The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – October 2022: Connecticut

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The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – October 2022: Connecticut

1bhabeck
okt 1, 2022, 9:23 pm

Each month, we will visit a different state in the United States of America for the Monthly Reading Challenge in the Mystery & Suspense Extra! Group. This month, we head next door to – Connecticut.

The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – October 2022: Connecticut


History
Connecticut, is the third smallest state by area, the 29th most populous, and the fourth most densely populated of the fifty states. It is known as the "Constitution State", the "Nutmeg State", the "Provisions State", and the "Land of Steady Habits". Its capital is Hartford and its most populous city is Bridgeport. Historically the state is part of New England as well as the tri-state area with New York and New Jersey. The state is named for the Connecticut River which approximately bisects the state. The word "Connecticut" is derived from various anglicized spellings of "Quononoquett" (Conanicut), a Mohegan-Pequot word for "long tidal river".

Connecticut's first European settlers were Dutchmen who established a small, short-lived settlement called House of Hope in Hartford at the confluence of the Park and Connecticut Rivers. Half of Connecticut was initially claimed by the Dutch colony New Netherland, which included much of the land between the Connecticut and Delaware Rivers, although the first major settlements were established in the 1630s by the English. Thomas Hooker led a band of followers from the Massachusetts Bay Colony and founded the Connecticut Colony; other settlers from Massachusetts founded the Saybrook Colony and the New Haven Colony. The Connecticut and New Haven colonies established documents of Fundamental Orders, considered the first constitutions in America. In 1662, the three colonies were merged under a royal charter, making Connecticut a crown colony. Connecticut was one of the Thirteen Colonies which rejected British rule in the American Revolution. It was influential in the development of the federal government of the United States. Connecticut ratified the U.S. Constitution on January 9, 1788, becoming the fifth state.

The state prospered during the era following the American Revolution, as mills and textile factories were built and seaports flourished from trade and fisheries. After Congress established in 1790 the predecessor to the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service that would evolve into the U.S. Coast Guard, President Washington assigned Jonathan Maltbie as one of seven masters to enforce customs regulations, with Maltbie monitoring the southern New England coast with a 48-foot cutter sloop named Argus.
Connecticut The Connecticut River, Thames River, and ports along Long Island Sound have given Connecticut a strong maritime tradition which continues today. The state also has a long history of hosting the financial services industry, including insurance companies in Hartford County and hedge funds in Fairfield County. As of the 2010 census, it has the highest per-capita income, second-highest level of human development behind Massachusetts, and highest median household income in the United States. Connecticut was also found to be in the top 3 states in terms of millionaires per capita in 2013, and this statistic skews the state’s income per capita data. A report found that Connecticut actually has the second largest income difference between the average earnings of the 99% and the 1%

In 2000, presidential candidate Al Gore chose Senator Joe Lieberman as his running mate, marking the first time that a major party presidential ticket included someone of the Jewish faith. Gore and Lieberman fell five votes short of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney in the Electoral College. In the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, 65 state residents were killed, mostly Fairfield County residents who were working in the World Trade Center. In 2004, Republican Governor John G. Rowland resigned during a corruption investigation, later pleading guilty to federal charges.

Connecticut was hit by three major storms in just over 14 months in 2011 and 2012, with all three causing extensive property damage and electric outages. Hurricane Irene struck Connecticut August 28, and damage totaled $235 million. Two months later, the "Halloween nor'easter" dropped extensive snow onto trees, resulting in snapped branches and trunks that damaged power lines; some areas were without electricity for 11 days. Hurricane Sandy had tropical storm-force winds when it reached Connecticut October 29, 2012. Sandy's winds drove storm surges into streets and cut power to 98% of homes and businesses, with more than $360 million in damage.

On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, and then killed himself. The massacre spurred renewed efforts by activists for tighter laws on gun ownership nationally.

Geography


Connecticut is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south.

The Connecticut River cuts through the center of the state, flowing into Long Island Sound. The most populous metropolitan region centered within the state lies in the Connecticut River Valley. Despite Connecticut's relatively small size, it features wide regional variations in its landscape; for example, in the northwestern Litchfield Hills, it features rolling mountains and horse farms, whereas in areas to the east of New Haven along the coast, the landscape features coastal marshes, beaches, and large scale maritime activities.


Connecticut has a long maritime history and a reputation based on that history—yet the state has no direct oceanfront (technically speaking). The coast of Connecticut sits on Long Island Sound, which is an estuary. The state's access to the open Atlantic Ocean is both to the west (toward New York City) and to the east (toward the "race" near Rhode Island). Due to this unique geography, Long Island Sound and the Connecticut shoreline are relatively protected from high waves from storms.

