Thomas Hooker was a Puritan minister who founded the Connecticut Colony after leaving Massachusetts due to disagreements about church leadership and voting rights. He helped write the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, one of the first written constitutions in America.
Nathan Hale was an American soldier and spy for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He is remembered for his famous last words before being executed by the British: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”
Benedict Arnold was an American general during the Revolutionary War who later defected to the British side. He is best known for his attempted betrayal of West Point and is often remembered as one of the most infamous traitors in American history.
Sybil Ludington was a 16-year-old heroine of the American Revolutionary War who rode nearly 40 miles at night in 1777 to alert militia forces of a British attack. Her courageous ride has been compared to Paul Revere’s, though it covered more distance and was done in more challenging conditions.
Roger Sherman was a Founding Father from Connecticut who was the only person to sign all four major founding documents of the United States: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. He also served as a key delegate at the Constitutional Convention, helping craft the Connecticut Compromise that shaped the structure of Congress.
The invention of the cotton gin greatly increased the profitability of cotton farming, leading to a rapid expansion of slavery in the Southern states. This growth in slavery deepened the divide between the North and South, contributing to the tensions that eventually led to the Civil War.
Mark Twain was a famous American author and humorist best known for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He grew up in Missouri and used his experiences along the Mississippi River to shape his storytelling.
