The state of Connecticut is known as the “Constitution State” because of the important role it played in our nation’s history. The state’s delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 worked out the Connecticut Compromise that broke the deadlock over how many men each state should elect to the United States Congress. Connecticut is an important industrial state and a favorite vacation land.
As a quick aside, my late wife and I visited this state several years ago when we went on vacation with the late Dr. Fay Smith, and his wife Deverell, as she had a high school classmate back home in Arkansas who lived there. They met us at the airport in Hartford and helped us get on our way as we rented a van and got personally acquainted with New England. It’s very beautiful country.
Connecticut is the Southeastern most of the New England states. The state is bordered on the north by Massachusetts, on the east by Rhode Island, and on the west by New York and Long Island Sound. The state has only eight counties and the land area consists of 5,009 square miles, which is 90 miles east to west and 75 miles north to south. Connecticut ranks 48th in size in the country. Only Delaware and Rhode Island have smaller areas. The population of the state is approximately 3.1 million people and Hartford is the capital. It is also known as “Insurance City.” The largest city is Bridgeport, and other important industrial and trade centers are New Haven, Waterbury, and Stamford.
Connecticut was one of the 13 original colonies and ratified the United States Constitution on January 9, 1788, to become our 5th state. The word Connecticut comes from an Algonquin Indian word meaning “On the Long Tidal River”, as the mighty Connecticut River cuts through the center of the state and flows into Long Island Sound. The state flower is the Mountain Laurel, the state tree is the White Oak, the state bird is the Robin, and the official state motto is “He who transplanted still sustains.”
The state of Connecticut has a rich history in the fields of science and technology. Eli Whitney made the state the birthplace of mass production and technology. I think he is the guy who said, “Keep your cotton-picking hands off my gin.” Just kidding. Some highlights of this industrial giant of the Northeast include the first nuclear submarine “The Nautilus” built at Groton and launched in 1954. Yale University at New Haven was founded in 1701, making it the oldest institution of higher learning in the nation.
And some final thoughts about our trip several years ago to this beautiful state and the impression it made on us. The thing that stood out for me was how clean everything was, no trash or dilapidated buildings dotted the landscape. And we also learned the cost of real estate and other things were so terribly expensive. This was especially true when it came to personal property taxes. Whether true or not, we were led to believe that the reason for this is that these good people do not want other people moving there.
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(Jim Davidson is an author, public speaker, syndicated columnist, and Founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. Since its inception in the Log Cabin Democrat in 1995, Jim’s column has been self-syndicated in over 375 newspapers in 35 states. For a personalized copy of “Your Future Begins Today” send $20, which includes postage and handling, to Jim Davidson, 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)