Few symbols are as tied to Connecticut as the Charter Oak. It appears on the state's quarter, it names streets, schools and companies across the state, and it gives this site its name. Here is the story behind it, what is documented, and what is legend.
The Charter of 1662
In 1662, King Charles II of England granted a royal charter to the Connecticut Colony. According to Connecticut History, a CT Humanities project, it guaranteed the colony the right to govern itself and to elect its own officials without interference from the crown. The state's own account says the General Court formally received the charter on October 9, 1662, after Governor John Winthrop Jr. crossed the Atlantic to win it.
1687: A Dispute in Hartford
About 25 years later the political climate had changed. King James II sought to fold the New England colonies, along with New York, into a single Dominion of New England and named Sir Edmund Andros to lead it. When Andros came to Hartford to take control and collect the charter, Governor Robert Treat refused to hand it over.
The two sides met on October 31, 1687, in a Hartford meetinghouse, possibly Sanford's Tavern. By tradition, the candles in the room were blown out in the middle of the debate, and when they were relit the charter was gone. Captain Joseph Wadsworth is credited with taking it and hiding it in a large hollow oak on the nearby Wyllys estate.
How Much Is History and How Much Is Legend?
Connecticut History is open about the limits of the record. It notes that the story grew more embellished through the 18th and 19th centuries and that, because few accounts date from the time, it is hard to say how much of the legend happened as told. Andros did return to England without the charter. King James's rule was short, and after William and Mary took the throne in 1689 many of the charter's provisions were reinstated. The same source says the charter served as the state's constitution until 1818.
The Tree Falls in 1856
The oak stood for more than a century and a half after the legend. It fell in a storm on August 21, 1856. At the time it was estimated to be about a thousand years old, and Connecticut History reports it measured roughly 21 feet around. Hartford marked its loss with a large funeral-style ceremony: speeches, church bells, a band playing dirges and a parade through the streets.
The wood was carved into keepsakes, and the State Register and Manual notes that acorns from the tree were planted around the state and a monument was later placed near where it stood. Among the surviving relics is the "Charter Oak Chair" in the State Senate Chamber.
Where the Oak Appears Today
- The state tree. The white oak (Quercus alba) is Connecticut's official state tree under Section 3-110 of the General Statutes. The State Register and Manual says it was designated in 1947 and lists it as "The Charter Oak (White Oak, Quercus Alba)." It also points out that the famous tree was a white oak, and that the Charter Oak itself is sometimes mistakenly called the state tree.
- The state quarter. The U.S. Mint released the Connecticut quarter on October 12, 1999, as the fifth coin in its 50 State Quarters Program. The reverse shows the Charter Oak, with the inscriptions "The Charter Oak," "Connecticut," "1788" and "1999."
- Place names. Connecticut History notes that many places around the state carry the Charter Oak name.
One clarification: the motto on the state seal, Qui Transtulit Sustinet ("He Who Transplanted Still Sustains"), is associated with the vine, not the oak. The State Register and Manual suggests a possible source in the 80th Psalm. The oak and the seal are separate symbols.
Why This Site Carries the Name
Connecticut History calls the Charter Oak a symbol of the state's tradition of representative government and self-rule. Charter Oak News Network takes its name from that idea: a Connecticut institution, rooted in local self-government, that aims to bring readers the day's state and national headlines plainly and honestly.