Connecticut
There were several early Connecticut settlers. Some of these settlers include the Native Americans, the Dutch, as well as the English.
Connecticut was founded as a colony in 1662, although there were settlements as early as the 1630's, led by a man named Thomas Hooker.
The first major settlements were established by the English in the 1630's.
If you mean located/discoveredConnecticut:The Dutch trader Adriaen Block first explored the Connecticut coastline and Connecticut River and established trading posts there.If you mean founded Connecticut:However, the English were the first Europeans to found settlements in Connecticut. These English settlers were previously from Massachusetts.
Thomas Hooker founded the Connecticut Colony in 1636 on the site of present-day Hartford. It was a small settlement. Other small settlements were founded in the next several years both nearby and elsewhere in what we now consider the State of Connecticut, each with its own separate government. In 1662, a charter was obtained consolidating all the colonies on the Connecticut River plus New Haven into a single colony, called the Connecticut Colony.
The settlement of Hartford, in what is now Connecticut, was one of the first settlements in what became the United States. It was founded by around 100 Puritans lead by Reverend Thomas Hooker.
The Pilgrims and Puritans settled primarily in the Connecticut River Valley. The Puritans established the colony of Hartford in 1636, while the Pilgrims were part of the early settlements around the area, including Windsor and Wethersfield. These settlements were driven by the desire for religious freedom and opportunities for land and trade. Over time, these communities contributed to the formation of the Fundamental Orders of 1638-1639, which established a framework for governance in the colony.
The Connecticut River Valley's fertile soil and favorable climate supported agriculture, making it an attractive location for early settlements. The river itself provided a reliable water source for irrigation, transportation, and trade, facilitating economic growth. Additionally, the valley's natural resources, such as timber and fish, further encouraged population growth and settlement development in the region.
In the 1600s, English settlements were primarily established along the eastern coast of North America. Notable colonies included Virginia, founded in 1607, and Plymouth in Massachusetts, established in 1620 by the Pilgrims. Additionally, the New England colonies, such as Massachusetts Bay and Connecticut, were formed during this period, as well as settlements in the Chesapeake region and the Carolinas. These early settlements were driven by various motivations, including economic opportunities, religious freedom, and territorial expansion.
Nucleated settlements Concentric settlements Spared settlements Mid-Rural area settlements
A group of individuals led by Thomas Hooker left the Massachusetts Bay Colony due to dissatisfaction with harsh rules and settled in the Connecticut River Valley. In 1639, three settlements joined to form a unified government creating a document called the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, the first written constitution in America. King Charles II officially united Connecticut as a single colony in 1662.