January 2018 – Digital Farmington

Sodomy Laws in Connecticut

January 30, 2018 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 0 Comment

Author: Nicole Fontaine It is hard to imagine that the “Blue” state of Connecticut once utilized the death penalty for homosexual behavior. In the era of Puritan law, colonial Connecticut and New Haven used England’s 1533 statute against homosexuality as an example. With this statute, homosexual acts became a capital crime (Crompton 277). It was not until the post-revolutionary period that Connecticut and the other colonies loosened their sodomy laws. The colony of Connecticut followed its English predecessors by making…

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The 1776 Election of Hartford’s Black Governor

January 22, 2018 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 0 Comment

Author: Chris Menapace From 1749 to 1855, Black communities around Connecticut elected leaders, named “Black Governors.” Little information is available on the men who held the title of Black Governor, but there is evidence of at least 27 individuals from 11 different towns, including Farmington. This position of leadership among free and enslaved black people was not unique to Connecticut. Black Governors, sometimes referred to as Black Kings, were elected in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire; yet Connecticut had…

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Daggett’s Charge: The Revolution in New Haven

January 15, 2018 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 2 comments

Author: Ian Long On the morning of July 5th British ships with troops under the command of Major General William Tryon sailed into New Haven’s harbor, bringing the Revolutionary War to the Connecticut college town. A great deal of local legend has grown up around the events of that unusually hot summer day and no small figure in these stories is that of Dr. Naphtali Daggett. This Yale College professor, like a number of New Haven residents, took up arms…

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Paper and Provisions: Christopher Leffingwell and Connecticut during the American Revolution

January 7, 2018 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 3 comments

Author: Amirah Neely Connecticut is often referred to as “the Provision State” and the nickname comes from the era of the American Revolution. During this time, Connecticut, the third smallest state, provided more food and cannons for Washington’s army than any other state. Its location between Boston and New York City was ideal for collecting, storing, and transporting goods. The pathways that were used by early traders in Connecticut became the trade routes during the war. When the British gained control…

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