Charter Oak

For other uses, see Charter Oak (disambiguation).

41°45′33″N 72°40′25″W / 41.7593°N 72.6736°W / 41.7593; -72.6736

The Charter Oak, oil on canvas, Charles De Wolf Brownell, 1857. Wadsworth Atheneum

The Charter Oak was an enormous white oak tree growing on Wyllys Hill in Hartford, Connecticut, from around the 12th or 13th century until it fell during a storm in 1856. Connecticut colonists hid Connecticut's Royal Charter of 1662 within the tree's hollow to thwart its confiscation by the English governor-general. The oak symbolized American independence and was commemorated on the Connecticut State Quarter. It was also depicted on a commemorative half dollar[1] and a postage stamp[2] in 1935, Connecticut's tercentennial.

  1. ^ "1935 Connecticut Tercentenary Half Dollar". 27 March 2011. Archived from the original on 2016-12-24. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
  2. ^ "Connecticut Tercentenary / Charter Oaks Stamp". Archived from the original on 2016-07-06. Retrieved 2017-05-24.