History & Genealogy Unit

A Bibliography of Books on Connecticut's History

This bibliography is intended to serve as a guide to the wide variety of published materials available on Connecticut's history; it is by no means comprehensive. For additional resources, consult the State Library's catalog and guide to History Reference Resources. Please note: materials designated as "SpecColl" or "Wells Collection" are subject to the Rules and Procedures for Researchers Using Archival Records and Secured Collections Materials. Many of the works listed may also be found in other Connecticut libraries; consult reQuest, the statewide library catalog for locations.

Bibliographies | Boundaries, Geography and Place Names | General Works | Guides | Histories for Children | Journals | Local Histories | Monographs Covering Specific Periods

Bibliographies
Most books treating specific areas of Connecticut's history published through 1982 are listed in:

Collier, Christopher and Bonnie Collier. The Literature of Connecticut History. (The Connecticut Scholar, Occasional Papers of the Connecticut Humanities Council, Number 6). Middletown, CT: Connecticut Humanities Council, 1983 [CSL call number HistRef AS 36 .C8 A1 no. 6; also available online]. An extensive annotated bibliography arranged chronologically and topically. Categories include culture, government, Indians, industry, transportation, and women. This is an important tool for beginning Connecticut historical research.

See also:

Freidel, Frank Burt. The Harvard Guide to American History. 2 vols. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1974 [CSL call number Z 1236 .F77 1974].

Parks, Roger, ed. Connecticut: A Bibliography of Its History. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1986 [CSL call number HistRef Z 1265 .C66 1986].

Parks, Roger, ed. New England: Additions to the Six State Bibliographies. Hanover, NH: University Press of England, 1989 [CSL call number HistRef Z 1251.E1 N454 1989].

Trumbull, J. Hammond. List of Books Printed in Connecticut, 1709-1800. Hartford: Hartford Press, The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co, 1904 [CSL call number Wells Collection Z 1265 .T8 1904].

Boundaries, Geography, and Place Names
Barber, John W. Connecticut Historical Collections: Containing a General Collection of Interesting Facts, Traditions, Biographical Sketches, Anecdotes, &c., Relating to the History and Antiquities of Every Town in Connecticut, With Geographical Descriptions. New Haven: J. W. Barber; Hartford, A. Willard, 1836 [CSL call number SpecColl F 94 .B23 1836].

Hughes, Arthur H. and Morse S. Allen. Connecticut Place Names. Hartford: Connecticut Historical Society, 1976 [CSL call number HistRef F 92 .H83]. Useful in locating old or unofficial names in Connecticut geography.

Long, John H., ed. Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994 [CSL call number HistRef G 1211 .F7 A8 1994.

Pease, John C. and John M. Niles. A Gazetteer of the States of Connecticut and Rhode-Island.... Hartford: Printed and Published by William S. Marsh, 1819. Reprint. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, Inc., 1991 [HistRef F 92 .P36 1991].

General Works
A good starting point for researching Connecticut's history is A Series in Connecticut History, which was a publication of the Center for Connecticut Studies of Eastern Connecticut State University. The Series includes: Puritans against the Wilderness: Connecticut History to 1763, by Albert E. Van Dusen; From Revolution to Constitution: Connecticut, 1763-1818, by David M. Roth and Freeman Meyer; Preachers, Rebels, and Traders: Connecticut, 1818-1865, by Janice Law Trecker; From Yankee to American: Connecticut, 1865 to 1914, by Ruth O.M. Andersen; and A Diverse People: Connecticut 1914-Present, by Herbert F. Janick. Cheshire, CT: Pequot Press, 1975 [CSL call number HistRef ConnDoc St 22eacs se vols. 1-5].

See also:

Beardsley, Thomas R. Connecticut Speaks for Itself: Firsthand Accounts of Life in the Nutmeg State From Colonial Times to the Present Day. Middletown, CT: Connecticut Humanities Council, 1996 [CSL call number F 93 .C675 1996].

Bingham, Harold J. History of Connecticut. 4 vols. New York: Lewis Historical Society Pub. Co., 1962 [CSL call number F 94 .B5 1962].

