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Free Traveling Guides » States » Connecticut History of Connecticut
Connecticut, popularly known as the “Constitution State”, is situated in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. This State has a long and dramatic history dating from the early colonial times. Connecticut has played an integral role in the development of the early American Government. It has derived its name from the Mohegan word quinnitukqut, meaning “place of long tidal river”. The Dutch explorer Adriane Block arrived in this region in 1614 and was the first European explorer in the State. After his arrival, the “House of Hope”, a fort near the Dutch Point, was built by the Dutch fur traders who sailed up the Connecticut River. The first English settlements were established at Windsor in 1633 and at Wethersfield in 1634. The first of the three colonies, which later combined to form Connecticut, was created by John Winthrop at Old Saybrook at the mouth of the Connecticut River in 1635. A large group of Puritans from Massachusetts, led by Thomas Hooker, arrived in this region in 1636. This flood of English settlers from Massachusetts outnumbered the Dutch and forced them to leave their fort in 1654. New Haven Colony, the third colony founded in March 1638, was established at New Haven by John Davenport and Theophilus Eaton. The Colony’s constitution, “The Fundamental Agreement of the New Haven Colony”, was signed on June 4, 1639. Other historically important colonial settlements included Hartford (1636), Fairfield (1639), Stratford (1639), New London (1646), and Middletown (1647). The Connecticut Colony and the Quinnipiack Colony, the secessionists’ outposts of Massachusetts Bay, were independent political entities. In 1662, these two colonies were united as per Winthrop’s charter. However, until after the American Revolution, New Haven remained a seat of government with Hartford. The current constitution of Connecticut was adopted in 1965. The western boundaries of Connecticut have always been subject to change over time. Its land extended across northern Ohio, known as the Western Reserve lands. However, the Western Reserve lands were handed over to the federal government after signing agreements with Pennsylvania and New York, thus, confining the state to its present boundaries. |
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