supported the Congregational Church and the ministers
8. Religion Continued Ministers had a large amount of power over the colony In the 1730s and 1740s the Great Awakening occurred, led by Jonathan Edwards This was a chain of religious revivals resulting in changes to religious doctrines Religion was now being seen as a more individual decision People no longer focused on the doctrines forced upon them by the Congregational Church, but rather focused on a relationship with god Other religions such as Anglicans, Baptists, and Methodists strengthened at this time and more churches were formed George Whitefield Jonathan Edwards were powerful ministers during this time
9. Media News and information was passed on and learned through newspapers The first newspaper was published in 1755 – Connecticut Gazette In 1764 the Connecticut Courant was published (now the Hartford Courant) and is the longest continuously published newspaper in America Newspapers weren’t all local news, there was a lot of news from Europe as well as some news from the other colonies Newspapers had advertising for things such as medicines Sometimes there were stories or poems that would be published Deaths of important people were announced, but marriages and births were not Local people were rarely talked about, it was more geared towards important figures
10. Commercial Considerations Major industries were wheat, corn, and fishing Known for fur trapping because of the amount of forests they have Not known for good farmland (the farms they did have were small and for individual families) Fishing, shipbuilding, lumbering, and fur trading A part of the triangle trade – sold Rum for African American slaves America’s first steam engine boat, the Navy’s submarine, and the cotton gin all began in Connecticut
11. Other Facts Inventor Eli Whitney began manufacturing his cotton gins, which revolutionized the economy of the South, at New Haven in 1793. Largest City– Bridgeport Area- 5,544 square miles [Connecticut is the48th biggest state in the US Population- 3,405,565 (as of 2000) [Connecticut is the 29th most populous state in the USA] Name for Residents– Connecticuters Major Industries - agriculture, industry (especially insurance), tourism Presidential Birthplace - George Walker Bush was born in New Haven on July 6, 1946 (he was the 43rd US President, serving from 2001 until 2009). Nickname is the constitution state
13. Maps of Connecticut Map of Connecticut, by Frances A. Henshaw, from Frances A. Henshaw's Book of Penmanship Executed at the Middlebury Female Academy April 29, 1828.