Fun Facts
Salisbury Connecticut is home to the first publicly funded library in the United State—Scoville Memorial Library. This free public library began when Richard Smith brought 200 books back from London to Salisbury in 1771. Additional books were added to the collection in 1805, when the books were housed in the Town Hall. In the 1890s, money was left to the town of Salisbury by Jonathan Scoville to build a permanent library building to house the ever-growing collection of books. Since that time, the library has been expanded and the collection of books is now over 30,000.


The world’s first nuclear submarine–USS Nautilus (SSN-571)—was constructed in Groton, Connecticut, between 1952 and 1954. It had the ability to remain submerged almost indefinitely because it used nuclear fuel and no air. It lasted in service for 25 years. President Harry S. Truman laid her keel in 1952, and following completion of construction, First Lady Eisenhower christened her with a bottle of champagne. In 1958, the USS Nautilus reached the North Pole, accomplishing what was thought to be impossible at that time. The USS Nautilus can now be seen at the Submarine Force Museum in Groton.


Edwin Land was born in Connecticut. This genius is credited with patenting 535 inventions, more than anyone except Thomas Edison (1,097 American patents). Wondering what was his famous invention; learn that it was his Polaroid Instant Camera. With this camera, he made possible for a picture to be taken and developed in 60 seconds or less.


The Hartford Current began in 1764, before the United States was a nation, and is the United States’ oldest newspaper that is still being published today. The Hartford Current originally began as a weekly newspaper and was started by Thomas Green and his assistant Ebenezer Watson. In 1777, Watson’s wife took over the Hartford Current and became one of the first women publishers in the US. During the Revolutionary War, the Hartford Current was a strong backer of the rebel cause.


Orange, Connecticut, is the home of the delicious PEZ candy museum, manufacturer, and the world’s tallest PEZ dispenser. You can learn more than you may ever want to know about the production of PEZ candy and their famous character-shaped dispensers at the PEZ museum.


The state is also known for being the location of Yale College, which was founded in 1701 near Saybrook. It was named for the Welsh merchant Elihu Yale, who helped give the school its start with his donation of 417 books. The school would go on to graduate many many smartypants over the next 300 years.


The first flight of the first helicopter took place in Stratford on September 14, 1939. The Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 was designed by Russian-American aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky, and modifications of the design evolved to the Sikorsky R-4, which eventually became the first mass-produced helicopter in the world in 1942.


The lollipop was invented in Connecticut, kinda. The Bradley Smith Company in New Haven first started making them in 1908, then branded as “Lolly Pops.” Because the term “lollipop” had already existed in a dictionary from the early 1800s, Bradley Smith had a difficult time getting it trademarked. They were eventually successful in 1931, though the term has been genericized to death to the point that a trademark is too difficult to enforce. Historians suspect that some variation of the lollipop has been around for centuries, so perhaps the real hero of the story is Bradley Smith foreman Max Buchmüller, who invented a machine to insert sticks into the beloved lollipop and produced 125 of them per minute. After a few tweaks, the machine was able to make 750 of the sticked hard candy per minute, and the candy hasn’t looked back since


Notable Residents

There is an official state heroine of Connecticut, and her name is Prudence Crandall. Born in 1803, she created the very first academy for Black women in New England in 1833, facing a whole lot of backlash and violence over the next year. She was even placed on trial — twice! — for breaking a law that prohibited the school from even operating in the first place. Even though the charges were eventually dismissed, the school closed in 1834. In 1995, the General Assembly honored her by making her the state heroine, and the Prudence Crandall House is now a National Historic Landmark.

Many notable female entertainers hail from Connecticut. Marilyn Monroe, Katharine Hepburn, Glenn Close, Linda Hamilton, Kyra Sedgwick, Meg Ryan and Joanne Woodward.

The state has birthed several famous writers such as Stephenie Meyer of Twilight fame as well as Suzanne Collins from the Hunger Games series. Mystery writers from Connecticut include: David Ricciardi and Megan Collins.

In honor of CONNECTICUT, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "River," "Library," "Candy," "News," or "Ship" in the title OR has a picture of a Lollipop, a Submarine or a River on the cover;

• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Connecticut OR includes a character who serves on a US naval ship OR has a character who is a newspaper man/woman OR has a natural disaster; and

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in CONNECTICUT.


Happy Reading ❤

2bhabeck
okt 1, 2022, 9:24 pm

Brenda's Americana Challenge: October 2022 - Connecticut
0 of 3 Complete

In honor of CONNECTICUT, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "River," "Library," "Candy," "News," or "Ship" in the title OR has a picture of a Lollipop, a Submarine or a River on the cover;

• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Connecticut OR includes a character who serves on a US naval ship OR has a character who is a newspaper man/woman OR has a natural disaster; and

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in CONNECTICUT.

