An Orderly & Decent Government: Making Self-Government Work, 1819-1865
April 12, 2018
In the mid-19th century, Connecticut looked toward changing its electoral processes as well as its civil rights record. …[more]
Civil War and Reconstruction
Celebrating Civil War Men and Women – Today in History: April 9
April 9, 2018
Today marks the anniversary of not only one, but two Civil War anniversaries. On April 9th, 1927 the Woman’s Relief... Read more » …[more]
Categories: Civil War, Civil War and Reconstruction, Women
A Civil War Soldier Engineers an Iconic Career
March 6, 2018
Horatio Wright was a Connecticut native who served with distinction during the Civil War. Rising rapidly through the ranks of... Read more » …[more]
Categories: Civil War, Civil War and Reconstruction, Clinton, Science
Abraham Lincoln’s Republican Rally – Today in History: March 5
March 5, 2018
On March 5, 1860, Abraham Lincoln addressed the Republicans of Hartford at City Hall. He spoke to the danger of... Read more » …[more]
Categories: Civil War and Reconstruction, Hartford, Politics and Government
“An Admirable Portrait” of Frederick Douglass
February 3, 2018
Hartford photographer Stephen H. Waite capitalized on the public's interest in the great abolitionist. …[more]
Categories: Civil War, Civil War and Reconstruction, Slavery and Abolition
Reel Lawn Mower Patent – Today in History: January 28
January 28, 2018
On January 28, 1868, Amariah Hills of Hockanum, Connecticut, received the first US patent for a reel-type lawn mower. In... Read more » …[more]
Categories: Business and Industry, Civil War and Reconstruction, East Hartford, Glastonbury, Invention and Technology
From the State Historian: Connecticut’s Slow Steps Toward Emancipation
January 3, 2018
Slavery remained in the Land of Steady Habits until 1848, and it was not quick to advance suffrage for African Americans, either. …[more]
Categories: Civil War, Civil War and Reconstruction, Noah Webster, Slavery and Abolition
Connecticut’s Chickamauga Tree: An Investigation
September 19, 2017
The Connecticut State Capitol displays part of a tree with a cannonball lodged in it. While it is believed to be a remnant of the battle at Chickamauga Creek during the Civil War, evidence exists suggesting the artifact may have been fabricated for the purpose of commercial sale. …[more]
Categories: Civil War, Civil War and Reconstruction, Civil War Monuments at the Capitol, Folklore
Cornelius Bushnell and His Ironclad Ship
July 18, 2017
Cornelius Scranton Bushnell was a 19th-century Connecticut businessman and shipbuilder whose successful lobbying efforts on behalf of a local railroad... Read more » …[more]
Categories: Civil War, Civil War and Reconstruction, Gideon Welles, Madison, New Haven, War and Defense, Work
The Civil War Commences: Connecticut’s Involvement in the Civil War
April 12, 2017
Diaries, letters, and other documents provide firsthand witness to the sacrifices of Connecticut men and women during the years of bloody conflict. …[more]
