Connecticut Colony facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Connecticut Colony
1636–1776
Flag
Map of the Connecticut, New Haven, and Saybrook colonies
Status	Colony of England (1636–1707) Colony of Great Britain 1707–1776
Capital	Hartford (1636–1776) New Haven (joint capital with Hartford, 1701–76)
Common languages	English, Mohegan-Pequot, Quiripi
Religion	Congregationalism (official)
Government	Constitutional monarchy
Legislature	General Court is the Colony of Connecticut
History
• Established	March 3 1636
• Independence	1776
Currency	Connecticut pound
Preceded by Succeeded by Saybrook Colony New Haven Colony Connecticut
Today part of	United States  ∟Connecticut

The Connecticut Colony was an English colony in New England. It was also known as the Connecticut River Colony or River Colony. This colony later became the state of Connecticut in the United States.

It started on March 3, 1636, as a place for a group of Puritans to live. The English took full control of the area in 1637 after some struggles with the Dutch. The colony was also where a war happened between the colonists and the Pequot people. This war was called the Pequot War.

The Connecticut Colony was very important for self-government in the New World. It refused to give up its local power to the Dominion of New England. This event is known as the Charter Oak incident. It happened at an inn owned by Jeremy Adams.

Two other English settlements in the area joined the Connecticut Colony. These were the Saybrook Colony in 1644 and the New Haven Colony in 1662.

Who Led the Connecticut Colony?

Early Leaders and Laws

In 1638, the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut were written. These were like the colony's first constitution. They may have been written by Roger Ludlow, who was a lawyer. He was the only trained lawyer living in Connecticut at that time.

The New Haven Colony was founded by Reverend John Davenport and a merchant named Theophilus Eaton. This colony later joined Connecticut.

In the early years, a governor could not serve two terms in a row. So, the job of governor rotated between John Haynes and Edward Hopkins for 20 years. Both were from Hartford. Other men from Hartford, like George Wyllys, Thomas Welles, and John Webster, also served as governor for short times.

Important Governors

John Winthrop the Younger was the son of the founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He helped bring the separate settlements on the Connecticut River together into one colony. He was Governor of Connecticut from 1659 to 1675. He also helped get the colony's 1662 charter, which included New Haven into Connecticut. His son, Fitz-John Winthrop, also served as governor for 10 years starting in 1698.

Major John Mason was an important military leader. He commanded the forces in the Pequot War. He also helped found towns like Windsor, Saybrook, and Norwich. He served as Deputy Governor under Governor Winthrop.

Roger Ludlow was a lawyer who studied at Oxford University. He asked the General Court for permission to settle land. He also helped solve land disputes. He is believed to have written the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. He was also the first Deputy Governor of Connecticut.

William Leete was governor of the New Haven Colony before it joined Connecticut. He later became governor of Connecticut after Winthrop died in 1675. He is the only person to have been governor of both colonies.

Robert Treat served as governor both before and after the colony was part of the Dominion of New England. His father, Richard Treat, was one of the first people to get a land grant for the colony.

Roger Wolcott was a weaver and politician. He served as governor from 1751 to 1754. His son, Oliver Wolcott, signed the Declaration of Independence. He was also a major general in the Connecticut Militia during the Revolutionary War.

What Was Religion Like?

The first colonies along the Connecticut River and in New Haven were started by Puritans. These Puritans were connected to the Massachusetts and Plymouth colonies. They had Calvinist religious beliefs. They believed their churches should be separate from the English state church. They came to New England during a time called the Great Migration.

By the mid-1700s, the government made rules about who could vote. You needed to own property and be a member of a church. Congregationalism was the official church in the colony.

How Did the Colony Grow and Live?

The economy of Connecticut Colony started with farmers growing just enough food for themselves. This was called subsistence farming. Over time, the economy grew and became more varied. People started producing goods to sell in faraway markets. A big market was the British colonies in the Caribbean.

The American Revolution stopped imports from Britain. This encouraged people in Connecticut to start making their own goods. They used their skills and ideas to build new factories. In the late 1700s, there were some challenges. Good farmland was becoming scarce. There were also money problems and lower prices for goods sold to other places.

Farmers started growing less grain and raising more animals. The colonial government tried to encourage the production of certain goods for export. These included hemp, potash, and lumber. This was to help the economy and improve trade with Great Britain.

The houses in Connecticut showed a mix of styles. They mostly reflected the English building traditions.

See also

In Spanish: Provincia de Connecticut para niños

• List of colonial governors of Connecticut
• History of the Connecticut Constitution
• Connecticut Western Reserve
• History of Springfield, Massachusetts