3Carol420
Bewerkt: okt 17, 2022, 11:05 am


Carol Visits With Some Pez Characters in Connecticut
👻 -★
3/3 -DONE 10/17
👻1. A Mystery/Suspense book with "River," "Library," "Candy," "News," or "Ship" in the title OR has a picture of a Lollipop, a Submarine or a River on the cover.
Hometown - Matthew Keville -3★


👻2. A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Connecticut OR includes a character who serves on a US naval ship OR has a character who is a newspaper man/woman OR has a natural disaster.
Daphne - Josh Malerman- 4.5★

👻3. A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in CONNECTICUT.
Whisper Down the Lane - Clay Chapman -3.5★ - (C &C)

4gaylebutz
okt 4, 2022, 9:48 pm

I’m going to read Hitting the Books by Jenn McKinlay. It takes place in Connecticut.

5Andrew-theQM
okt 9, 2022, 8:04 am

Andrew’s Visit to Conneticut :

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "River," "Library," "Candy," "News," or "Ship" in the title OR has a picture of a Lollipop, a Submarine or a River on the cover;

• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Connecticut OR includes a character who serves on a US naval ship OR has a character who is a newspaper man/woman OR has a natural disaster; and

✔️The Black Mountain by Kate Mosse (Volcanic Eruption) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in CONNECTICUT.

✔️ The Gallery of the Dead by Chris Carter ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

6Sergeirocks
Bewerkt: okt 26, 2022, 8:28 pm

The Templar Concordat - Terence O’Brien 4.5★s (Author’s initials in CONNECTICUT)
V2 - Robert Harris 4★s (Picture of a river - the Thames - on the cover)
The Whistleblower - Robert Peston 4★s (Main character is a newspaper reporter)

7Carol420
okt 17, 2022, 11:06 am



I'm done. Another good trip, Brenda. Thank you for doing this.

8Sergeirocks
okt 17, 2022, 7:21 pm

>7 Carol420: Good job, Carol, 👏.

9Carol420
okt 17, 2022, 8:47 pm

>8 Sergeirocks: Thanks Sergei. I see you've read a Simon Brett book. I haven't read anything by him in a long time.

10Sergeirocks
okt 18, 2022, 12:51 pm

>9 Carol420: Yes, I was a bit wary that Brett’s ‘The Clutter Corpse’ might be a bit on the ‘twee’ side, but it wasn’t. I enjoyed it. A recent series for him - Decluttering Mysteries - 3 so far, first one was written in 2020.

11Carol420
okt 18, 2022, 1:41 pm

>10 Sergeirocks: I'll have to check those out. I've always liked Simon Brett.

12Andrew-theQM
okt 18, 2022, 4:25 pm

>10 Sergeirocks: There are some great BBC
Radio Drama Productions of the Charles Paris Series starring the great Bill Nighy.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00x94yv/episodes/player

Some of them are also available on You Tube:

https://youtu.be/uHA3QDsZ6ao

13Sergeirocks
okt 20, 2022, 5:36 am

>12 Andrew-theQM: I’ve never listened to an audio book… I wonder if I’m missing something?

14Andrew-theQM
okt 20, 2022, 3:50 pm

>13 Sergeirocks: These are more like radio productions with different actors than audiobooks.

Audiobooks in contrast are very much an acquired taste, you either love or hate them.

15Carol420
Bewerkt: okt 20, 2022, 4:33 pm

>13 Sergeirocks: I can do audio books, and I am on the like them side. The downside for me is that I find that my mind wanders and it's not safe for it to be out by itself, believe me:) All of a sudden, I find I have no idea what's happening and have to keep going back.

16Sergeirocks
okt 20, 2022, 7:44 pm

>15 Carol420: ☺️. In my case, I think I’d probably fall asleep… 😴.

17Carol420
Bewerkt: okt 20, 2022, 8:21 pm

>16 Sergeirocks: Well yes...that too:) The thing with audio books is that so much depends on the narrator. I have listened to books that had an interesting and intriguing story but the person doing the reading...their voice or the voices they gave the characters just ruined the whole thing. I have favorite narrators that I could listen to them read anything but there are others that I won't listen to no matter what or how good the book is. I do read some different type of books than most people here do, but just try couple and it may work for you, especially if your eyes get tired from reading too long or your body says, "Hey fellow, that's enough, going to sleep now".

18gaylebutz
okt 21, 2022, 5:48 pm

Done - Hitting the Books by Jenn McKinlay - 3 ★
It takes place in Connecticut.

19Carol420
okt 22, 2022, 4:59 pm

>18 gaylebutz:


Well done, Gayle!

20Andrew-theQM
nov 1, 2022, 6:47 pm

A bit late recording this, but finished last month’s challenge with The Darkest Night by Jenny O’Brien (River on the cover) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

21Carol420
Bewerkt: nov 2, 2022, 11:51 am

>20 Andrew-theQM:


As they say, "better late than never":) Congratulations.

22Andrew-theQM
nov 2, 2022, 5:44 pm

Thanks Carol :)

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