06/22/2026
Countdown to America's 250
The Charter Oak
It was 1687, nearly a century before the American Revolution. An English governor came to Hartford to seize Connecticut’s royal charter — the document guaranteeing self-government. In a dramatic meeting, the candles were snuffed out. When they were relit, the charter had gone missing. It was hidden in the hollow of a massive white oak. The charter survived. Self-government survived!
The tree stood until 1856.