IV 
CONNECTICUT’S INFLUENCE ON THE 
FEDERAL CONSTITUTION 
ConnecTicuT’s influence on the first beginnings 
and final establishment of our Federal government 
has attracted little attention; and this is but one 
among many instances of the fact that a really intel- 
ligent and fruitful study of American history is only 
an affair of yesterday. 
It is surprising to think how little attention was 
paid to the subject half a century ago. I believe that, 
as schoolboys, we did learn something about some of 
the battles in the War of Independence, and two or 
three of the sea-fights of the years 1812-1815; but our 
knowledge of earlier times was limited to dim notions 
about Captain John Smith and the Pilgrim Fathers, 
while now and then perhaps there flitted across our 
minds the figures of Putnam and the wolf or a 
witch or two swinging from the gallows in Salem 
village, or the painted Indians rushing with wild 
war-whoop into Schenectady. Small pains were taken 
to teach us the significance of things that had hap- 
pened at our very doors. I was myself a native of 
Hartford, yet long after Plymouth Rock had come 
to mean something to me, the names of Thomas 
Hooker and Samuel Stone fell upon my ears as mere 
empty sound.. Much as we were given to bragging, 
in Fourth of July speeches, on our fine and mighty 
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