As college students here at the University of New Haven, we make up a vast collection of students from all over the country. Only a fraction of students are actually originally from the state of Connecticut. However, for nine months out of the twelve and four years out of our entire lives, we call the state of Connecticut our second home. Of course, since many of us are from a different state, comparisons fly between different states starting the war as to which state is the superior state. In most cases, Connecticut seems to fall short in most people’s eyes. Whether it’s a comparison of the prices, the location, or the drivers, everyone thinks that his or her state is much better. But how much do you actually know about the state of Connecticut for that matter? In fact, how much do you actually know about your home state as well? Connecticut has a long history here in the United States, and since it is our home away from home, it’s time we learned something about it.
Connecticut was one of the original 13 colonies and one of the six New England states. But Connecticut’s history extends back long before that, when Paleo-Indians inhabited this region. Using the resources along the rivers and streams, this group of people engaged in hunting, gathering fish, woodworking, and ceremonial observances. When colonization of the area began to occur, relations between Native Americans and the early settlers in Connecticut were substantially better than in the other areas. Trading posts were established along the Connecticut River by the Dutch from New Amsterdam and by the English from the Plymouth colony, but the first permanent European settlers in the state came from the Massachusetts Bay Colony to the middle Connecticut River valley. In 1665 the Connecticut River settlements and the New Haven colony were united, and the general outline of the state emerged, although its borders were not finally established until 1881, more than 200 years later. The New Haven colony was unsuccessful in an attempt to settle Delaware Bay, and the united Connecticut colony, despite its charter provisions, lost its claim to a strip of land extending westward to the Pacific Ocean.
During the American Revolution the state’s arms and other manufacturing industries contributed greatly to the war effort, earning Connecticut the nickname “Provisions State.” In 1775, several thousand militiamen from Connecticut joined in the Battles of Lexington and Concord. However, Connecticut’s support of the war effort did not end with the American Revolution. More than 50,000 Connecticut troops fought in the American Civil War, and nearly half were killed, wounded, or captured. Connecticut was a major supplier of war material to the Union cause, and war providers such as Colt and Winchester became famous for their firearms. Additionally, throughout most of the 20th century, Connecticut was a leader in armament manufacture. The state’s concentration of defense contractors and small-arms makers contributed significantly to the country’s efforts in World Wars I and II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. The end of the Cold War in the late 1980s and early ‘90s was accompanied by a significant decline in government defense spending. Connecticut responded by boosting export sales and pioneering legislation to help diversify the economy.
Though most of us tend to blame our problems on the state of Connecticut, we have to remember that no state is perfect. Every state seems to have the worst prices, the worst locations, and the worst drivers. What we need to remember is that no place is going to match up to where we grew up. If it’s not home, then it’s not as good as home is. But we have to remember that there are 49 other states out there at think they are the best state with the best people. Each state has its own history and impact on our country’s history as a whole. Maybe it’s time for you to learn a little bit about the state you originate from. You may learn something interesting.
