Hartford

Hartford, the chief town of Connecticut, United States, stands on the right bank of the Connecticut river at a distance of 50 miles from its mouth, and is about midway between Boston and New York. It was at first a Dutch fort, but in 1635 was formed into a settlement by a body of men from Massachusetts. In was incorporated in 1784, and became the capital of Connecticut in 1873. Among its finest buildings are the State Capitol of white marble, the United States Courthouse, Trinity College, and the Wadsworth Athenaeum. The chief industries are the tobacco trade, the manufacture of Colt's revolvers and Gatling guns, and of hardware and stoneware. Hartford is the headquarters of several large insurance companies. There are a large hospital and several asylums, and among religious institutions are two Romanist nunneries. Hartford was in 1814 the scene of a convention of New Englanders who were opposed to the war with Great Britain. It lasted twenty days, and advocated resistance to impressment and reforms in the United States Constitution. It was accused by the Democrats of designing to set up a union of New England States; but although there were undoubtedly circumstances which caused a divergence of interests between the northern and southern states, there was no real wish on the part of the former to bring about a separation.