The Brooklyn Fair is an annual agricultural fair held in Brooklyn, Connecticut , for the first time in 1809. It is considered the oldest agricultural fair in the United States.
86-484: The fair is organized by the Windham County Agricultural Society 41°46′49″N 71°57′13″W / 41.7802°N 71.9536°W / 41.7802; -71.9536 This Connecticut -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Connecticut Connecticut ( / k ə ˈ n ɛ t ɪ k ə t / kə- NET -ik-ət ) is a state in
172-689: A unicameral legislature and what would become the Articles of Confederation. As a member of the Confederation Congress , Sherman was a signatory of the Treaty of Paris which ended the Revolutionary War . Sherman came into the Convention without the intention of creating a new constitution. He saw the convention as a means to modify the already existing government. Part of his stance was concerned with
258-657: A battle in Fairfield , the Pequots sued for peace. Connecticut's original Charter in 1662 granted it all the land to the "South Sea"—that is, to the Pacific Ocean. The Hartford Treaty with the Dutch was signed on September 19, 1650, but never ratified by the British, stated the western boundary of Connecticut ran north from Greenwich Bay for a distance of 20 miles (32 km), "provided
344-402: A charter from Charles II which united the settlements of Connecticut. Historically significant colonial settlements included Windsor (1633), Wethersfield (1634), Saybrook (1635), Hartford (1636), New Haven (1638), Fairfield (1639), Guilford (1639), Milford (1639), Stratford (1639), Farmington (1640), Stamford (1641), and New London (1646). The Pequot War marked
430-595: A cobbler shop. He earned a position as the county surveyor in 1745. The income from this office enabled him to buy land and to earn a favorable reputation throughout the county. Sherman published a series of almanacs between 1750 and 1761. He also studied law on his own, passing the bar in 1754. He very quickly introduced himself in civil and religious affairs, rapidly becoming one of the town's leading citizens and eventually town clerk of New Milford. He became county surveyor of New Haven County in 1745 and began providing astronomical calculations for almanacs in 1759. Sherman
516-702: A corruption investigation, later pleading guilty to federal charges. Roger Sherman Roger Sherman (April 19, 1721 – July 23, 1793) was an early American statesman , lawyer , and a Founding Father of the United States . He is the only person to sign all four great state papers of the United States: the Continental Association , the Declaration of Independence , the Articles of Confederation , and
602-844: A database of U.S. customs records maintained online by the Mystic Seaport Museum , the largest being the 180-ton Patient Mary launched in New Haven in 1763. Connecticut's first lighthouse was constructed in 1760 at the mouth of the Thames River with the New London Harbor Lighthouse . Connecticut designated four delegates to the Second Continental Congress who signed the Declaration of Independence : Samuel Huntington , Roger Sherman , William Williams , and Oliver Wolcott . Connecticut's legislature authorized
688-454: A favorable crisis for crushing paper money. If the consent of the Legislature could authorize emissions of it, the friends of paper money would make every exertion to get into the Legislature in order to license it." Sherman also had very little interest in creating an executive branch with much authority. He suggested that no constitutional provision needed be made for the executive because it
774-467: A funeral sermon at the ceremony for Sherman on July 25, 1793. He praised his contributions to his friends, family, town, and country, noting Sherman's piety and excellence in study. Sherman is especially notable in United States history for being the only person to sign all four great state papers of the United States, the Articles of Association, the United States Declaration of Independence,
860-542: A further expansion of industry, and an emphasis on increasing food production on the farms. Thousands of state, local, and volunteer groups mobilized for the war effort and were coordinated by the Connecticut State Council of Defense. Manufacturers wrestled with manpower shortages; Waterbury's American Brass and Manufacturing Company was running at half capacity, so the federal government agreed to furlough soldiers to work there. In 1919, J. Henry Roraback started
946-600: A major fire. Heavy rainfall caused the Connecticut River to flood downtown Hartford and East Hartford. An estimated 50,000 trees fell onto roadways. The advent of lend-lease in support of Britain helped lift Connecticut from the Great Depression, with the state a major production center for weaponry and supplies used in World War II . Connecticut manufactured 4.1% of total U.S. military armaments produced during
