How do I develop historical context for a Connecticut ancestor?

Of the genealogical uses of AI currently being discussed is AI’s purported ability to establish historic context. In reality, LLMs aren’t that great at specifics – they’re looking at predictive patterns, so they’re likely to pull in anything strongly associated with the question you asked. In a recent test, that lead to an LLM extensively explaining how tobacco was grown in Lyme, Connecticut. Tobacco is one of the best known crops in late 19th and early 20th century Connecticut – which is why the LLM pulled in the information – but it was grown in the Windsor area, much further north. To get specific information about an ancestor’s experience in a certain time and place, it’s best to do the research by hand.

Many of us will start online, just with a search engine instead of an LLM. Once we do that, we get into the complicated discussion of media literacy. How do we know the website we’re looking at is reliable for historical research?

The National Association for Media Literacy Education offers a list of questions for you to consider when evaluating a site.

Key Questions

Let’s apply them to a research question. My ancestor, Joshua Warren Stark, was recorded on the 1900 census for Lyme, Connecticut as a farmer. I want to know what crops he might have grown. I’ll ask this question to Google: What crops were grown in Lyme, Connecticut in 1900?

Here are the first five results:

Let’s look at the first one, from Connecticut History.org.

We can try to answer the key questions:

Authorship:

  • Who made this? Connecticut History.org is funded by Connecticut Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment of the Humanities.
  • Who was and was not involved in the creation of this? “The project was developed in partnership with the University of Connecticut Digital Media Center, University of Connecticut Libraries, and the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University.”
  • When was this made? It has been online since 2012 and is still being added to.

Purpose:

  • Why was this made? To teach about Connecticut history.
  • What does it want me to do? Not really clear.
  • Who is the target audience? People interested in Connecticut history.

Economics:

  • Who paid for this? Connecticut Humanities
  • Who makes money from this? The writers

Just by looking at the big picture questions, we have a good sense the source might be reliable. It’s produced by organizations focused on education; it’s not bringing them income (not “clickbait”); and the content is relatively recent.

The site might be reliable, but is the article? More to come….

What was the Land Army – and how did it function in Connecticut?

The Woman’s Land Army of America was created in an effort to address a farm worker shortage during the First World War (“The Woman’s Land Army of America in World War I,” Digital History 511: Theory & Practice). Formally chartered in December 1917 (Weiss, Fruits of Victory, 67-68), the Land Army received a Connecticut chapter soon after (Fruits of Victory, 139-140). Eventually thirteen units of female volunteer “farmerettes” were created:Greenwich, Litchfield, Middletown, New Canaan, New Milford, Stonington, Washington, Wilton, Old Mystic, Pomfret, and three units on Long Island staffed by Connecticut College (Fruits of Victory, 140).

New Milford’s unit was somewhat controversial, as it focused on the tobacco harvest (“The New Milford Unit: The Woman’s Land Army of America in World War I,” Digital History 511: Theory & Practice)

Bibliography:

“The Woman’s Land Army of America in World War I,” Digital History 511: Theory & Practice (https://library.ccsu.edu/dighistFall16/exhibits/show/the-woman-s-land-army-of-ameri: accessed 1 July 2024)

“The New Milford Unit: The Woman’s Land Army of America in World War I,” Digital History 511: Theory & Practice (https://library.ccsu.edu/dighistFall16/exhibits/show/the-woman-s-land-army-of-ameri/the-new-milford-unit: accessed 1 July 2024)

Weiss, Elaine F. Fruits of Victory: The Woman’s Land Army of America in the Great War. Washington, DC: Potomac Books, 2008.

Looking for books on Connecticut history?

American Revolution:

Anderson, Virginia DeJohn. The Martyr and The Traitor: Nathan Hale, Moses Dunbar, and the American Revolution. New York: Oxford University Press, 2017.

Rees, John U. ‘They Were Good Soldiers’: African-Americans Serving in the Continental Army, 1775-1783. Warwick, England: Helion & Company, 2019.

