Hartford

Established in 1635 on the banks of the Connecticut River in Connecticut, by the first quarter of the nineteenth century, Hartford had become an important commercial center linked to Springfield, Massachusetts and through New York City, to the markets of the world. Hartford benefited from the development of canals and improvements in river transport such as steamboats. The successful passage of the steamboat Barnet through the Enfield Rapids north of the city meant the progress and commercial expansion that would contribute to Hartford’s continued growth during the Industrial Revolution.