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#17328760216541032-550: A major role in supplying the Union forces with weapons and supplies during the Civil War . The state furnished 55,000 men, formed into thirty full regiments of infantry, including two in the U.S. Colored Troops , with several Connecticut men becoming generals. The Navy attracted 250 officers and 2,100 men, and Glastonbury native Gideon Welles was Secretary of the Navy. James H. Ward of Hartford
1118-645: A manufacturing center for arms, hardware, and timepieces, Connecticut, as with the rest of the region, had transitioned into an economy based on the financial, insurance, and real estate sectors; many multinational firms providing such services can be found concentrated in the state capital of Hartford and along the Gold Coast in Fairfield County . The name Connecticut is derived from the Mohegan-Pequot word that has been translated as "long tidal river" and "upon
1204-477: A pivotal delegate at the Convention because of his role in settling the debate over representation. At important moments in the deliberations, Sherman consistently pushed the interests of the less populous states. When delegates were unable to reconcile the differences between his plan and Madison's Virginia Plan, Sherman helped to get the issue of representation in Congress delegated to a Grand Committee of which he
1290-613: A pro-slavery position and included many Copperheads willing to let the South secede. The intensely fought 1863 election for governor was narrowly won by the Republicans. Connecticut's extensive industry, dense population, flat terrain, and wealth encouraged the construction of railroads starting in 1839. By 1840, 102 miles (164 km) of line were in operation, growing to 402 miles (647 km) in 1850 and 601 miles (967 km) in 1860. The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , called
1376-527: A way to raise revenue and regulate commerce. Sherman's views were heavily shaped by Connecticut's position as a particularly isolationist state. Connecticut operated almost without much need from other states, using its own ports to trade with the West Indies instead of utilizing ports in Boston , and feared that "...the mass of people lacked sufficient wisdom to govern themselves and thus wished no branch of
1462-499: Is distantly related to Union general William Tecumseh Sherman . Despite the fact that Sherman had no formal legal training, he was urged to read for the bar exam by a local lawyer and was admitted to the bar of Litchfield, Connecticut in 1754, during which he wrote "A Caveat Against Injustice" and was chosen to represent New Milford in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1755 to 1758 and from 1760 to 1761. Sherman
1548-524: Is one of the most influential members of the Constitutional Convention. He is not well known for his actions at the Convention because he was a "terse, ineloquent speaker" who never kept a personal record of his experience, unlike other prominent figures. At 66 years of age, Sherman was the second eldest member at the convention following Benjamin Franklin (who was 81 years old at the time). Yet he
1634-460: The "Long Island Express" passed just west of New Haven and devastated the Connecticut shoreline between Old Saybrook and Stonington from the full force of wind and waves, even though they had partial protection by Long Island. The hurricane caused extensive damage to infrastructure, homes, and businesses. In New London, a 500-foot (150 m) sailing ship was driven into a warehouse complex, causing
1720-718: The Connecticut Light & Power Co. which became the state's dominant electric utility. In 1925, Frederick Rentschler spurred the creation of Pratt & Whitney in Hartford to develop engines for aircraft; the company became an important military supplier in World War II and one of the three major manufacturers of jet engines in the world. On September 21, 1938, the most destructive storm in New England history struck eastern Connecticut, killing hundreds of people. The eye of
1806-744: The Constitution . He also signed the 1774 Petition to the King . Born in Newton, Massachusetts, Sherman established a legal career in Litchfield County, Connecticut , despite a lack of formal education. After a period in the Connecticut House of Representatives , he served as a justice of the Superior Court of Connecticut from 1766 to 1789. He represented Connecticut at the Continental Congress , and he
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#17328760216541892-660: The Hudson River Valley. Some of the men were veterans of the winter encampment at Valley Forge , Pennsylvania , the previous winter. Soldiers at the Redding camp endured supply shortages, cold temperatures, and significant snow, with some historians dubbing the encampment "Connecticut's Valley Forge". The state was also the launching site for a number of raids against Long Island orchestrated by Samuel Holden Parsons and Benjamin Tallmadge , and provided soldiers and material for