Buel, Richard, ed. Connecticut Observed: Three Centuries of Visitors' Impressions, 1676-1940. Hartford: The Acorn Club, Connecticut Humanities Council, 1999 [CSL call number F 94 .C665 1999].

Clark, George L. A History of Connecticut: Its Peoples and Institutions. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1914 [CSL call number F 94 .C59].

Crofut, Florence S. M. Guide to the History and Historic Sites of Connecticut. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1937 [CSL call number HistRef F 94 .C88 1937]. Almost seventy years old, but still an unmatched resource.

Encyclopedia of Connecticut. New York: Somerset Publishers, 1994 [CSL call number HistRef F 92 .E 53 1994].

Grant, Ellsworth S. The Miracle of Connecticut. Hartford: Connecticut Historical Society and Fenwick Productions, 1992 [CSL call number F 94 .G73 1992].

Johnston, Alexander. Connecticut: A Study of a Commonwealth Democracy. New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Co., 1887 [CSL call number F 94 J7 1887].

Morgan, Forrest, ed. Connecticut as a Colony and a State. 4 vols. Hartford: The Publishing Society of Connecticut, 1904 [CSL call number F 94 .M84].

Osborn, Norris G., ed. History of Connecticut in Monographic Form. 5 vols. New York: The States History Co., 1925 [CSL call number F 94 .O82 1925].

Peters, Samuel A. A General History of Connecticut. New York: D. Appleton and Co., 1877 [CSL call number F 97 .P29 1877].

The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut. 15 vols. Hartford: Brown and Parsons, 1850-1890 [CSL call number HistRef ConnDoc G 25]. These records are also available online.

The Public Records of the State of Connecticut. Hartford: Press of the Case Lockwood & Brainard Co., etc., 1894- [CSL call number HistRef ConnDoc G 25].

Register and Manual - State of Connecticut. Hartford: Secretary of State, annual. [CSL call number Conn Doc R26] Quick source for basic town descriptions, town clerk contact information, and location of current villages and districts which are not towns; available in any Connecticut public library. The latest edition of this publication is available online.

Roth, David. Connecticut: A Bicentennial History. New York: Norton, 1979 [CSL call number F 94 .R67].

Roth, David, ed. Celebrate Connecticut: 350 Years, 1635-1985; Connecticut History and Culture An Historical Overview and Resource Guide for Teachers. Willimantic, CT: Connecticut Historical Commission, Center for Connecticut Studies, Eastern Connecticut State University, 1985 [CSL call number HistRef ConnDoc H 65 cohi].

Tercentenary Commission of the State of Connecticut. Committee on Historical Publications. Tercentenary Pamphlet Series. New Haven: Published for the Tercentenary Commission by the Yale University Press, 1933-1936 [CSL call number HistRef ConnDoc T 271h p].

Trumbull, Benjamin. A Complete History of Connecticut. 2 vols. New London: H. D. Utley, 1898 [CSL call number F 97 .T79 1898].

Van Dusen, Albert E. Connecticut. New York: Random House, 1961 [CSL call number HistRef F 94 .V3].

Guides to Connecticut Research
Each of the following provides guidance on locating records in Connecticut, basic information on towns, useful contact information and suggestions of additional relevant publications:

Eichholz, Alice, ed. Ancestry's Red Book: American State, County & Town Sources. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc., 1991 [CSL call number HistRef CS 49 .A55 1991].

Melnyk, Marcia D. Genealogist's Handbook for New England Research. Fourth Edition. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999 [HistRef F 3 .G466 1999].

Kemp, Thomas Jay. Connecticut Researcher's' Handbook (v. 12 in the Gale Genealogy and Local History Series ) [CSL call number HistRef Z 1265 .K45 1981] Provides researchers with a handy guide to the resources available in particular towns and counties. Best used in conjunction with Connecting to Connecticut [below] for more up-to-date- town contact information.

Morrison, BettyJean. Connecting to Connecticut. East Hartford, CT: Connecticut Society of Genealogists, Inc., 1995 [CSL call number HistRef F 93 .M65 1995]. Town by town listing of dates of records held, town clerks and other local contacts.