Biography

Mahan, Russell. Thomas Leffingwell: The Connecticut Pioneer Who Rescued Chief Uncas and the Mohegans. Santa Clara, UT: Historical Enterprises, 2018.

Tomlinson, Richard G. Gershom Bulkeley, Zealot for Truth: The Conscience of Colonial Connecticut. N.P..: Richard G. Tomlinson, 2018.

Civil War

Banks,John. Hidden History of Connecticut Union Soldiers. Charleston,SC: The History Press, 2015.

Gordon, Lesley J. A Broken Regiment: The 16th Connecticut’s Civil War. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2014.

Staley,Patricia F. Norwich and the Civil War. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2015.

Ethnic History

Hofffman, Betty N, editor. A History of Jewish Connecticut: Mensches, Migrants and Mitzvahs. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2010.

Genealogy

MacLachlan, Linda. Finding Early Connecticut Vital Records: The Barbour Index and Beyond. Springfield, VA: Clearfield Co, 2019. This study of early vital records does an excellent job explaining the function and structure of the Barbour Index, as well as what resources are available at the Connecticut State Library. Do be aware outside resources are not well explained.

Maps

Virga, Vincent and Diana Ross McCain. Connecticut: Mapping the Nutmeg State Through History. Guilford,CT: Globe Pequot, 2018.

Natural Disasters

Hubbard, Robert. A History of Connecticut’s Deadliest Tornadoes: Catastrophe in the Constitution State. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2015.

New Haven Colony

Blue, Jon C. The Case of the Piglet’s Paternity: Trials from the New Haven Colony, 1639-1663. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2015.

Occupations

Dunlap, Brianna E. Connecticut Valley Tobacco. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2016.

Ritter, Kathy A. Apprentices of Connecticut, 1637-1900. Salt Lake, UT: Ancestry Publishing, 1986. A finding aid to Connecticut apprenticeship records.

Slavery

Smith,Venture and Elizabeth J. Normen. Venture Smith’s Colonial Connecticut. West Hartford, CT: Connecticut Explored, 2019. An annotated version of Venture Smith’s narrative designed for children.

Stark, Bruce P. The Myth and Reality of Slavery in Eastern Connecticut. Cheshire, CT: The Connecticut Press, 2023.

Town Histories

Elliott, Melinda K. Connecticut Schoolhouses Through Time. N.P.: America Through Time, 2017. Largely a pictorial study, this text provides brief histories of Connecticut’s surviving historic schoolhouses.

Lehman, Eric D. Connecticut Town Greens: History of the State’s Common Centers. Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot, 2015. Part travel book, part history, this book can provide useful details on a town green.

Transit

DeLuca, Richard. Paved Roads & Public Money: Connecticut Transportation in the Age of Internal Combustion. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2020.

Griswold,Wick and Stephen Jones. Connecticut’s River Ferries. Charleston: The History Press, 2018. This text is mixed between contemporary accounts and historical narrative.

Hesselberg, Erik. Night Boat to New York: Steamboats on the Connecticut. Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot, 2022.

Miller, Max R. Along the Valley Line: The Story of the Connecticut Valley Railroad. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2017.

What was Saybrook Colony?

                 The settlement of Saybrook was part of a trading dispute between the English and the Dutch.[1] Seeking to control trade on the Connecticut River, the Dutch had built a trading point at what is now Saybrook Point by 1632.[2] In 1631, the British Earl of Warwick had issued “the Warwick Patent,” giving control of a large section of southern New England to those named in the patent.[3]  In 1635, John Winthrop, fearing that the Dutch would establish permanent control of the river, built a fort on the Point.[4]

                 The following year, the community found itself in the midst of the Pequot War.[5]  In that year, the Pequot community attacked both Cornfield Point and Guardhouse Point, with the intention of driving out the Saybrook Settlers.[6]

                 In 1644, George Fenwick, acting as Governor, sold Saybrook Colony to Connecticut Colony.[7]

Contemporary Towns Included in Saybrook Plantation[8]:

  1. Chester
  2. Deep River (called Saybrook until 1947)[9]
  3. Essex
  4. Lyme
  5. Old Lyme
  6. Westbrook
  7. Old Saybrook

Reference Texts:

Plimpton, Elizabeth Bull. The Vital Records of Saybrook Colony, 1635-1860.