1978-758: The New England region of the Northeastern United States . It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capital is Hartford , and its most populous city is Bridgeport . Connecticut lies between the major hubs of New York City and Boston along the Northeast Corridor , where the New York-Newark Combined Statistical Area , which includes four of Connecticut's seven largest cities, extends into
2064-492: The New Haven or "The Consolidated", became the dominant Connecticut railroad company after 1872. J. P. Morgan began financing the major New England railroads in the 1890s, dividing territory so that they would not compete. The New Haven purchased 50 smaller companies, including steamship lines, and built a network of light rails (electrified trolleys) that provided inter-urban transportation for all of southern New England. By 1912,
2150-760: The New Haven Colony ; both merged into the former by 1664. Connecticut's official nickname, the "Constitution State", refers to the Fundamental Orders adopted by the Connecticut Colony in 1639, which is considered by some to be the first written constitution in Western history. As one of the Thirteen Colonies that rejected British rule during the American Revolution , Connecticut was influential in
2236-589: The Susquehanna River and Delaware River named Westmoreland County . This resulted in the brief Pennamite-Yankee Wars with Pennsylvania . Yale College was established in 1701, providing Connecticut with an important institution to educate clergy and civil leaders. The Congregational church dominated religious life in the colony and, by extension, town affairs in many parts. With more than 600 miles (970 km) of coastline including along its navigable rivers, Connecticut developed during its colonial years
2322-495: The U.S. Revenue Cutter Service that would evolve into the U.S. Coast Guard, President Washington assigned Jonathan Maltbie as one of seven masters to enforce customs regulations, with Maltbie monitoring the southern New England coast with a 48-foot cutter sloop named Argus . In 1786, Connecticut ceded territory to the U.S. government that became part of the Northwest Territory . The state retained land extending across
2408-556: The United States Senate from 1791 to his death in 1793. Sherman was born into a family of farmers in Newton, Massachusetts . His parents were William and Mehetabel Sherman. The Shermans left Newton and settled in what became the town of Stoughton, Massachusetts 17 miles (27 km) southeast of his home in Newton, when Roger was two. Sherman's education did not extend beyond his father's library and grammar school, and his early career
2494-581: The " Knowledge Corridor ". Due to its geography, Connecticut has maintained a strong maritime tradition; the United States Coast Guard Academy is located in New London by the Thames River . The state is also associated with the aerospace industry through major companies Pratt & Whitney and Sikorsky Aircraft headquartered in East Hartford and Stratford , respectively. Historically
2580-609: The 1636 murder of an English privateer and his crew, followed by the murder of a trader, colonists raided a Pequot village on Block Island . The Pequots laid siege to Saybrook Colony's garrison that autumn, then raided Wethersfield in the spring of 1637. Organizing a band of militia and allies from the Mohegan and Narragansett tribes, colonists declared war and attacked a Pequot village on the Mystic River . Death toll estimates range between 300-700 Pequots. After suffering another major loss at
2666-607: The 19th century. During the war, the British launched raids in Stonington and Essex and blockaded vessels in the Thames River. Derby native Isaac Hull became Connecticut's best-known naval figure to win renown during the conflict, as captain of the USS ; Constitution . The British blockade during the War of 1812 hurt exports and bolstered the influence of Federalists who opposed
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2752-541: The 19th century. In 1875, the first telephone exchange in the world was established in New Haven. When World War I broke out in 1914, Connecticut became a major supplier of weaponry to the U.S. military; by 1918, 80% of the state's industries were producing goods for the war effort. Remington Arms in Bridgeport produced half the small-arms cartridges used by the U.S. Army, with other major suppliers including Winchester in New Haven and Colt in Hartford. Connecticut
