Andy Fowler, Communications Specialist for the Yankee Institute, joins us for an episode to discuss Connecticut! Although he wasn’t born there, his family has roots in the state that go back to the turn of the 20^th century. Garrett & Andy discuss the reputation of Connecticut, its role in the colonial period and the founding of the United States, and the importance of learning about your home state’s history. They also joke about the difficulty of pinning down a defining stereotype for people from Connecticut. If you enjoy pizza, the colonial period, or Gilmore Girls, you’ll enjoy hearing about the Nutmeg State.

Additional Resources:

Nutmeggers: nickname for people from Connecticut

Learn more about Andrew’s work at the Yankee Institute here: https://yankeeinstitute.org/author/andrewfowler/

Hidden in the Oak: https://yankeeinstitute.org/category/hidden-in-the-oak/

Andrew Fowler: @afowlxc on Twitter

Milford, CT: https://www.ci.milford.ct.us/

Waterbury, CT: https://www.waterburyct.org/

Hartford, CT: https://www.hartfordct.gov/Home

Mystic Pizza https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystic_Pizza

Gilmore Girls: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilmore_Girls

Fairfield County: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairfield_County,_Connecticut

Griswold Inn in Essex: https://griswoldinn.com/ (George Washington visited there.)

Silas Deane: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silas_Deane

Yale: https://www.yale.edu/

New Haven: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Haven,_Connecticut

Yukon Huskies: https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball

Connecticut Compromise: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Connecticut-Compromise

New England: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England

More information about the lack of county governments in Connecticut: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2015/rpt/2015-R-0274.htm

Connecticut’s Nicknames: https://portal.ct.gov/csl/research/state-nicknames?language=en_US  or  https://connecticuthistory.org/the-storied-history-behind-connecticuts-nicknames/

Does Connecticut even have its own accent? https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/the-connecticut-accent-or-does-connecticut-even-have-one/  or  https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/05/nyregion/accent-what-accent.html

New Haven style pizza: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Haven%E2%80%93style_pizza

The Stepford Wives: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stepford_Wives

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art: oldest art museum in the US https://www.thewadsworth.org/

Nathan Hale: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Hale

Roger Sherman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Sherman

Prudence Crandall: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/prudence-crandall

Father Michael McGivney, Founder of the Knights of Columbus: https://www.fathermcgivney.org/

Greenwich, CT: https://www.greenwichct.gov/ (one of the wealthiest places in the United States)

Louis’ Lunch: https://louislunch.com/

Pepe’s Pizza: https://pepespizzeria.com/

Lobster Rolls were actually invented in Milford, CT:  https://lobsteranywhere.com/new-england-style/history-lobster-roll/