Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the United States, located in the northeastern part of the country. Southwestern Connecticut is part of the Tri-State Region or New York metropolitan area, which also includes northern New Jersey and southern New York.
Beginning in 1614, the original European settlers were Dutch, but by 1636, Connecticut became a British colony. Connecticut was one of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. Residents of Connecticut are sometimes referred to as Nutmeggers or Yankees.
Connecticut has the highest per capita income in the country, and ranks 1st in median household income. Connecticut is the 29th most populous state and 48th state for largest area, making it the 4th most densely populated state.
The name "Connecticut" originates from the Mohican word for the Connecticut River, quinnitukqut, meaning "long tidal river." The first European explorer in Connecticut was the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block. After he explored this region in 1614, Dutch fur traders sailed up the Connecticut River (named Versche Rivier by the Dutch) and built a fort near present-day Hartford, which they called "House of Hope" (Dutch: Huys de Hoop). The first English settlers came in 1633. They were Puritans from Massachusetts, led by the Puritan reverend Thomas Hooker. They founded the Connecticut Colony in 1636. Colonies were also established at Old Saybrook and New Haven, which later became part of Connecticut. Historically important colonial settlements included:
Windsor (1633),
Wethersfield (1634),
Saybrook (1635),
Hartford (1636),
New Haven (1638),
and New London (1646).
Because the Dutch were outnumbered by the English settlers, they left their fort in 1654. Its first constitution, the "Fundamental Orders," was adopted on January 14, 1639, while its current constitution, the third for Connecticut, was adopted in 1965. Connecticut is the fifth of the original thirteen states.
The western boundaries of Connecticut have been subject to change over time. According to a 1650 agreement with the Dutch, the western boundary of Connecticut ran north from the west side of Greenwich Bay "provided the said line come not within 10 miles [16 km] of Hudson River." On the other hand, Connecticut's original Charter in 1662 granted it all the land to the "South Sea," i.e. the Pacific Ocean. This probably added confusion to the early forefathers because the Pacific Ocean is located on the west coast of the United States. Agreements with New York, the "Pennamite Wars" with Pennsylvania over Westmoreland County, followed by Congressional intervention, and the relinquishment and sale of the Western Reserve lands brought the state to its present boundaries.