Histories for Children
Bailey, Bernadine. Picture Book of Connecticut. Chicago: A. Whitman, 1955 [CSL call number F94 .3 B3].

Fradin, Dennis Brindell and Judith Bloom Fradin. From Sea to Shining Sea: Connecticut. Chicago: Children's Press, 1994 [H&G Office Copy].

Gelman, Amy. Connecticut. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1991 [H&G Office Copy].

Halliburton, Warren J. The People of Connecticut. Norwalk, CT: Connecticut Yankee, 1984 [CSL call number F 93 .H35 1984].

Hoyt, Joseph Bixby. The Connecticut Story. New Haven: Reader's Press, 1961 [CSL call number F 94.3 H6].

Humphreville, Frances T. This is Connecticut. Syracuse, NY: L. W. Singer, 1963 [CSL call number F 94 .3 H8].

Newton, Caroline Clifford. Once Upon a Time in Connecticut. New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Co., 1916 [CSL call number F 95 N55].

Wills, Charles A. A Historical Album of Connecticut. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press, 1995 [H&G Office Copy].

Journals
Selected journal titles published on the subject of Connecticut history are listed below. For additional materials, consult the State Library catalog.

Antiquarian and Landmarks Society. Newsletter. Hartford: Antiquarian and Landmarks Society, 1997- [CSL call number  F91 .A58].

Connecticut History. New Haven: Association for the Study of Connecticut History, 1974- [CSL call number F 91 .C668].

Connecticut League of Historical Societies. League Bulletin. Darien, CT: Connecticut League of Historical Societies, Inc., 1965- [CSL call number F 91 .C752].

The Connecticut Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly. Hartford: The Connecticut Magazine Co., 1898-1908 [CSL call number F 91 .C625]. A typescript index is in F 91 .C625 Subject Index.

Connecticut Preservation News. New Haven: Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, 1989- [CSL call number F91 .N48].

Hog River Journal. Hartford: Hartford Public Library, 2002- [CSL call number F 104.H3 H64].

Local Histories
A Selected Bibliography of Connecticut Local Histories That Include Genealogical Information and General Genealogical Compilations

For additional resources, consult the State Library catalog using a "Subject" or a "Keyword" search such as "Windsor Conn History".

Monographs Covering Specific Periods
Representative monographs are listed below. For additional resources, consult the State Library catalog and our guide to History Reference Resources.

Andrews, Charles M. The Colonial Period of American History. 4 vols. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1934 [CSL call number E 188 .A572]. See vol. 2, Chapters 3-5.

Appleby, Joyce Oldham. Inheriting the Revolution: The First Generation of Americans. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press, 2000 [CSL call number E 301 .A65 2000].

Bickford, Christopher P., et al. eds., Voices of the New Republic: Connecticut Towns, 1800-1832. 2 vols. New Haven: Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2003 [CSL call number HistRef Q11 .C85 vols. 26-27].

Bushman, Richard L. From Puritan to Yankee: Character and Social Order in Connecticut, 1690-1765. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1967 [F 97 .B89 1967].

DeForest, John W. History of the Indians of Connecticut, From the Earliest Known Period to 1850. Hartford: W. J. Hamersley, 1851 [CSL call number E 78 .C7 D4 1851].

Lane, Jarlath R. A Political History of Connecticut During the Civil War. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1941 [CSL call number F 99 .L25 1941].

Morse, Jarvis M. A Neglected Period of Connecticut's History, 1818-1850.  New Haven: Yale University Press, 1933 [CSL call number F 99 .M78].

Purcel, Richard J. Connecticut in Transition, 1775-1818. Washington, DC: American Historical Association, 1918 [CSL call number F 99 .P98].

Taylor, Robert J. Colonial Connecticut: A History. Millwood, NY: KTO Press, 1979 [CSL call number F 97 .T25].

Zeichner, Oscar. Connecticut's Years of Controversy, 1750-1776. [Chapel Hill], NC: Published for the Institute of Early American History and Culture at Williamsburg, VA, by the Univ. of North Carolina Press [1949], [CSL call number F 97 .Z4 1949].

Prepared by the History and Genealogy Unit, Connecticut State Library. Revised 10-96, 02-99, 09-04. © 2004