Who were the first settlers of Connecticut?

Though the Dutch began exploring Connecticut as early as 1614, the English were the first Europeans to put down roots in 1636. Under the leadership of Thomas Hooker, a prominent Puritan minister, 100 colonists established a settlement—modern-day Hartford—called the River Colony.

What native groups lived in Connecticut before the English arrived?

Before Europeans arrived in Connecticut, the land was inhabited by Native American tribes. Some of the major tribes were the Mohegan, the Pequot, and the Nipmuc. These tribes spoke the Algonquian language and lived in dome shaped homes made from tree saplings covered in bark called wigwams.

Did Long Island belong to Connecticut?

As part of this undertaking, the King decreed various borders—we all know what they are— and also allowed that “all islands in Long Island Sound be part of New York, not Connecticut.” As a result, Plum Island off the coast of Orient Point became part of New York.

What is the oldest settlement in Connecticut?

Experts have unearthed artifacts they believe date to the 1630s in Wethersfield, where town signs declare it the state’s “most ancient,” founded in 1634. But a few miles up the Connecticut River to the north, Windsor boasts it is the state’s “first town,” settled in 1633.

Was there slavery in Connecticut?

Slavery in Connecticut dated back to the mid-1600s. By the American Revolution, Connecticut had more enslaved Africans than any other state in New England. In 1784 it passed an act of Gradual Abolition. It stated that those children born into slavery after March 1, 1784 would be freed by the time they turned 25.

Where did the settlers in Connecticut come from?

The U.S. state of Connecticut began as three distinct settlements of Puritans from Massachusetts and England; they combined under a single royal charter in 1663.

What indigenous land is Connecticut on?

Present Day. Today, Connecticut law recognizes five tribes: Golden Hill Paugussett, Mashantucket Pequot, Mohegan, Paucatuck Eastern Pequot, and Schaghticoke.

What was the first colony in Connecticut?

In 1633, Windsor became Connecticut’s first English settlement.

When was Connecticut first settled?

1607Connecticut Colony / Date settled

What did Connecticut use slaves for?

And Connecticut was feeding them. That sugar cane, produced by captive Africans, was brought north to the Connecticut colony as molasses and sugar products, which were distilled into rum in such quantities that Connectictut became the New World’s leading distiller. (There were 21 distilleries in Hartford County alone.)