Trumbull Town Hall Memorial

Towns are rich in monuments, but not everyone knows the backstory behind each one. In front of town hall in Trumbull, Connecticut, there happens to be a few. The largest of these monuments is of a man. Upon first glance, it seems to be of a bronze man, wearing some sort of wig, and holding some sort of document. Who is this man? Built in 2002, this is a statue of Jonathan Trumbull, who the town was named after in 1797. Jonathan Trumbull was both a merchant and a governor of Connecticut before, during, and after the American Revolution. In 1769, Trumbull became the governor of Connecticut, making him the last governor of the colony but the first governor of the state. Interestingly, Trumbull was a friend of Washington and the only colonial governor in support of independence. He supplied the Continental Army during the revolutionary war with about 60 percent of its food, clothing, munitions, and manpower— granting Connecticut the nickname the “Provisions State”. And, unknown to many people and missing in some historical research, he was also a slave owner. Since the monument is in front of Trumbull Town Hall, it is easily accessible to the public.

"I have the honor to transmit, the Resolve of the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut, acknowledging the receipt of your favor of June 1783," wrote Jonathan Trumbull on June 10th, 1783, to George Washington. "and testifying the high sense they entertain of your exalted merits, and their obligations to you and your patriot Army (thru the blessing of heaven) for the establishment of freedom, independence and peace."^[8] On September 3, 1783, U.S. and British representatives signed the Treaty of Paris, effectively ending the American Revolution. But who was Jonathan Trumbull, and what does he have to do with the American Revolution? Jonathan Trumbull was the governor of Connecticut before, during, and after the American Revolution. He was the only colonial governor to support it, and in fact, he supplied the Continental Army during the war with about 60 percent of its food, clothing, munitions, and manpower.

Born in 1710 in Lebanon, Connecticut, Trumbull was the son of Joseph and Hannah Trumbull. Before he was a governor, he was a merchant; his business prospered until shortly after the French and Indian War. While he was a merchant, he studied law. Trumbull held many positions in government: in 1733, he was elected as Deputy from Lebanon to the General Assembly and served as a lieutenant in the militia. Early in his political career, he also served to Connecticut's House of Representatives in 1736 and Speaker of the House in 1740.

His opposition to the Stamp Act garnered support from the Sons of Liberty, a group strongly opposed to what they considered British tyranny. In 1766 Trumbull was elected deputy governor, then governor in 1769. This was a time of heightened tension for the colonies; Loyalists supported the British Crown, while Patriots rejected it. A Patriot, Trumbull made it a priority to sway the General Assembly in his direction to keep Loyalists from entering the Connecticut militia.

While he was the governor of Connecticut, he formed a close friendship with George Washington. Since he was the only colonial governor who supported Washington's continental army-- the army of the thirteen colonies who opposed the British--- it is no surprise that Trumbull then supplied them with food, clothing, munitions, and manpower. Connecticut earned the nickname the "Provisions State" since it heavily supplied the army. The continental army, in reality, was a ragtag, poorly trained group; in fact, most of the major battles they faced were spent retreating. However, his support of the army was enough that the American public viewed Connecticut as a reliable, trusting state; Washington would even call Trumbull "Brother Jonathan." To support the revolution, Trumbull turned his store into a war office and a place for the Connecticut Council of Safety to meet, a place they did so over 1,000 times. Interestingly, important revolutionary figures like George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson are only some rumored to have visited Trumbull's home. Around 1780, even French troops under the Duc de Lauzun supposedly resided nearby.

As time went on, though, Trumbull was met with some troubles: to control inflation, he raised taxes. In order to meet war demands, Connecticut was placed under material embargoes. Finally, a rumor had spread that he participated in trade with Long Island, which was still under the British Crown in 1781. Due to this unpopularity, he finished up his last term and retired, where he had to face massive debt. Unknown to many, though, was that he owned a slave. Shortly before he was married, he purchased a slave named Flora. In documents from 1745, there even is mention of another slave named Hector. Mary Donahue, a veteran state historian, has even mentioned Trumbull's involvement with the slave trade. In the Hartford Courant, Donahue said that:

“Lebanon was famous for trading in agricultural goods and animals. A lot of those went to the West Indies for food for enslaved populations. He was involved in that and made money in that”.^[7]

