Leaving Connecticut, Shaping America

“Leaving Connecticut, Shaping America” with Walter Woodward

Saturday, May 9, 2026, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Networking at 12:30 pm

Hybrid Event via Zoom and in person at the Fairfield Museum & History Center.

Between 1780 and 1830, tens of thousands of Connecticans left our state to “begin the world anew” in places like Pennsylvania, Vermont, western New York, and especially, the Connecticut Reserve of what is now Ohio. In the process, they took the culture of their home state with them, and gave the nation a strong and indelible Connecticut character.

In this fast-paced and copiously-illustrated talk, Walt Woodward discusses the reasons behind Connecticut’s massive outmigration, the distinctive attributes of the people who chose to leave, and the very serious concerns their removal raised for those they left behind.

Given the very serious concerns state leaders have today over the outmigration of Connecticut’s younger generations, this is a timely topic that will leave you with much to talk about.

Walter Woodward, Ph.D., was Connecticut’s State Historian and a member of the History Department at the University of Connecticut from 2004 to 2022. Although retired, he continues to keep Connecticut’s history alive and vital with his lectures, videos, and blogs. Dr. Woodward is a scholar of Early American and Atlantic World history, with an emphasis on Connecticut and New England. He is the author of five books. Before becoming a historian in midlife, he had successful careers in both the music and advertising industries. Walt’s work in all three of his chosen fields has been lauded and won multiple awards.

Connecticut Ancestry Society, Inc.’s brief annual meeting begins at 1 pm with the lecture by Walt to immediately follow.