CT Explored/Inbox
Summer 26: America at 250. Art and History: The National Story. An interview with Manisha Sinha. Learn about a housing complex for the disabled, run by the disabled. Plus, exciting upcoming events!
Sponsored Post
Dear Readers,
America is celebrating its 250th anniversary—its semiquincentennial. The Connecticut Semiquincentennial Commission, established by Governor Ned Lamont, identified four themes: Tell Inclusive Stories, Power of Place, Doing History, and For the Common Good. This issue tells inclusive stories of people from all backgrounds: enslaved and free; Indigenous, African, and European-descended; military and civilian. We especially highlight the Norwich region to showcase the power of place. Our articles, using diaries, letters, and genealogical tools, demonstrate how to conduct historical research and think historically. Historical societies, museums, libraries, schools, and towns have planned exhibits and other commemorative and festive events for the common good, many of which are featured in this year’s issues of Connecticut Explored.
The Declaration of Independence proclaimed the existence of a new nation, a republic whose citizens were born equal and entitled to rights. It listed many specific grievances against King George III, but those grievances are less remembered than the promises in its preamble. The semiquincentennial is a chance to reflect on those promises and keep them ever before us.
We hope you enjoy our expanded special Summer 2026 issue.
Happy reading,
Katherine Hermes, Publisher
FEATURED ARTICLES
Photo Essay: Art and History: The National Story
Famous paintings we associate with the American Revolution didn’t simply record events. Peel back the layers behind America’s founding imagery and you’ll find personal stories and artistic interpretations that helped invent the national story we still believe in today.
Making History with Manisha Sinha
As we approach a monumental anniversary, Manisha Sinha, the James L. and Shirley A. Draper Chair in American History at the University of Connecticut, shares her thoughts on the 250th.
Does our newsletter inspire you to want to dive deeper into Connecticut’s fascinating history? Connecticut Explored has options for everyone to enjoy.
Subscribe to our quarterly print magazine, delivered straight to your door. You’ll also have access to a digital PDF library of our magazines, right at your fingertips!
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Already a subscriber but want to further support the magazine? We’ve teamed up with Birdies for Charity, a giving platform that utilizes the excitement around the Travelers Championship to help nonprofits across the region raise awareness and funds to support their missions. Every donation dollar we raise will receive a bonus from the Bonus Bucks Pool! Donations are accepted through Sunday, June 28th, 2026.
Your gift provides important annual support for the continued publication of the magazine. Keep Connecticut history alive!
The Latest From Grating the Nutmeg
Pursuing Happiness: New Horizons Village
In 1955, a group of disabled young adults living at New Britain Memorial Hospital signed a letter declaring their intention to seek out "adventuresome living for the physically handicapped." They formed a nonprofit called New Horizons and set out on a thirty-year journey to raise money and navigate legal barriers in order to realize their most cherished dream: a housing complex for the disabled, run by the disabled.
Listen: Pursuing Happiness: New Horizons Village
Connecticut history matters - be part of it! You can help us celebrate our 10th anniversary and keep the podcast alive by giving a one-time donation or pledging $10 dollars a month. Support GTN today!
Out and About: Join us for Juneteenth on the New Haven Green
Coming up… on Saturday, June 13th, join us on the New Haven Green to celebrate Juneteenth. We will have swag and back issues for sale. See you there!
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:
Experience the Life of a British Soldier
The British are coming! Muster your friends and family to the Pardee-Morris House on July 5, 2026, from 12-4 p.m., as the CT 54th Regiment (a rousting band of reenactors) returns to where Redcoats torched the home of Amos Morris on July 5, 1779! Experience demonstrations of the life of a British soldier during the Revolutionary War, including camp life and musket firing. Converse with Redcoat reenactors and meet the “surgeon” who will demonstrate 18th-century medical procedures. The event is part of NH250 programming developed by New Haven Museum to complement “America 250.” Offered in collaboration with the Coastal Raids Tour Week with Fairfield Museum, Norwalk Historical Society and Westport Museum for History and Culture, the series commemorates the raids by the British along the Connecticut coastline in 1779.
The Pardee-Morris House - 325 Lighthouse Road, New Haven. View all the 250-related events offered this summer at: http://newhavenmuseum.org/visit/pardee-morris-house/.
New Haven Museum, 114 Whitney Avenue, New Haven. Newhavenmuseum.org; 203-562-4183
Where Connecticut’s Revolution was Won
In May 1781, General Washington and French Commander Rochambeau gathered at the Joseph Webb House in Wethersfield to plan the Yorktown Campaign—the decisive maneuver that ended the war.
Today, that house stands as it did when the arc of history turned within its walls.
This summer, two new exhibitions bring the full complexity of the founding era into focus. Remember the Ladies: Women of the Revolution revels stories of patriots and loyalists alike—including Wethersfield’s own Elizabeth Saltonstall Deane—who shaped the Revolution. American Girlhood: Needlework, Memory, and the Making of a Nation explores coming-of-age in the Revolutionary era through schoolgirl samplers. Each is a declaration of skill and identity, often revealing glimpses of the stitcher’s surroundings, cultural touchpoints, and sometimes even her political sentiments
A Fourth of July Jubilee, Revolutionary War Encampment, and the Feuding Founders Collective—a multi-site collaboration tracing the founding generation from Connecticut to Virginia—make Connecticut’s Revolutionary history tangible.
Webb Deane Stevens Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield. Wdsmuseum.org; 860-529-0612
Nominations Open for Statewide Museum Awards
The Connecticut League of Museums is pleased to announce the opening of nominations for the 2026 Awards of Merit. The awards recognize organizations and individuals for excellence in the museum field. Awards are given in two main categories: projects (including exhibitions, publications, and public programs) and individual achievement (including statewide and local impact and museum advocacy). Organizations are encouraged to self-nominate for project awards. Nominations are due August 28, and awards are bestowed at a ceremony in October. More information and nomination instructions are available at www.clho.org/awards.
Connecticut League of Museums. Ctleague.org
The Pursuit of Freedom and Liberty
Join us for free tours to learn about the people and families who lived and worked in Hartford leading up to and during the American Revolution. Hear the stories of struggle and success in the pursuit of freedom and liberty.
The Ancient Burying Ground, 679 Main Street, Hartford. theancientburyingground.org; 860-337-1640
Editor’s Picks:
Barnet Schecter, “John Trumbull: Picturing the Birth of a Nation,” Connecticut Explored, Winter 2006-2007.
Edward Baker, “Benedict Arnold Turns and Burns New London,” Connecticut Explored, Fall 2006.