The National Rifle Association of America was established back in 1871 with advocacies relating to gun ownership. The organization promotes gun ownership, gun use and safety, and aims to protect hunting and self-defense activities across the US. The NRA is involved with promoting legal gun use across America.
Exploration and Settlement of Connecticut. The first European settlers in the Connecticut area were the Dutch. In 1614, Adriaen Block explored the lands along the Connecticut River. Settlement did not occur until 1633, when a small fort was erected at the site of Hartford, then called New Hope. In that year, a small party from Plymouth also entered the Connecticut River.
The first European colonists established a trading house in the Pawcatuck section of town in 1649. The present territory of Stonington was part of lands that had belonged to the Pequots who referred to the areas making up Stonington as Pawcatuck (Stony Brook to Pawcatuck River) and Mistack (Mystic River to Stony Brook).