Connecticut
History
The founding father of Connecticut, Thomas Hooker, was a Puritan minister and disagreed with the powers of Massachusetts, which led to Hooker dreaming of founding another colony. He also disagreed with the rule that only church members had the right to vote. In 1636, Thomas Hooker led 100 settlers from Newton in Massachusetts to what would become Hartford, Connecticut. He didn't want elected officials to have so much power like they did in Massachusetts, so he made a colony that had limits as to how far the government could go. Because Thomas Hooker was a Puritan minister, Puritan was the only legal religion in Connecticut for a while.
Important Documents
The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut: The founding document of Connecticut.
http://www.constitution.org/bcp/fo_1639.htm
Government
The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut gave all white males who were certified by a magistrate the right to vote. Usually, only white males who owned land were certified by a magistrate. Women and slaves weren't allowed to vote. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut also made sure the governor didn't have too much power. This was how the voting system worked - Connecticut had a legislature that was divided into two parts. These two parts were named the upper and lower class. Almost all men were allowed to vote for representatives of the lower class but only selected men could vote for the people who would be representing the upper class. Along with Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Connecticut was a royal colony, a colony in which the King of England granted a charter to the colonial government establishing the rules under which the colony was to be governed.
Geography
Connecticut was south of Massachusetts. To the east of Connecticut was Rhode Island. New York was both west and south of this colony. Along with New York, the Atlantic Ocean was also south of Connecticut. Because Connecticut soil was poor farming, Connecticut depended largely on fishing, whaling, livestock, and shipbuilding.
Economy
The economy of Connecticut was built up with the industries wheat, corn, fishing, tobacco, whaling, livestock, and shipbuilding. They did not farm too much because the soil there was very rocky and didn't produce many crops. The main occupations in this colony were farmer, fisherman, preacher, carpenter, blacksmith, barber, tailor, grocer. They also had a booming brass industry. Connecticut permitted slavery. The colony prospered because the Puritans were hard working. A minister once said "Those who will not sweat on earth shall sweat in hell." (Girod 39). Puritans also valued education so the kids went to school.
Religion
Until 1708, Puritan was the only legal religion in Connecticut. Their religion affected many things in their colony. One of the things it affected was their economic success. The were very hardworking because they believed that God didn't want them to be slackers. In the 1730s and 1740s, due to the Great Awakening, a series of religious revivals, Connecticut began to view religion as being a more personal and individual decision. Other religions began to strengthen and form churches after this movement. The Puritan religion was the strongest still and other religions were discriminated against until around the 1800's
Celebrity Residents
Thomas Hooker was the founding father of Connecticut. He led 100 settlers from Newtown, Massachusetts to Hartford, Connecticut to establish a new colony. John Haynes was the first governor of Connecticut. He served 8 separate terms from 1639 to 1654.
Target Resident Profile
This colony is great for farmers and slave owners because of the fertile soil in the Connecticut River Valley and permission for slavery. If you are a white male who owns land, definitely consider coming down to Connecticut because you will have many rights due to the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. Connecticut mainly has Puritan as their religion, but for those of you who want to start a church for your own religion, you may. If you are a Puritan and are thinking moving to Connecticut, make sure you are very hardworking because the residents of Connecticut are all generally hardworking due to their religious beliefs.
The founding father of Connecticut, Thomas Hooker, was a Puritan minister and disagreed with the powers of Massachusetts, which led to Hooker dreaming of founding another colony. He also disagreed with the rule that only church members had the right to vote. In 1636, Thomas Hooker led 100 settlers from Newton in Massachusetts to what would become Hartford, Connecticut. He didn't want elected officials to have so much power like they did in Massachusetts, so he made a colony that had limits as to how far the government could go. Because Thomas Hooker was a Puritan minister, Puritan was the only legal religion in Connecticut for a while.
Important Documents
The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut: The founding document of Connecticut.
http://www.constitution.org/bcp/fo_1639.htm
Government
The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut gave all white males who were certified by a magistrate the right to vote. Usually, only white males who owned land were certified by a magistrate. Women and slaves weren't allowed to vote. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut also made sure the governor didn't have too much power. This was how the voting system worked - Connecticut had a legislature that was divided into two parts. These two parts were named the upper and lower class. Almost all men were allowed to vote for representatives of the lower class but only selected men could vote for the people who would be representing the upper class. Along with Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Connecticut was a royal colony, a colony in which the King of England granted a charter to the colonial government establishing the rules under which the colony was to be governed.
Geography
Connecticut was south of Massachusetts. To the east of Connecticut was Rhode Island. New York was both west and south of this colony. Along with New York, the Atlantic Ocean was also south of Connecticut. Because Connecticut soil was poor farming, Connecticut depended largely on fishing, whaling, livestock, and shipbuilding.
Economy
The economy of Connecticut was built up with the industries wheat, corn, fishing, tobacco, whaling, livestock, and shipbuilding. They did not farm too much because the soil there was very rocky and didn't produce many crops. The main occupations in this colony were farmer, fisherman, preacher, carpenter, blacksmith, barber, tailor, grocer. They also had a booming brass industry. Connecticut permitted slavery. The colony prospered because the Puritans were hard working. A minister once said "Those who will not sweat on earth shall sweat in hell." (Girod 39). Puritans also valued education so the kids went to school.
Religion
Until 1708, Puritan was the only legal religion in Connecticut. Their religion affected many things in their colony. One of the things it affected was their economic success. The were very hardworking because they believed that God didn't want them to be slackers. In the 1730s and 1740s, due to the Great Awakening, a series of religious revivals, Connecticut began to view religion as being a more personal and individual decision. Other religions began to strengthen and form churches after this movement. The Puritan religion was the strongest still and other religions were discriminated against until around the 1800's
Celebrity Residents
Thomas Hooker was the founding father of Connecticut. He led 100 settlers from Newtown, Massachusetts to Hartford, Connecticut to establish a new colony. John Haynes was the first governor of Connecticut. He served 8 separate terms from 1639 to 1654.
Target Resident Profile
This colony is great for farmers and slave owners because of the fertile soil in the Connecticut River Valley and permission for slavery. If you are a white male who owns land, definitely consider coming down to Connecticut because you will have many rights due to the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. Connecticut mainly has Puritan as their religion, but for those of you who want to start a church for your own religion, you may. If you are a Puritan and are thinking moving to Connecticut, make sure you are very hardworking because the residents of Connecticut are all generally hardworking due to their religious beliefs.