[1] “1635-Saybrook,” The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut (https://www.colonialwarsct.org/1635.htm: accessed 5 June 2024).

[2] “1635-Saybrook.”

[3] “History of Old Saybrook,” Old Saybrook Historical Society (https://saybrookhistory.org/history-of-old-saybrook/: accessed 5 June 2024).

[4] “History of Old Saybrook.”

[5] “Lion Gardiner Helps to Fortify Early Old Saybrook,” Connecticut History.org, 24 November 2020(https://connecticuthistory.org/lion-gardiner-helps-to-fortify-early-old-saybrook/: accessed 5 June 2024).

[6] “Lion Gardiner Helps to Fortify Early Old Saybrook.”

[7] “History of Old Saybrook.”

[8] “1635-Saybrook.”

[9] “List of Connecticut Towns & Counties Including Year Established,” Connecticut State Library (https://ctstatelibrary.org/cttowns/counties: accessed 5 June 2024).

Where do I start researching New Haven Colony?

Looking for the records of ancestors residing in New Haven Colony?

Here’s where to start:

Records:

What were the English Civil Wars, and how did they impact Connecticut?

In the 1640s, England fell into Civil War over the rule of Charles I. After much conflict, Charles was executed in January 1649. Oliver Cromwell took over, essentially pushing England into a military dictatorship. The monarchy was restored in May 1660, with Charles II.

The Wars impacted Connecticut in two ways. First, some of those who had signed the death warrant of Charles I fled to New Haven after the Restoration, hiding out for fear of execution. The Colony hid them. Second and more importantly, they resulted in Connecticut receiving a royal charter for the first time. That charter, among other innovations, absorbed New Haven Colony into Connecticut Colony.

Want to learn more? All links lead to reference resources.

Tax list or grand list?

Tax lists of all kinds can provide a valuable resource for documenting residency, particularly in colonial or early American Connecticut. Because Connecticut collects property taxes on the town level, finding someone in the tax lists is a good indication that they lived or at minimum owned property in that area. Yet, it’s important to realize that Connecticut towns often kept two types of lists.

The most familiar to out of state genealogists will be the lists kept by the tax collectors, which list how much someone paid in tax. These lists are retained inconsistently but may be found both within the town meeting minutes and as separate volumes. They may be found on FamilySearch; at the Connecticut Library; and onsite at the town hall. (Historic tax records are typically held by the town clerk, not by the tax collector.)

Connecticut also keeps something called the “grand list.” The grand list is the list of assets considered taxable. If you ever wanted to know if your ancestor was being taxed because they owned a home or just a cow, this is how you find out. These records are typically held – if they survive – at the town clerk. Some will go back as far as the Revolutionary War era. Retention is very inconsistent for older records.

If you’re having a hard time parsing through the various types of taxes, be sure to check out “As True as Taxes.”

Happy hunting!

Westmoreland County, Connecticut

Founded in 1753, the Susquehanna Company sought to permit European settlement near the Susquehanna River using an argument that the area was granted in Connecticut’s 1662 charter. (Jackson Kuhl, “The Incredibly Convoluted History of Westmoreland County, Connecticut,” Journal of the American Revolution, 29 October 2014 (https://allthingsliberty.com/2014/10/the-incredibly-convoluted-history-of-westmoreland-county-connecticut/: accessed 18 April 2024). Settlement in the area began – after much conflict – in 1769. (Kuhl, “The Incredibly Convoluted History”.) In 1773, Connecticut was given Royal permission for the settlement. (“Connecticut’s Susquehanna Settlers,” CT State Library (https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/hg/maps/susquehanna: accessed 19 April 2024)).

