Connecticut

=
﻿ ======

Geography: Connecticut is a New England state which is bordered by Massachusetts, Rhode Island, the Atlantic Ocean, and New York to the west. It is the southernmost of the New England states and one of the original 13 colonies. Connecticut is the third smallest state. Connecticut has beautiful hills, quiet lakes, and small towns with white church steeples.

State capital: Hartford

Major cities: Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven

Major Rivers- Connecticut River, Housatonic River, Thames River

Major Lakes- Lake Candlewood

**Climate**- The highest temperature recorded in Connecticut is 106°, Fahrenheit. This was recorded on July 15, 1995 at Danbury. The lowest temperature in Connecticut, -32°, was recorded on January 22, 1961 at Coventry. Connecticut leads New England in the production of eggs, pears, peaches, and mushrooms, and its oyster crop is the nation's second largest. Poultry and dairy products also account for a large portion of farm income.

Economy: -Connecticut is also important because of its production. Workers in the state were first to make bikes, dyed silk, printing machines, pistols, rubber shoes, and rubber. United States steel manufacturing began in Connecticut. The world's first nuclear powered submarine, the Nautilus, was launched in the state in 1954. Connecticut is an important producer of electronic equipment, aircraft engines, helicopters, nuclear-powered submarines, and spacecraft equipment -dairy products, eggs, vegetables, tobacco, mushrooms, and apples are the leading farm items. High-grade broadleaf tobacco, used in making cigar wrappers, has been a specialty of Connecticut agriculture since the 1830s - Connecticut gets most of its wealth from industry. Textiles, silverware, sewing machines, and clocks and watches are among Connecticut's historic manufactures. - Agriculture: eggs, greenhouse and nursery products, milk - Manufactures: chemicals, computer and electronic products, fabricated metal products, machinery, processed foods - The colonists survived off of animals and crops. In unsuitable climates the cattle and animals died so some colonists died as well. When they didn't have animals they grew plants and vegetables, or they moved to different colonies to get more food.-They planted tobacco, which was their profitable crop. They sent it back to England in exchange for money


 * SLAVERY in CONNECTICUT**

Slaves were present in Hartford from 1639 and in New Haven from 1644. As in the rest of New England, they were few until about 1700. The colony of Connecticut stated that African Americans and Native Americans were exempt from serving in the military. Native Americans had been enslaved following the Pequot War in the 1630s. Connecticut citizens did not participate directly in the slave trade in the late 17th century. African Americans are prohibited from owning land in Connecticut, but this law was never enforced. The enslaved were called as “property” for purposes of voting, and property and estate taxes.

**Connecticut’s History:**

**Hartford:**
<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Thomas Hooker and a group of puritans settled in the Connecticut River Valley in 1636. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- He had led them to Connecticut seeking better land, better living conditions, and a less rigid form of government than in Massachusetts were they came from. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Founding the town of Hartford, Thomas quickly established a thriving community with the fanatical support of plenty of rich soil. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- In 1638 he suggested having a more democratic form of government than that practiced in Massachusetts. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- A year later, this view was the main point of the ‘’Fundamental Orders of Connecticut’’, which served as the colony's “rules and guidelines” for the next century and a half.

**New Haven:**
<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- South of Hartford, settlers founded another colony in 1638 along the coast that consisted of merchants who wanted to make more money on trade between the Native Americans and the Dutch in New York <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- The settlers named this colony New Haven and established a theocratic form of government. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**The Natives:** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Both of the main colonies in Connecticut were attacked multiple times by the Pequots in 1636 by sneak attacks.

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- The colonists banded together with the Pequots enemy, the Narragansetts, and led counterattacks against the Pequots in June 1637 at Fort Mystic. ======

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- The massacre at Mystic remains one of the worst in American history towards Native Americans. About 700 Pequot men, women, and children killed. Those who survived were sold into slavery or ran away. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- The Pequot War was one of the first genocidal Indian wars during 17th-century New England that ultimately made the Native Population extinct. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Before the Europeans, the state of Connecticut was home to 16 groups of Algonquian Indians since 500 BCE. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- These 16 tribes feared the aggressiveness of the Mohawk tribe located in upstate New York and stayed away from the area mostly. Another hostile tribe, the Pequots, migrated into the region around 1500 BCE and took over large amounts of territory during the migration killing 5 opposing tribes and enslaving the survivors. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- The Indians suffered greatly not only from warfare but from a massive smallpox epidemic that killed thousands specifically in the Connecticut area.

**Social:**
<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">English was the main language spoken in the colony. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Protestant was the main religion in the Connecticut area.

Political:
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">A royal charter was not granted for Connecticut until 1662. The charter was proposed by John Winthrop and was granted by Charles II. The people of Connecticut only negotiated ownership with the Indians. The only <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">restrictions which limited the charter's independent powers were the boundaries set by English law. Connecticut had the ability to make new laws, but they were not allowed to not exceed the limits with the rules set place by the English government. Connecticut was not free from the control of England through the royal charter until after the issue with King James II. After the conflict with England, Connecticut was still able to receive a liberal charter from England. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Connecticut enjoyed political independence, and proclaimed its Fundamental Orders of 1639 which was a democratic principle of government based on the will of the people. The Fundamental Orders are said to have been the first written Constitution of a democratic government. This is why Connecticut is nicknamed "The Constitution State." <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">State government in Connecticut has three branches: executive, judicial, and legislative

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**Terms:** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**Triangle Trade:** The Triangular Trade is a route that led to recieve slaves. It recieved its name from the three routes that formed a triangle. The first route carried fish, lumber, and other goods from New England to the West Indies. They distributed products and made a lot of money from the trade.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**Salutary Neglect:** this meant to not enforce laws and was often used to describe the British policy of leniency in dealing with trade matters with the American colonies.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**Mercantalism**: is an economic policy, which sets up colonies to support the mother country. The colonies provide the raw materials to be made and also serve as a market to buy goods. The policy mostly helps the mother country and makes the colony dependent. The entire colony is controlled by the mother country.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**Great Awakening:** strong religous beliefs that developed in the colonies, that stressed the power of god and the power of religous ministers. It helped make religious leaders very powerful in the colonies.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**Cash Crops:** Tobacco became a major crop in the 1830's and the high-grade broadleaf variety used in making cigar wrappers is grown in the valley.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**Road to Revolution:**

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The French and Indian War had little impact on the colony of Connecticut. Fighting did not take place in this colony. However, the ideas of revolution and conflict with England caused division among the people. Most of the people were loyalists and did not want war and conflicts with England.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Revolution: <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williamson, Oliver Wolcott

By: Ashley Randhawa and Liz Smith