2838-648: The Articles of Confederation with a new constitution. After supporting the establishment of a new constitution, Sherman became a key delegate and main opponent of James Madison 's Virginia Plan by introducing the Connecticut Compromise that won the approval of both the more and less populous states. After the ratification of the Constitution, Sherman represented Connecticut in the United States House of Representatives from 1789 to 1791. He served in
2924-595: The Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution. Robert Morris , who did not sign the Articles of Association, signed the other three. John Dickinson also signed three, the Continental Association, the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution. He was involved with the Declaration of Independence but abstained, hoping for a reconciliation with Britain. Sherman
3010-547: The British got word of Continental Army supplies in Danbury , and they landed an expeditionary force of some 2,000 troops in Westport . This force then marched to Danbury and destroyed homes and much of the depot. Continental Army troops and militia led by General David Wooster and General Benedict Arnold engaged them on their return march at Ridgefield in 1777. For the winter of 1778–79, General George Washington decided to split
3096-565: The Constitutional Convention. Therefore, Sherman helped shape compromises that benefited the slave states in order to obtain unlikely allies from the Carolinas due to the economies of their home states. Sherman is also known for his stance against paper money with his authoring of Article I, Section 10 of the United States Constitution and his later opposition to James Madison over the Bill of Rights . He believed that these amendments would diminish
3182-492: The Continental Army into three divisions encircling New York City , where British General Sir Henry Clinton had taken up winter quarters. Major General Israel Putnam chose Redding as the winter encampment quarters for some 3,000 regulars and militia under his command. The Redding encampment allowed Putnam's soldiers to guard the replenished supply depot in Danbury and to support any operations along Long Island Sound and
3268-554: The Continental Association to impose an economic boycott on all British trade. In the Second Continental Congress , Sherman was appointed to the Committee of Five that drafted Declaration of Independence. Sherman was also a member of the committee of 13 that was responsible for preparing a draft constitution for the new nation. During debate, Sherman proposed a bicameral national legislature where states would be represented equally. The committee of 13 rejected Sherman's proposal, adopting
3354-519: The House of Representatives (the lower legislative house ). The states would be represented in another house called the Senate (the upper house ). In the lower house, each state had a representative for every one delegate. In the upper house, each state was guaranteed two senators, regardless of its size. In terms of modes of election, Sherman supported allowing each state legislature to elect its own senators. In
3440-586: The House, Sherman originally proposed that the suffrage of the House should be figured according to the "numbers of free inhabitants" in each state. Sherman was elected as a United States Representative in the First Congress , and then to the Senate in the Second and Third Congress until his death in 1793. In 1790 both Sherman and Richard Law were appointed to revise the confused and archaic Connecticut statutes, which they accomplished. Throughout his life, Sherman
3526-584: The Long Island Sound between the towns of Old Saybrook and Old Lyme . The name of the river is in turn derived from anglicized spellings of Quinnetuket , a Mohegan-Pequot word for "long tidal river". Before the arrival of the first European settlers, the region was inhabited by various Algonquian tribes. In 1633, the Dutch West India Company established a small, short-lived settlement called House of Hope in Hartford. Half of Connecticut
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3612-514: The New Haven operated over 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of track with 120,000 employees. As steam-powered passenger ships proliferated after the Civil War, Noank would produce the two largest built in Connecticut during the 19th century, with the 332-foot wooden steam paddle wheeler Rhode Island launched in 1882, and the 345-foot paddle wheeler Connecticut seven years later. Connecticut shipyards would launch more than 165 steam-powered vessels in
3698-598: The Pacific and Indian oceans. The first half of the 19th century saw as well a rapid rise in whaling, with New London emerging as one of the New England industry's three biggest home ports after Nantucket and New Bedford . The state was known for its political conservatism, typified by its Federalist party and the Yale College of Timothy Dwight . The foremost intellectuals were Dwight and Noah Webster , who compiled his great dictionary in New Haven. Religious tensions polarized
