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Summer 26: America at 250. When the Connecticut River Decided Independence. In Search of Joseph Knap. John Hooker: Hartford’s Abolitionist Lawyer. Meet the authors at our summer FUNdraiser!
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When the Connecticut River Decided Independence
If you’re from Connecticut you know the Nutmeg State is split down the middle, with die-hard Yankee fans to the west, and passionate Red Sox fans in the east, a decades long-rivalry that is still a fiery debate. During the 1760s, the same geographical divide separated competing visions and eventually dictated the colony’s role in the Revolution.
In Search of Joseph Knap
What do 47 years of personal journal entries tell us about the Revolution? These seemingly mundane notes scattered across 151 pages of business and storekeeping accounts might surprise you.
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The Latest From Grating the Nutmeg
John Hooker: Hartford’s Abolitionist Lawyer
In this episode, you’ll be introduced to John Hooker, a Hartford lawyer, judge, and abolitionist as well as a reformer for women’s rights. Hooker was the president of the anti-slavery committee in Hartford, published the Charter Oak anti-slavery newspaper with the Connecticut Anti-Slavery Society of Hartford, and co-authored with his wife Isabella Beecher Hooker, the state bill in 1877 that gave married women more control of their property. Why isn’t he better known?
Listen: John Hooker: Hartford’s Abolitionist Lawyer
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Big news! It’s a special summer supper with some of our best-loved Connecticut Explored authors and you’re invited! Join us for an early evening cocktail and light meal while meeting the people who bring you your favorite magazine! Come and make suggestions to our team and our authors about the themes and articles you would like to see covered in Connecticut Explored or on our Grating the Nutmeg podcasts. Share your ideas for our future!
We’re all about making Connecticut history interesting, accessible and engaging for you. Your presence and support make a huge difference. To purchase tickets, read about the authors, and review the menu click below. RSVP by June 30th, 2026.
Programs and Exhibitions to Enjoy This Season:
A Tin Can on a String: Conversations from the Collection
A Tin Can on a String: Conversations from the Collection (May 16 – August 9), is a collaborative project by artists and lifelong friends Kat Murphy and Heidi Johnson that reimagines the Lyman Allyn Art Museum’s collection through a contemporary lens. Working both onsite and within the Museum’s digital archives, the artists engage in a creative dialogue with historical objects; riffing on historical forms, textures, and narratives translating them into new works in painting, collage, and sculptural form. The exhibition captures the intimate exchange between artist and artifact, past and present, an unfolding conversation made visible. Through their collaborative process, Murphy and Johnson turn research into relationship, reflection into response, offering visitors an inside look at how inspiration travels: from the quiet depths of the archive to the vibrant surface of contemporary art.
Lyman Allyn Art Museum, 625 Williams Street, New London. Lymanallyn.org; 860-443-2545
Experience Tavern Life in 18th-Century Fairfield
Built around 1780, Fairfield’s Sun Tavern rose from the ashes of the British raid that burned much of the town in 1779. Originally operated by Samuel Penfield, who purchased the property near the Town Green in 1761, the tavern quickly reclaimed its place at the heart of community life. In 1789, newly elected President George Washington stayed the night during his tour of New England.
Sun Tavern became a private home in the early 19th century and was later donated to the Town of Fairfield in 1978, serving as government office space. In 2007, in partnership with the Fairfield Museum, Sun Tavern was restored close to its 18th century origins.
Visit the Sun Tavern this summer to experience the central role of tavern life in 18th-century Fairfield, Connecticut. While you’re there, explore our exhibition Fairfield 1776 to Today to learn more about Fairfield’s history and its evolution over time.
Fairfield Museum & History Center, 370 Beach Road, Fairfield. Fairfieldhistory.org; 203-259-1598
Historic Dutch Tall Ship Oosterschelde to Anchor Greenwich Historical Society’s Signature America’s 250th Celebration
Greenwich Historical Society will host a major community celebration of America's 250th anniversary during a signature weekend of events culminating on June 28, 2026, with Sunday at the Park with George, bringing together history, culture, music, education, and civic pride for one of Connecticut’s signature America’s 250th celebrations. The celebration will center on the arrival of the historic Dutch tall ship Oosterschelde in Greenwich Harbor at Delamar Greenwich Harbor and a free public festival at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park on Sunday, June 28, from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
The Oosterschelde, the largest restored Dutch sailing ship in operation and one of the world’s most celebrated historic tall ships, will dock in Greenwich Harbor as part of its international voyage. The vessel will serve as the centerpiece of the celebration and will be open for free public tours throughout the day.
The event is free and open to the public. Advance registration is encouraged.
For registration and event information, visit greenwichhistory.org/America-250th/.
Fully Restored. Fully Reimagined. Fully Yours.
Summer 2026 marks a joyful return: the reopening of Hartford Public Library’s Downtown Library and the first public access to the newly renovated Hartford History Center. To celebrate, we are proud to present four exhibitions that honor Hartford’s creativity, resilience, and deep community roots, past and present. Together, these exhibits invite visitors to reconnect with the city’s stories, its neighborhoods, and its enduring spirit as the country also commemorates the 250th anniversary of its founding. To learn more, visit hplct.org.
Hartford History Center at the Downtown Library, Hartford Public Library, 500 Main Street, Hartford. hplct.org; 860-695-6297
Editor’s Picks:
Walter Woodward, “What’s a Puritan, and Why Didn’t They Stay in Massachusetts?” Connecticut Explored, Summer 2005.
Sal Lilienthal and Mary Collins, “Pedaling and Paddling Connecticut’s Path to Independence,” Fall 2024