December 2017 – Digital Farmington

Republican Motherhood and Sarah Pierce’s Litchfield Female Academy

December 31, 2017 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 0 Comment

Author: Emily McAdam Before the American Revolution, New Englanders considered learning to be masculine and education for girls unnecessary. However, women’s contributions to the political revolution as protesters, spies, nurses, camp followers, and household and business managers led to a social revolution that not many anticipated. Americans believed that a republic depended on a virtuous and informed citizenry, which gave mothers new importance in the home and justified the existence of educational institutions for girls. Litchfield, Connecticut embodied this revolution…

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The Service of Africans from Connecticut in the American Revolution

December 26, 2017 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 2 comments

Author: Kenneth Neal The American Revolutionary War era is consistently at the forefront of the consciousness of Americans, whether in touting the contributions of the founding fathers, or boldly asserting rights promised by the Constitution. The present day development of American Revolutionary War consciousness has been shaped by a selective use of the historical written record from the American Revolution that has devoted considerable attention to the subjects of the ‘Founding Fathers’ and ‘Rights’. A recent collaboration of a number…

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Building Peace after the Revolution: William Spratts and Old Gate Mansion

December 20, 2017 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 0 Comment

Author: Teresa Lewis Today, many historians are attempting to revise Connecticut’s revolutionary history by presenting a more complete historical picture, including the plight of loyalists and prisoners of war in New England both during and after the conflict. During the war, many loyal Tories were imprisoned in jails located in central Connecticut, including one at Farmington (Gilbert, 287). One such prisoner was William Spratts. Unlike many other loyalists and British soldiers, however, Spratts stayed in the United States following…

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Tale of Two Trumbulls: The Arts in Connecticut During and After the American Revolution

December 15, 2017 Dr. Katherine Hermes Comments 0 Comment

Author: Chelsea Marti Connecticut became known as the “Provision State” during the American Revolution because the colony was one of the main providers of supplies, such as guns and food, to the Continental Army. However, other than a surplus of guns and food, there was also a surplus of art coming out of this colony during this time, specifically in the form of paintings and poetry. Coincidentally, the two Connecticut men most commonly associated with the arts during this time…

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