3784-405: The Thames River which eventually drew the reprisal from the British force led by Arnold. Connecticut ratified the U.S. Constitution on January 9, 1788, becoming the fifth state. The state prospered during the era following the American Revolution, as mills and textile factories were built and seaports flourished from trade and fisheries. After Congress established in 1790 the predecessor to
3870-505: The U.S. Senate from 1952 to 1963; his son George H. W. Bush and grandson George W. Bush both became presidents of the United States. In 1965, Connecticut ratified its current constitution , replacing the document that had served since 1818. In 1968, commercial operation began for the Connecticut Yankee Nuclear Power Plant in Haddam ; in 1970, the Millstone Nuclear Power Station began operations in Waterford . In 1974, Connecticut elected Democratic Governor Ella T. Grasso , who became
3956-421: The United States ( Philadelphia ), August 17, 1793, p. 508, reported an alternate diagnosis, "He was taken ill about the middle of May last, and from that time declined till his death. His physician supposed his disorder to be seated in his liver." He was buried in New Haven Green . In 1821, when that cemetery was relocated, his remains were moved to the Grove Street Cemetery . Jonathan Edwards Jr. gave
4042-477: The antecedents of a maritime tradition that would later produce booms in shipbuilding, marine transport, naval support, seafood production, and leisure boating. Historical records list the Tryall as the first vessel built in Connecticut Colony, in 1649 at a site on the Connecticut River in present-day Wethersfield. In the two decades leading up to 1776 and the American Revolution, Connecticut boatyards launched about 100 sloops , schooners and brigs according to
4128-400: The development of the federal government of the United States . In 1787, Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth , state delegates to the Constitutional Convention , proposed a compromise between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans; its bicameral structure for Congress , with a respectively proportional and equal representation of the states in the House of Representatives and Senate ,
4214-410: The federal government to be elected directly by the people". His views were also influenced by his personal beliefs and Puritan views. Sherman opposed slavery and used the issue as a tool for negotiation and alliance. He believed that slavery was already gradually being abolished and the trend was moving southward. Sherman saw that the issue of slavery could be one that threatened the success of
4300-432: The federal government, which brought it to its present boundaries (other than minor adjustments with Massachusetts). For the first time in 1800, Connecticut shipwrights launched more than 100 vessels in a single year. Over the following decade to the doorstep of renewed hostilities with Britain that sparked the War of 1812, Connecticut boatyards constructed close to 1,000 vessels, the most productive stretch of any decade in
4386-466: The first constitutional document in America. The Quinnipiack Colony was established by John Davenport , Theophilus Eaton , and others at New Haven in March 1638. The New Haven Colony had its own constitution called "The Fundamental Agreement of the New Haven Colony", signed on June 4, 1639. Each settlement was an independent political entity, established without official sanction of the English Crown. In 1662, Winthrop traveled to England and obtained
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#17328760216544472-515: The first practical helicopter . The helicopter saw limited use in World War II, but future military production made Sikorsky Aircraft 's Stratford plant Connecticut's largest single manufacturing site by the start of the 21st century. Connecticut lost some wartime factories following the end of hostilities, but the state shared in a general post-war expansion that included the construction of highways and resulting in middle-class growth in suburban areas. Prescott Bush represented Connecticut in
4558-437: The first significant clash between colonists and Native Americans in New England. The Pequot had been aggressively extending their area of control at the expense of the Wampanoag to the north, Narragansett (east), Connecticut River Valley Algonquian tribes and the Mohegan (west), and Lenape Algonquian people (south). Meanwhile, the Pequot had been reacting with increasing aggression to colonial territorial expansion. In response to
