An exhibit at the Connecticut Historical Society shares the little-known story of Revolutionary War Patriot and Dutch mapmaker Bernard Romans. Romans came to the American colonies in 1757 during the French and Indian War, surveying for the British along the Atlantic seaboard. He became a supporter of American independence, joined the Continental Army, and eventually settled in Wethersfield, CT. Both the British and Americans used Romans’ maps during the American Revolution. In 1780, he was captured by the British and died in 1784, mysteriously, while a prisoner.

Incredibly rare maps from the CHS collection, published by Romans and his contemporaries, as well as earlier Connecticut maps from the 17^th and 18^th centuries, are displayed.