Brunswick Maine: Cumberland County Gem

Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. It is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. The population was 21,756 at the 2020 United States Census.

Brunswick is in Cumberland County, Maine

Brunswick, Maine, is a town in Cumberland County. It was settled in 1628 by Thomas Purchase and other fishermen, who called the area by its Indian name, Pejepscot, meaning "the long, rocky rapids part [of the river]". In 1639, Purchase placed his settlement under the protection of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. During King Philip's War in 1676, Pejepscot was burned and abandoned.

In the late 18th century, Brunswick was rebuilt and became a prosperous seaport. It was incorporated as a town in 1739 and, in 1794, Bowdoin College was chartered. The town's industries included lumber, shipbuilding, paper production, soap manufacturing, flour milling, and granite and marble work.

Brunswick is located at the north end of Casco Bay and is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. It has a population of over 20,000 and is known for its cultural attractions, including the Bowdoin International Music Festival, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, and the Maine State Music Theatre.

The town has a rich history, with several historic districts recognised on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Brunswick Commercial Historic District, the Federal Street Historic District, and the Lincoln Street Historic District.

The town's population was 21,756 in 2020

Brunswick, Maine, is a town in Cumberland County. It is part of the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine, metropolitan New England city and town area, and the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area.

Brunswick's population has continued to grow since 2020, with a current population of 17,067 as of 2024. This represents an increase of 6.84% since the 2020 census. The town's median age is 39.9 years, with a median household income of $66,696 as of 2022.

Brunswick is home to a diverse range of people, with the largest ethnic group being White (Non-Hispanic), comprising 88.4% of the population as of 2022. Other significant ethnic groups include those identifying as Two or More Races (4.92%), Black or African American (1.63%), Native American (0.04%), and Asian (2.4%).

The town has a rich history, dating back to its settlement in 1628 by Thomas Purchase and other fishermen. It has played a significant role in various historical events, including King Philip's War in 1676 and the Treaty of Portsmouth in 1713.

Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College

Brunswick, Maine is home to Bowdoin College, a private liberal arts college founded in 1794. The college is named after former Massachusetts governor James Bowdoin, whose son James Bowdoin III was an early benefactor. Bowdoin College offers a range of academic programs, with 35 majors and 40 minors, as well as joint engineering programs with prestigious institutions. The college's main campus spans 207 acres in Brunswick and includes over 120 buildings, some dating back to the 18th century.

The history of Bowdoin College is deeply intertwined with the town of Brunswick. The college was chartered in 1794 when Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. At that time, Brunswick was a thriving seaport and a centre of industry, with sawmills, shipbuilding, and manufacturing. The college's founding dates back to the same year that Brunswick was incorporated as a town, and it has since become an integral part of the community.

Bowdoin College has produced several notable alumni who have made significant contributions to various fields. Some of the most renowned graduates include Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States; writers Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; and explorer Robert Peary, who led the first successful expedition to the North Pole. The college's polar bear mascot was selected in honour of Peary, who was a Bowdoin alumnus.

In addition to its academic offerings, Bowdoin College provides a well-rounded student experience. With over 100 student organisations, the college encourages extracurricular involvement. One of the largest and most active groups is the Outing Club, which organises outdoor excursions throughout Maine. The college also has a strong athletic tradition, competing in 30 varsity sports as the Bowdoin Polar Bears.

Bowdoin College has left an indelible mark on the town of Brunswick, not only through its alumni's achievements but also through its cultural offerings. The college hosts the Bowdoin International Music Festival and is home to the Bowdoin College Museum of Art and the Peary–MacMillan Arctic Museum. The college's dining services have also gained recognition, consistently ranking among the best in the nation.

The town was named after the House of Brunswick

Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The town was named after the House of Brunswick, now known as the House of Hanover, a European royal house with roots tracing back to the 17th century. The town of Brunswick was settled in 1628 by Thomas Purchase and other fishermen, who called the area by its Indian name, Pejepscot, meaning "the long, rocky rapids part [of the river]". In 1714, a consortium from Boston and Portsmouth bought the land, calling it the Pejepscot purchase. The Massachusetts General Court constituted the township in 1717, naming it "Brunswick" in honour of the House of Brunswick and its scion, King George I.

The House of Hanover, or the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg, is a cadet branch of the House of Welf, which originated in 1635. The Hanoverians ruled over Hanover, Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Empire at various times from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The first member of the House of Hanover was George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. When the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg was divided in 1635, George inherited the Principality of Calenberg and moved his residence to Hanover. His descendants went on to unite the principalities of Calenberg and Lüneburg, with his grandson, George Louis, becoming the first British monarch of the House of Hanover as George I in 1714.

The House of Hanover provided six British monarchs, including George I, George II, George III, George IV, William IV, and Queen Victoria. During their reigns, George I, George II, and George III also served as electors and dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg, informally known as Electors of Hanover. The personal union of the thrones of the United Kingdom and Hanover ended with the death of William IV in 1837, and the Kingdom of Hanover ended in 1866 when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia. The last reigning members of the House of Hanover lost the Duchy of Brunswick in 1918 when Germany became a republic.

Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' in Brunswick

Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1852. It was published in two volumes and became the best-selling novel of the 19th century in the United States, second only to the Bible. Stowe wrote the novel while living in Brunswick, Maine, where her husband, Calvin Ellis Stowe, was a professor at his alma mater, Bowdoin College.

Stowe was inspired to write the novel by her experiences in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she had moved to join her father, who was president of the Lane Theological Seminary. Cincinnati was a booming trade hub at the time, drawing migrants, escaped slaves, bounty hunters, and Irish immigrants. Beecher met several African Americans who had suffered during the Cincinnati Riots of 1829, when the ethnic Irish attacked blacks, wrecking parts of the city in an attempt to push out competitors for jobs. Riots broke out again in 1836 and 1841, driven by native-born anti-abolitionists.

Stowe was also influenced by the Lane Debates on Slavery, a series of debates held in 1834 between defenders of colonisation and abolition. Her father and the trustees prohibited any further discussions on the topic, leading to a mass exodus of students to the new Oberlin Collegiate Institute, which accepted students regardless of "race".

Stowe claimed to have had a vision of a dying slave during a communion service at Brunswick's First Parish Church, which inspired her to write his story. She also empathised with slaves due to the loss of her eighteen-month-old son, Samuel Charles Stowe, saying:

> "Having experienced losing someone so close to me, I can sympathize with all the poor, powerless slaves at the unjust auctions. You will always be in my heart Samuel Charles Stowe."

Stowe wrote to Gamaliel Bailey, editor of the anti-slavery journal The National Era, that she planned to write a story about the problem of slavery:

> "I feel now that the time is come when even a woman or a child who can speak a word for freedom and humanity is bound to speak... I hope every woman who can write will not be silent."

The first instalment of Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in serial form in The National Era in June 1851, when Stowe was 40 years old. Stowe originally used the subtitle "The Man That Was a Thing", but it was soon changed to "Life Among the Lowly". The novel was published in book form in March 1852 and sold 3,000 copies on the first day. In less than a year, it sold 300,000 copies in the United States and was also a great success in Britain.

Uncle Tom's Cabin is an anti-slavery novel that depicts the harsh conditions experienced by enslaved African Americans. Stowe, who was herself an abolitionist, wrote the novel to depict the reality of slavery and to assert that Christian love could overcome it. The novel focuses on the character of Uncle Tom, a long-suffering black slave. The book had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U.S. and is said to have ""helped lay the groundwork for the [American] Civil War".

Frequently asked questions