4644-425: The first time that a major party presidential ticket included someone of the Jewish faith. Gore and Lieberman fell five votes short of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney in the Electoral College. In the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 , 65 state residents were killed, mostly Fairfield County residents who were working in the World Trade Center . In 2004, Republican Governor John G. Rowland resigned during
4730-421: The first woman in any state to be elected governor without being the wife or widow of a previous governor. Connecticut's dependence on the defense industry posed an economic challenge at the end of the Cold War . The resulting budget crisis helped elect Lowell Weicker as governor on a third-party ticket in 1990. Weicker's remedy was a state income tax which proved effective in balancing the budget, but only for
4816-418: The following year. John Winthrop the Younger of Massachusetts received a commission to create Saybrook Colony at the mouth of the Connecticut River in 1635. A large group of Puritans arrived in 1636 from Massachusetts Bay Colony , led by Thomas Hooker , who established the Connecticut Colony at Hartford. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut were adopted in January 1639, and have been described as
4902-399: The long river", both referring to the Connecticut River . Evidence of human presence in the Connecticut region dates to as far back as 10,000 years ago. Stone tools were used for hunting, fishing, and woodworking. Semi-nomadic in lifestyle, these peoples moved seasonally to take advantage of various resources in the area. They shared languages based on Algonquian . The Connecticut region
4988-427: The northern part of present-day Ohio called the Connecticut Western Reserve . The Western Reserve section was settled largely by people from Connecticut, and they brought Connecticut place names to Ohio. Connecticut made agreements with Pennsylvania and New York which extinguished the land claims within those states' boundaries and created the Connecticut Panhandle . The state then ceded the Western Reserve in 1800 to
5074-449: The outfitting of six new regiments in 1775, in the wake of the clashes between British regulars and Massachusetts militia at Lexington and Concord. There were some 1,200 Connecticut troops on hand at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775. In 1775, David Bushnell invented the Turtle which the following year launched the first submarine attack in history, unsuccessfully against a British warship at anchor in New York Harbor. In 1777,
5160-425: The public appeal. He defended amending the articles declaring that it was in the best interest of the people and the most probable way the people would accept changes to a constitution. "The problem with the old government was not that it had acted foolishly or threatened anybody's liberties, but that it had simply been unable to enforce its decrees." Sherman advanced the idea that the national government simply needed
5246-414: The rights of conscience, and may promise to the whole people, solemnly in our name, the free and undisturbed exercise of their religion. And ... that all civil rights and the rights to hold office were to be extended to persons of any Christian denomination." In 1784, Sherman was elected mayor of New Haven, which office he held until his death. As a member of the First Continental Congress , Sherman signed
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#17328760216545332-414: The role and power of the states over the people. Mr. Wilson & Mr. Sherman moved to insert after the words "coin money" the words "nor emit bills of credit, nor make any thing but gold & silver coin a tender in payment of debts" making these prohibitions absolute, instead of making the measures allowable (as in the XIII art) with the consent of the Legislature of the U.S. ... Mr. Sherman thought this
5418-421: The said line come not within 10 miles [16 km] of Hudson River". This agreement was observed by both sides until war erupted between England and The Netherlands in 1652. Conflict continued concerning colonial limits until the Duke of York captured New Netherland in 1664. Most Colonial royal grants were for long east-west strips. Connecticut took its grant seriously and established a ninth county between
5504-424: The shared opinion that the elected composition of the national government should be reserved for the vote of state officials and not for election by the will of the people. Sherman was wary of allowing ordinary citizen participation in national government and stated that the people "should have as little to do as may be about the Government. They want information and are constantly liable to be misled". While Sherman
