WHEN WAS NEW HAVEN FOUNDED?
The seaside city of New Haven, Connecticut began life as the home of the Native American tribe known as the Quinnipiacs. The arrival of puritan settlers in 1637 saw the construction of a new community, which by 1640 had acquired the name "Newhaven," and was established as the first planned city in what would eventually become the United States of America. This attraction of early settlers was in part due to New Havens unique geography on the Quinnipiac river.
Throughout the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth centuries, New Haven underwent a period of significant industrialization. This was largely thanks to the work of famous inventor Eli Whitney, whose most notable creation was the cotton gin. Various factories and mills were established, with a particular focus on arms manufacture and artillery. Indeed, it was in New Haven that Samuel Colt invented the automatic pistol.
HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN
Other notable innovations originating in New Haven are the steamboat, the corkscrew, the lollipop and vulcanized rubber, so it's safe to say the city's place in world history is assured. It was also a focal point for burgeoning anti-slavery activities in the early 1800s, and is also the site of world-renowned Yale University. Yale has educated no fewer than fifty-two Nobel Prize winners- an impressive track record!
In many ways, New Haven in the 20th century reflected the changing attitudes of the time and the onset of the counter-cultural movement. For instance, Jim Morrison of The Doors was arrested for ostensibly inciting a riot. Morrison later immortalized the incident in the lyrics to the song "Peace Frog." New Haven is a place of great cultural richness, and the famed Shubert Theatre saw the premieres of a range of shows prior to successful Broadway runs in the first part of the twentieth century. Just a few of New Haven's theatrical triumphs were The Sound of Music, South Pacific _and _A Streetcar Named Desire. Some of the many famous personalities born in New Haven include Oscar-winning actor Ernest Borgnine, 43rd President George W. Bush, singer Michael Bolton and acclaimed novelist Ruth Ozeki.
NEW HAVEN TODAY
Naturally, the rich history of New Haven means there is no shortage of attractions and points of interest today. Perhaps it is understandable that Yale University attracts the largest number of out-of-state visitors, with its art gallery and Peabody Museum of Natural History proving especially appealing. But that is by no means the limit of New Haven's charms. Little Italy is a perfect microcosm of Italian-American culture, while the famous Chapel Street is a hub of the community.
Overall, New Haven is a city like nowhere else in the world. It has seen a remarkable concentration of creative genius and historic innovation over the years, which has left an indelible mark on the place and its community. The newly restored Shubert Theatre is a window to the past, as is the gorgeous carousel at Lighthouse Point Park. They are relics of the past, certainly, but they are also symbols of the developments New Haven has seen, and hints of what is yet to come.