Gov. Jonathan Trumbull Papers (1631-1784) Index

Jonathan Trumbull (1710-1785) was governor of Connecticut before, during, and after the Revolutionary War; he was one of only two men to be both royal governors under King George III and state governors after independence was declared. His 14 years as governor from 1769 to 1784 were of immense importance to both Connecticut and the fledgling United States. As leader of "The Provisions State" Trumbull ensured that the Continental Army had the supplies it needed to keep fighting, for which his friend George Washington once called him "the first of the patriots."

Trumbull's official papers and letters, which also included significant documents pertaining to Connecticut's claims on the Susquehanna and Narragansett countries, were donated by his son David Trumbull to the Massachusetts Historical Society in 1795. This organization preserved all but volume 19, which was unfortunately lost in a fire in 1825, and donated them to the state of Connecticut in 1921. They have been preserved at the Connecticut State Library since. In 2024-5, this invaluable resource for researching the Revolutionary War period was digitized and made available online for the first time through the Connecticut Digital Archive.

This index is a transcription of a slip index to the Trumbull Papers created in the mid-20th century. PLEASE NOTE: This is an index of a historical collection that contains words and phrases that may be offensive or harmful to individuals investigating these records. In order to preserve the objectivity and historical accuracy of the index, State Archives staff took what would today be considered archaic and offensive descriptions for ancestral, racial, gender, and ethnic identity directly from the original documents. For more information on appropriate description, please consult the Diversity Style Guide and Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia: Anti-Racist Description Resources.

We recognize that language is constantly evolving, and will continue to evolve. We will endeavor to always use terminology that is as inclusive as possible.
Organization: State of Connecticut
Organization URL: https://catalog.data.gov/organization/connecticut
Last updated: 2026-05-05
Tags: connecticut state library, history, revolutionary war