5590-439: The short-term. He did not run for a second term, in part because of this politically unpopular move. In 1992, initial construction was completed on Foxwoods Casino at the Mashantucket Pequots reservation in eastern Connecticut, which became the largest casino in the Western Hemisphere. Mohegan Sun followed four years later. In 2000, presidential candidate Al Gore chose Senator Joe Lieberman as his running mate, marking
5676-405: The southwestern part of the state. Connecticut is the third-smallest state by area after Rhode Island and Delaware , and the 29th most populous with slightly more than 3.6 million residents as of 2020 , ranking it fourth among the most densely populated U.S. states . The state is named after the Connecticut River , the longest in New England, which roughly bisects the state and drains into
5762-423: The state, as the Congregational Church struggled to maintain traditional viewpoints, in alliance with the Federalists. The failure of the Hartford Convention in 1814 hurt the Federalist cause, with the Democratic-Republican Party gaining control in 1817. Connecticut had been governed under the " Fundamental Orders " since 1639, but the state adopted a new constitution in 1818. Connecticut manufacturers played
5848-413: The states, which was supported by the New Jersey Plan introduced by William Paterson that Sherman helped author. Sherman saw no reason for bicameralism. He defended the unicameral legislature of the Articles of Confederation by stating that the more populous states had not "suffered at the hands of less populous states on account of the rule of equal voting". Sherman, Elbridge Gerry and others were of
5934-563: The war effort, especially to Washington's army outside New York City. General William Tryon raided the Connecticut coast in July 1779, focusing on New Haven, Norwalk, and Fairfield. New London and Groton Heights were raided in September 1781 by Benedict Arnold, who had turned traitor to the British. At the outset of the American Revolution, the Continental Congress assigned Nathaniel Shaw Jr. of New London as its naval agent in charge of recruiting privateers to seize British vessels as opportunities presented, with nearly 50 operating out of
6020-427: The war, ranking ninth among the 48 states, with major factories including Colt for firearms, Pratt & Whitney for aircraft engines, Chance Vought for fighter planes, Hamilton Standard for propellers, and Electric Boat for submarines and PT boats. In Bridgeport, General Electric produced a significant new weapon to combat tanks: the bazooka . On May 13, 1940, Igor Sikorsky made an untethered flight of
6106-414: The war. The cessation of imports from Britain stimulated the construction of factories to manufacture textiles and machinery. Connecticut came to be recognized as a major center for manufacturing, due in part to the inventions of Eli Whitney and other early innovators of the Industrial Revolution . The war led to the development of fast clippers that helped extend the reach of New England merchants to
6192-517: Was "nothing more than an institution for carrying the will of the Legislature into effect". Two proposed options for the formation of the legislative branch emerged in the deliberations. One was to form a bicameral legislature in which both chambers had representation proportional to the population of the states, which was supported by the Virginia Plan. The second was to modify the unicameral legislature that had equal representation from all of
6278-419: Was a devout supporter of a unicameral legislature, he recognized that this goal was unattainable because it would not receive the support of the more populous states. With the aide of Oliver Ellsworth , Sherman repeatedly proposed a bicameral compromise where one house had representation proportional to the population, and the other had equal representation for the states. Some scholars have identified Sherman as
6364-435: Was a major benefactor of Yale College , acting as the university's treasurer for many years and promoting construction of a college chapel. Sherman opposed appointment of fellow signer Gouverneur Morris as minister to France because he considered that high-living Patriot to be of an "irreligious nature". Sherman died in his sleep on July 23, 1793, after a two-month illness diagnosed as typhoid fever . The Gazette of
6450-477: Was a member of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence. Sherman served as a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention , which produced the United States Constitution. After Benjamin Franklin , he was the second oldest delegate present at the convention. Sherman favored granting the federal government power to raise revenue and regulate commerce, but initially opposed efforts to supplant