However, Connecticut was not the only colony with a claim to the area: Pennsylvania had one as well. (“Connecticut’s Susquehanna Settlers.”) The two sides were involved in a series of skirmishes that lasted from 1763 to 1799 that came to be known as the Yankee-Pennamite Wars. (Thomas Verenna, “Connecticut Yankees in a Pennamite’s Fort,” Journal of the American Revolution, 20 February 2014 (https://allthingsliberty.com/2014/02/connecticut-yankees-in-a-pennamites-fort/: accessed 20 April 2024)).

Only in 1799 did the two states come to an agreement allowing the settlers from Connecticut to remain – although the land would belong to the state of Pennsylvania. (“December 28: When Eastern Pennsylvania Belonged to Connecticut,” Today in Connecticut History, 28 December 2023 (https://todayincthistory.com/2023/12/28/december-28-when-eastern-pennsylvania-belonged-to-connecticut-4/: accessed 20 April 2024)).

Resources:

“Connecticut’s Susquehanna Settlers,” CT State Library (https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/hg/maps/susquehanna: accessed 19 April 2024).

What is historiography, and how might it impact your Connecticut genealogy research?

Historiography’s definition is much debated, but those definitions proposed all have some overlap. In a library guide, Princeton librarian for History and African American Studies Steven Knowlton explains historiography as “In the broadest sense […] the study of the history of history (as it is described by historians). ” In 2007 article, Caroline Hoefferle explained “Like most historians, I previous valued it [historiography] as a way to explore the methods and theories of other historians who have studied the topics I am researching; to gain a better sense of where my own research fits in and to see more clearly where there are gaps in the scholarship. ” (Hoefferle, Caroline. “Teaching Historiography to High School and Undergraduate Students.” OAH Magazine of History 21, no. 2 (2007): 40–44. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25162115.) To summarize, historiography might be considered the analytical study of the writing of history.

How might historiography influence your Connecticut genealogy research?

\When we study our ancestors, one of the things we look at is historical context. What was going on around them? What experiences might they have had? What might they have lived through or seen? What laws or experiences might have shaped the sources we have about them? Oftentimes, we’re drawing the context material from some sort of reference text, whether it be a professional genealogist’s website or a history book.

We don’t often think about what approach the text’s writer might have taken in writing the material, what they might have chosen to emphasize or what they might have left out – but perhaps we should. Those gaps can sometimes prove crucial to better understanding our ancestors’ lives.

Just to provide an example, the experiences of families of color in Connecticut has been the focus of much recent scholarship. Many of the references texts focus on the pre- and post-Antebellum period, by which they mean the Civil War. Yet, in 1792, the Connecticut militia was restricted to white males, while had it been integrated prior. What changed in 1792? And is that some thing that might have impacted the life of an ancestor? Would it make more sense to our individual study to take a different approach and focus on a different timeline?

Connecticut Congregational Church Records

Because the Congregational Church was the “state church” of Connecticut until the Constitution of 1818, many Connecticut ancestors were Congregational by default. As a result, Congregational Church records should be part of your search.

In the early 20th century, the Connecticut State Library began a project to preserve church records. They asked churches to submit their older records and made a photostat copy of each book. In some cases, the Library retained the originals and returned the photostat; in other cases, they did the opposite. The bulk of churches that participated were Congregational. The full list can be found here.

Approximately 25% of these records were indexed and abstracted into the Connecticut Church Records Abstract collection. Those not indexed were still microfilmed. Digital images of that microfilm can be found on FamilySearch, typically through the catalog search.

If you do not find your ancestor listed, it’s important to confirm that you haven’t missed a church. While the Congregational Church is well represented in the State Library’s collection, the collection does not include every Congregational church in the state. Some still have their records available only onsite.