The Charter Oak
A HomeschoolRadioShows Listening Guide
by Penny Raine
SUMMARY
This is a story of the first government in what is now the state of Connecticut.
The area was still under rule by England and the only way to set up a legally
recognized colony was by permission, or charter granted by the King. The people
were smart and realized if they wrote their own charter they would have a better
opportunity of getting what they wanted. They had Governor John Winthrop
approach King Charles II. The charter was granted and given the seal or royal
stamp of the king in 1662. However kings in England do not always stay kings.
He was soon replaced with King James II, and the conflict began. The only way
to protect the charter, which was their legal deed, was to hide it. So they hid it in
an old oak tree that would earn the name The Charter Oak.
FIND OUT MORE
Read about charter colonies here and list the three types of charters below. http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_colony
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Describe the Connecticut Charter.
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Take a look at this page to read more about the Charter Oak and answer the
following questions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_oak
Describe its beginnings.
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What was the Charter Oak incident?
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Explain its later history and its end.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Do you think some people made an idol out of the tree?
Did they hold it in high esteem?
Are we to worship the creation or the creator?
Discuss what God’s Word says about idols.
Closing Prayer- “Dear Lord, we thank you for this lesson about our history. We
ask that you help us never to put up idols in our communities or in our own
hearts. Thank you Jesus. In Your Name, Amen.”
Coloring Page: The Charter Oak
Old painting of “The Charter Oak”
Study Guide Copyright 2008, Homeway Press, all rights reserved.
No unauthorized distribution allowed.