Potential Research Questions
Newtown in the 1600s: Who lived here? What was their way of life? How were they affected by regional events?
European Settlement: What is the Doctrine of Discovery and how did it affect the area that is now Newtown? Why did the Native Americans sell the land to three land speculators in 1705? What happened to the Pootatucks after the settlers arrived in Newtown?
18th and 19th centuries: How did Newtown participate in the slave economy? Did people in Newtown own slaves? Why was emancipation so slow? What happened to the enslaved people during the gradual emancipation? Where there enslaved Native Americans in Newtown?
From the Civil War to the 1960s: Was Newtown a 'sundown town'? What were racial relations like? What ethnic groups moved to Newtown? How did the World Wars affect the Newtown population? How did GI bills affect home ownership?
Federal Transportation: What was the effect of building the interstate highway through Newtown? How does this compare to the effect in Danbury and Bridgeport?
State Land: When were the state forests formed?
Fairfield Hills Hospital: Who worked at Fairfield Hills Hospital? Why didn't more people of color move to Newtown to work there?
Civil Rights Movement: What happened in Newtown during the Civil Rights Movement?
Suburbanization: Who moved into Newtown during the housing booms? What are the housing zoning laws, how have they changed, how do they affect housing prices? How did government financing affect suburbanization? What role did local banks play? Were there race-based restrictive covenants on any housing in Newtown?
Latinos in Newtown: When did they first arrive? How many are there in Newtown? What factors drew them to this predominantly white town? What was their experience trying to find a home? How have their neighbors treated them? What has been the experience of Latino children in the schools? How have these families experienced discrimination?
Education: How is education financed? How segregated are schools in Fairfield County? How has the Sheff v. O'Neill lawsuit affected civil rights and education?
Incarceration of BIPOC: Why Garner Correctional Facility was built, who is incarcerated there, who works there?
How do inmates of the Garner Correctional Facility get counted in the census?
Affordable Housing: What is the history of affordable housing in Connecticut? How has Newtown responded? What has been proposed over the years, by whom, and what has been the community reaction?
European Settlement: What is the Doctrine of Discovery and how did it affect the area that is now Newtown? Why did the Native Americans sell the land to three land speculators in 1705? What happened to the Pootatucks after the settlers arrived in Newtown?
18th and 19th centuries: How did Newtown participate in the slave economy? Did people in Newtown own slaves? Why was emancipation so slow? What happened to the enslaved people during the gradual emancipation? Where there enslaved Native Americans in Newtown?
From the Civil War to the 1960s: Was Newtown a 'sundown town'? What were racial relations like? What ethnic groups moved to Newtown? How did the World Wars affect the Newtown population? How did GI bills affect home ownership?
Federal Transportation: What was the effect of building the interstate highway through Newtown? How does this compare to the effect in Danbury and Bridgeport?
State Land: When were the state forests formed?
Fairfield Hills Hospital: Who worked at Fairfield Hills Hospital? Why didn't more people of color move to Newtown to work there?
Civil Rights Movement: What happened in Newtown during the Civil Rights Movement?
Suburbanization: Who moved into Newtown during the housing booms? What are the housing zoning laws, how have they changed, how do they affect housing prices? How did government financing affect suburbanization? What role did local banks play? Were there race-based restrictive covenants on any housing in Newtown?
Latinos in Newtown: When did they first arrive? How many are there in Newtown? What factors drew them to this predominantly white town? What was their experience trying to find a home? How have their neighbors treated them? What has been the experience of Latino children in the schools? How have these families experienced discrimination?
Education: How is education financed? How segregated are schools in Fairfield County? How has the Sheff v. O'Neill lawsuit affected civil rights and education?
Incarceration of BIPOC: Why Garner Correctional Facility was built, who is incarcerated there, who works there?
How do inmates of the Garner Correctional Facility get counted in the census?
Affordable Housing: What is the history of affordable housing in Connecticut? How has Newtown responded? What has been proposed over the years, by whom, and what has been the community reaction?