When 25-year-old Henry Opukahaia first set foot in the town of Cornwall, Connecticut in 1817, he carried on his shoulders the far-reaching hopes and dreams of some of Connecticut’s most powerful religious leaders. The charismatic young man, one of the first native Hawaiians to convert to Christianity, was also one of the first students…
Tag: new england
December 15: At The Hartford Convention, New England Discusses Leaving the United States.
Today in 1814, delegates from every New England state but Maine (which was still part of Massachusetts) met at the Old State House in Hartford to take action against what they saw as the federal government’s misguided and inept handling of the War of 1812. While the War of 1812 was officially a war…
July 27: The River That Made Us.
On this day in 1998, Vice President Al Gore officially designated the Connecticut River as an American Heritage River, one of only fourteen such waterways in the nation to be labeled as such. In his remarks, Gore recognized the central role the Connecticut played in shaping not only the environment and physical character of…
July 27: The Connecticut River Becomes an “American Heritage River”
On this day in Connecticut history, twenty years ago, Vice President Al Gore officially designated the Connecticut River as an American Heritage River, one of fourteen such waterways to be labeled as such. In his remarks, Gore recognized the central role major waterways like the Connecticut played in shaping not only the environment and…