Connecticut Water Trails Association
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Connecticut Water Trails Association |
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Connecticut Water Trails Program
History Of Connecticut's Water Trails
Connecticut and The Sea
Colonial Island Traders
Colonial Connecticut was quick to exploit the sea
for economic growth. Connecticut’s farmers and merchants prospered
during the colonial period and the early 19th century with a
huge maritime trade to the West Indian islands of the Caribbean.
They shipped endless amounts of livestock, to the
West Indies as well as a lot of grown products: wheat, corn, potatoes,
butter, cheese and what they generally brought back was rum, molasses
and it was a very, very lucrative trade.
When you think of the West Indies Trade in Connecticut you think of New Haven, New London, Norwich, and Stonington, all ports along the Connecticut River. Particularly Middletown, Hartford, and Glastonbury all were deeply involved in the trade to the West Indies.
If you look at the marine lists in the various newspapers of
that time period - vessels were constantly leaving for the West
Indies.
The trade was an impetus for
shipbuilding all over the state. From the anchor forgeries to the sail
makers, it created a great deal of prosperity that a lot of people
shared in, and it really led to the development of much of the great
architecture that remains in Connecticut and the furniture and paintings
that are found in museums and collections.
Connecticut and the West Indies
New London, from the very beginning was a seaport. Merchants like Nathaniel Shaw who lived here, were involved in the West Indian trade and became extremely wealthy.
In the 18th Century the islands of the
Caribbean, particularly the West Indies, had one large in demand crop
which was sugar. They completely cleared the islands and planted every
bit of land they had with sugar cane. Places like New London, helped
support the plantation system down in the West Indies.
The trade
lasted until the 1830’s when the plantation system in the islands began
to break down and the New London investors who were backing all of those
sugar plantations were looking to new industries for investment. The
slaves were freed and so the mass markets for agricultural products and
lumber begins to dissipate
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