Introduction

What is the Charter Oak? And why should anyone care about it? It's the official tree of the State of Connecticut, my birthplace, for one thing. The tree itself went down in a fierce storm in 1856 on an estate in Hartford where it had stood for more than 200 years. I have a small pin with an acorn carved from the wood of the Oak. My namesake has his name on the original Charter of the Colony of Connecticut which had been granted by King Charles II in 1662. In 1687 King James II sent a representative to confiscate the charter. The document was spirited away when all the candles were blown out by the resourceful colonists and hidden in a large oak tree nearby. There it was safely concealed from its enemies until the rights of the colonists were re-affirmed later. The men who hid the charter are the spiritual ancestors of all who take risks today in defense of freedom.