Founding of New Haven

Background. Before European arrival, the Quinnipiac tribe inhabited the New Haven harbor area, sustaining themselves through local fisheries and maize farming. In 1637, a small Puritan party conducted a reconnaissance of the harbor and wintered there, preceding the main settlement.

Founding. In April 1638, approximately five hundred Puritans left the Massachusetts Bay Colony under the leadership of Reverend John Davenport and London merchant Theophilus Eaton. They sailed into the harbor to establish a new settlement, marking the formal founding of the city.

Urban Planning. New Haven was laid out as one of the first planned cities in the U.S. A year after its founding, eight streets were arranged in a three-by-three grid, creating the "Nine Square Plan." The central square was left open as a commons area, known as the city green.

Governance. By 1640, the town had established a theocratic government and was renamed New Haven, with 'haven' signifying harbor or port. Reflecting its theocratic roots, the New Haven Colony forbade the establishment of other churches, a restriction not present in the neighboring Connecticut Colony.