Fresh water fish are abundant, and common birds include the robin, song sparrow, wood thrush, snowy owl and winter wren. Roaming the forests and meadows were black bear, white-tailed deer, red and gray foxes, timber wolf, cougar, panther, raccoon, and enough rattlesnakes to pose a serious danger. The state’s hillsides and uplands support a variety of flowers and plants, like the mountain laurel, pink azalea, trailing arbutus, Solomon’s seal, along with ferns, cattails, cranberry, sweet pepperbush and spicebush. Sometimes called the ‘Arsenal of the Nation’, the state became one of the most industrialized in the nation.Ĭonnecticut has an impressive diversity of vegetation zones. Connecticut played a prominent role in the Revolutionary War, serving as the Continental Army’s major supplier. Connecticut’s population expanded gradually. They also adopted the fundamental orders, which established a government for the colony.
In 1638-39, representatives of the three Connecticut River towns- Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield- met at Hartford and formed the colony of Connecticut. These settlers had been attracted to the area by the excellent reports they got from some of their members. They built a small fort which they soon abandoned as English settlers moved into the area in increasing numbers in 1633. In 1614, Dutch explorers explored the Connecticut River.