While he was in the General Assembly, he was responsible for maintaining the laws that restricted enslaved Africa American's ability to assemble. A case from 1758, which addressed 'night walking':

"Jonathan Trumbull, His Majesty's Assistant for the Colony of Connecticut, rules that N------ Cato, Newport and Adam are to be publicly whipped on the naked body for night walking after nine in the evening without an order from their masters. Their owners are each fined 7s and costs."^[1]

Despite the negative information about him, which is found in fewer sources, the town of Trumbull decided to recognize him anyway. The statue in front of Trumbull town hall was made by John Jahnvrin Blair and Jozef Custom Iron Works in 2002. In one hand, Trumbull holds a bible, and in the other, he holds the Declaration of Independence. This likely symbolizes his role in helping the country, gain Independence. It was donated by The Jennie and Ethel Mallett Memorial Trust and Abram H. Tellalian, Jr. Fleet National Bank. During the opening ceremony, the Living History group of the Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution served as the color guard. The Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution's main goal is to:

"...perpetuate the memory and the spirit of the men and woman who achieved American Independence; to promote the development of an enlightened public opinion; and to foster patriotic citizenship and the preservation of our history."^[14]

While crucial for gaining American Independence, his role in the slave trade and slave-owning indicates a significant problem for the town of Trumbull, a problem which the United States has been currently facing: how can society commemorate historical figures with this type of background? It is important that people ask themselves-- is he even worth commemorating?

To summarize, the town of Trumbull commemorates him through this monument. Trumbull was a governor of Connecticut before, during, and after the American Revolution, who supported it unlike other colonial governors at the time. The supplies he gave to the continental army helped Connecticut gain the nickname the "Provisions State" for its reliability. But to contrast this, he slowly became less popular and was a slave owner and mandator, making his commemoration controversial. For those who only understand the surface level of his accomplishments, this monument may make perfect sense-- 'he is a Connecticut symbol for American Independence.' But for others, this may be another monument to consider replacing-- 'slave owners are problematic individuals who should not be honored.'

1. Trumbull College, Yale, Slavery & Abolition. Accessed December 7th 2021. http://www.yaleslavery.org/WhoYaleHonors/trumbull.html.
2. Pelland, Dave. War Memorials, Trumbull Town Hall, CT Monuments. October 8th 2010. Accessed December 7th 2021. http://ctmonuments.net/2010/10/war-memorials-trumbull-town-hall/.
3. Jonathan Trumbull, The Connecticut Society of The Sons of The Revolution. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://www.connecticutsar.org/jonathan-trumbull/.
4. Jonathan Trumbull, connecticuthistory.org. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://connecticuthistory.org/people/jonathan-trumbull/.
5. White, David O.. Jonathan Trumbull, Museum of Connecticut History. July 1st 2002. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://museumofcthistory.org/2015/08/jonathan-trumbull/.
6. Herrick, Michael. Jonathan Trumbull, The Historical Marker Database. January 9th 2010. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=26305.
7. Dunne, Susan. Daughters of the American Revolution revisit role of Connecticut Gov. Jonathan Trumbull in the enslavement of African Americans, Hartford Courant. July 5th 2021. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-connecticut-dar-trumbull-house-20210705-mtu5hofidnhozmsainvl72gpuu-story.html.
8. To George Washington from Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 10 June 1783, National Archive, Founders Online. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-11427.
9. Timeline of the Revolution, National Park Service. January 4th 2021. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/americanrevolution/timeline.htm.
10. Treaty of Paris, 1783, US Department of State Archive. January 20th 2001. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/ar/14313.htm.
11. Gov. Jonathan Trumbull (1710-1785) Bronze Statue Dedication, Trumbull, Connecticut, November 17, 2002. , The Lost Trumbull. February 26th 2019. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://thelosttrumbull.blogspot.com/2019/02/gov-jonathan-trumbull-1710-1785-bronze.html.
12. Kladky, William P. Continental Army, George Washington's Mount Vernon. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/continental-army/.
13. Governor Jonathan Trumbull (1710-1785), Daughters of the American Revolution . Accessed December 7th 2021. https://www.govtrumbullhousedar.org/pb/wp_955a77fd/wp_955a77fd.html.
14. Winner of the 2021 Literary Awards Contest Genealogical Resource Category, Connecticut Sons of the American Revolution. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://www.connecticutsar.org/.