Early Settlers of Connecticut
Important Dates in the History of the Settlement of the
Colony of Connecticut Until Unification with the Colony of New Haven in 1665
1614: Adriaen Block, a Dutch explorer, sails along the Connecticut
coast, and up the Connecticut River. Claims the area for the Dutch.
1632: By this time the Dutch have established trading posts along the
coast and along the Connecticut River for a short distance inland.
1633: The Dutch buy a parcel of land from the Indians, on what is the
present site of Hartford, and build a fort/trading post.
1633: The English build a trading post in the area where the Farmington
River empties into the Connecticut River. This site becomes the Town of
Windsor.
1634: The English establish a settlement, under Capt. John Oldham, south
of the Dutch trading post at Hartford. It becomes the Town of Wethersfield.
1635: English establish a permanent settlement at Hartford under the
direction of John Steel. Additional "Founders"
of Windsor, arrive. By the end of April 1636 most of the congregation of the
Dorchester, Massachusetts church settles in what is now Windsor.
1636: Other "Founders"
of Hartford, including the Rev. Thomas Hooker, Rev. Samuel Stone, and most
of the congregation of the First Church of Christ of New Towne (now
Cambridge, Massachusetts), move to Hartford.
1636: The Towns of Hartford, Windsor and Wethersfield unite to form the
Colony of Connecticut.
1637: English defeat the Pequots in a brief but bloody war.
1638: A group of wealthy Puritans under the leadership of John Davenport
found the Colony of New Haven.
1639: Henry Whitfield helps establish the Town of Guilford.
1639:
Fundamental Orders adopted by the Colony of Connecticut. Serve as
the framework of civil government for the colony.
1662: Colony of Connecticut obtains a royal
charter from Great Britain, which unites it with the New Haven
Colony. This charter serves as Connecticut's constitution until 1818.
1665: The Colonies of Connecticut and New Haven are officially united.
Sources:
Bixby, William. Connecticut: A New Guide. [CSL call number:
HistRef F 92.3 .B59].
The Encyclopedia of Connecticut: A Volume of the Encyclopedia of the
United States [CSL call number: HistRef F 92 .E53 1994].
The World Book Encyclopedia. 1987 Edition, Volume 4 [CSL
call number: AE 5 .W55 1987].
Prepared by the History and Genealogy Unit, Connecticut State
Library. Revised 2-04.
