Charter Oak Federal Credit Union

I always used to find it quite fascinating to hear the stories of the Charter Oak tree. It used to be a giant oak tree that was located in Connecticut, near Hartford. It was considered as a national shrine by the people of Connecticut as it played an important role in saving the Colonial Charter of 1662 when it was captured by the British. The story goes that when British soldiers entered town, they demanded that the charter be handed over to them. Nevertheless, the colonial leaders refused and hid the charter in a hollow oak tree called the Charter Oak. After much pleading for over 10 hours, the British soldiers went away empty-handed, although they confiscated all other documents with them. In what I thought was quite ironic, this beautiful old tree was eventually destroyed by strong winds during a violent storm one day in 1856. But luckily enough for us, its history and legacy live on today throughout Connecticut as its citizens proudly pass it down from generation to generation with new memories.

It's a mild day in early bicentennial autumn and I, a historian had come to Denton, Connecticut to visit and explore the famous Charter Oak. A cherished symbol of independence and courage for the citizens of Connecticut and beyond, this particular spot telling the story of how their courage triumphed over colonizer’s greed for almost three centuries. As I arrived at the location, it felt like a magical portal back in time to Colonial America. A majestic tree pepped up from behind a grassy hill with an old wooden bench under it with an array of artifacts on display. It was evident that it had seen enough tales to fill up several books as its leaves trembled whenever the wind blew or perhaps that was just my imagination operating on overdrive.

The little Charter Oak was an old, gigantic oak tree that grew near the banks of the Connecticut River near Hartford. It was known as a sacred symbol of freedom among local residents who used it as a hideout to rebel against the British government. One day in 1662, Charles II issued a Royal Charter that granted certain rights exclusively to England and was to be directly governed. The colonists of Connecticut protested this charter as they would no longer have autonomy over their own land; they no longer had their freedom. They hatched a clever plan - to smuggle the charter away and hide it in the small hollow of the Charter Oak. Almost immediately afterwards, British soldiers arrived in Hartford demanding the charter- but there was nothing for them to find. News of this event soon spread - inspiring other colonies to stand up against tyranny and seek independence. For many years after that, people from all over used The Charter Oak as inspiration for embracing their freedom and pushing for change whenever