6536-535: Was adopted and remains to this day. In January 1788, Connecticut became the fifth state to ratify the Constitution . Connecticut is a developed and affluent state, performing well on the Human Development Index and on different metrics of income except for equality . It is home to a number of prestigious educational institutions, including Yale University in New Haven , as well as other liberal arts colleges and private boarding schools in and around
6622-517: Was also an important U.S. Navy supplier, with Electric Boat receiving orders for 85 submarines, Lake Torpedo Boat building more than 20 subs, and the Groton Iron Works building freighters. On June 21, 1916, the Navy made Groton the site for its East Coast submarine base and school. The state enthusiastically supported the American war effort in 1917 and 1918 with large purchases of war bonds,
6708-527: Was also appointed treasurer of Yale College , and awarded an honorary Master of Arts degree. He was a professor of religion for many years, and engaged in lengthy correspondences with some of the theologians of the time. During February 1776, Sherman, George Wythe , and John Adams were members of a committee responsible for establishing guidelines for U.S. Embassy officials in Canada with the committee instructions that included, "You are to declare that we hold sacred
6794-595: Was appointed justice of the peace in 1762 and judge of the court of common pleas in 1765. During 1766, Sherman was first elected to the Governor's Council of the Connecticut General Assembly , where he served until 1785. From 1784 to 1785, he also served as a judge of the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors . Sherman served as Justice of the Superior Court of Connecticut from 1766 to 1789. Sherman
6880-836: Was inhabited by multiple Native American tribes which can be grouped into the Nipmuc , the Sequin or "River Indians" (which included the Tunxis , Schaghticoke , Podunk , Wangunk , Hammonasset , and Quinnipiac ), the Mattabesec or "Wappinger Confederacy" and the Pequot-Mohegan . Some of these groups still reside in Connecticut, including the Mohegans , the Pequots , and the Paugusetts . Dutchman Adriaen Block
6966-646: Was initially claimed by the Dutch colony New Netherland , which included much of the land between the Connecticut and Delaware Rivers, although the first major settlements were established by the English around the same time. Thomas Hooker led a band of followers from the Massachusetts Bay Colony to form the Connecticut Colony , while other settlers from Massachusetts founded the Saybrook Colony and
7052-586: Was married two times and had a total of fifteen children, with thirteen reaching adulthood. Sherman married Elizabeth Hartwell (born August 31, 1726, in Stoughton, Massachusetts ) on November 17, 1749. Elizabeth died on October 19, 1760. Sherman married Rebecca (also spelled Rebekah) Prescott (born on May 20, 1742, in Danvers, Massachusetts ) on May 12, 1763, and had eight children: Rebecca, Elizabeth, Roger, Mehetabel (1st), Mehetabel (2nd), Oliver, Martha and Sarah. Sherman
7138-460: Was not only a member but whose membership was sympathetic to the views of the less populous states. The plan that emerged from the Grand Committee, originally introduced by Sherman, and which known as became the Connecticut Compromise , was designed to be acceptable to both the more and less populous states: the people would be represented proportionally in one branch of the legislature, called
7224-400: Was spent as a shoemaker. However, he had an aptitude for learning, access to a good library owned by his father, and a Harvard -educated parish minister, Rev. Samuel Dunbar, who took him under his wing. In 1743, his father's death led to Sherman moving with his mother and siblings to New Milford, Connecticut . There, in partnership with his brother William, he opened the town's first store,
7310-626: Was the first European explorer in Connecticut. He explored the region in 1614. Dutch fur traders then sailed up the Connecticut River , calling it Versche Rivier ("Fresh River") and building a fort at Dutch Point in Hartford, which they named "House of Hope" ( Dutch : Huis van Hoop ). The Connecticut Colony originally consisted of several smaller settlements in Windsor, Wethersfield, Saybrook, Hartford, and New Haven. The first English settlers came in 1633 and settled at Windsor, then at Wethersfield
7396-472: Was the first U.S. Naval Officer killed in the Civil War. Connecticut casualties included 2,088 killed in combat, 2,801 dying from disease, and 689 dying in Confederate prison camps. A surge of national unity in 1861 brought thousands flocking to the colors from every town and city. However, as the war became a crusade to end slavery, many Democrats (especially Irish Catholics) pulled back. The Democrats took
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