Now Viewing: Role of Connecticut in U.S. History
Connecticut’s Utopia: The Enfield Shaker Community
To what extent is a “perfect society” attainable?
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Anti-Racist Allies and Accomplices in Connecticut History
In what ways are both anti-racist allies and anti-racist accomplices important in the struggle for social justice?
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Telling Their Stories: African Americans in the American Revolution
How do historians reconstruct the stories of people from the past?
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The Role of Enslaved People in Founding Connecticut
Why should enslaved people be seen as “founders” of Connecticut?
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Understanding the Census: Tracking Connecticut’s Black Population
How did attitudes towards slavery and Black Americans change over time in early Connecticut?
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The Triumph and Tragedy of Urban Renewal
Who decides what infrastructure is good for people?
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Freedom and Liberty in 1776
What did “freedom” mean at the time of the American Revolution?
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Historic Taverns of Connecticut
What role did taverns play in people’s lives in Connecticut during the late 18th and early 19th century?
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LGBTQ+ History in Connecticut: Colonial Era Laws and Legislation
How did colonial laws marginalize LGBTQ+ individuals?
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No to Nazis in Connecticut: Southbury Takes a Stand
To what extent can individuals be agents of change in their communities?
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The Problem with “Delinquent Women”: The Connecticut State Farm for Women, 1915-1938
To what extent should individuals, groups, and/or institutions have the power to make decisions about the lives and welfare of others?
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Governor Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. Defies the Embargo Act of 1807
When can a U.S. state refuse to follow a federal law?
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Housing Segregation in Connecticut
In what ways is segregation still practiced in the United States today?
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From Freedom Seeker to American Success: James L. Smith in Norwich
To what extent was the North a “land of opportunity” for people of color in the early 1800s?
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Indigenous Students and Connecticut’s Mission Schools
How can we achieve a better understanding of the past in the absence of primary sources that represent the full picture?
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Mary Townsend Seymour: A Hartford Activist Fights for Equity
In what ways have communities of color advocated for equity?
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Asian American History in the Civil War Era: Connecticut’s Connection to the Trade in Indentured Chinese Workers
How have American conceptions of freedom and equality changed throughout U.S. history for members of various racial, ethnic, religious, and gender minority groups?
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The Hartford Convention: An Act of Treason?
Was the Hartford Convention an act of treason?
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Locals Stand Strong: The Battle of Stonington in the War of 1812
What is the significance of a military victory in the face of overwhelming odds, both at the time of the event and when looking back on history?
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Late 1960s Civil Unrest in Connecticut’s Capital City
What conditions led to civil unrest in the 1960s?
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The Chinese Educational Mission and How Asian American Stories Reframe American History
How did participating in the Chinese Educational Mission influence both its students and America?
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Bilingual Education for Spanish Speakers in 1970s Hartford
How have communities advocated for fair and equal access to education in Connecticut?
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The Black Panthers and the May Day Rally in New Haven
How is the First Amendment used to advocate for justice in America?
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Eugenics in Connecticut: Legislating Genetic Purity in the Nutmeg State
Are all reforms good?
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Post-World War II Puerto Rican Farm Labor Migration to Connecticut
How did Connecticut industries influence migration and immigration to the state and the development of new communities?
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Visions of Change: Colt and the Growth of Industrial Connecticut
What impact did industrialization have on people’s lives in the mid- to late-19th century?
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Life Along the Salmon Brook: A Connecticut Town in the Early Industrial Era
How did the Industrial Revolution change small towns in Connecticut/New England?
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Connecticut’s Ratification of the Constitution
How are decisions made about how a nation should be governed?
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The Fundamental Orders: Rules and Laws for Early Colonial Connecticut
What is the best way to organize a government? How did laws and rules in the colonies both promote and hinder freedom and equality?
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A Connecticut Lawyer Stands for Human Rights
To what extent is the international community responsible for the protection of human rights?
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“Women of Connecticut: Are You Helping?” The Reaction to Emergency Food Measures During World War I
Do government campaigns to promote “voluntary” patriotic efforts in a time of war strengthen or weaken American democracy?
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Connecticut Prepares for War, 1917
How does the role of government change in a time of war?
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Joining the War Effort, One Peach Pit at a Time
How does an entire society participate in war?
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Free Speech and Seditious Speech on the CT World War I Home Front
Does free speech exist in a time of war?
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The Civilian Conservation Corps in Connecticut
How did the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) impact Connecticut?
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Caleb Brewster & The Culper Ring
In what ways did “ordinary” Americans contribute to the American Revolution?
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New London’s Role in American Independence
What was Connecticut’s role in the American Revolution?
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The Inventions of A. A. Hotchkiss And Sons
How did Sharon, Connecticut, manufacturers A. A. Hotchkiss and Sons contribute to major innovations in U.S. history?
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