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Copyright 2001. The Lazy 'C' - All rights reserved.
history
Inspired by a memorial from the Anna Warner Bailey Chapter of the daughters of the American Revolution, Governor O. Vincent Coffin, on May 29, 1895, introduced to the General Assembly the first proposal for the adoption of a State Flag. On that same day the Assembly passed a resolution appointing a special committee to prepare a designation of the flag already generally accepted as the official flag of the state.
The General Assembly of 1897 provided an official description of the flag setting the dimensions at five feet, six inches in length and four feet, four inches in width, of azure blue silk, with the armorial bearings in argent white silk with the design in natural colours and border of the shield embroidered in gold and silver. Below the shield there is a white streamer, cleft at each end, bordered in gold and browns, the streamer bearing in dark blue the motto "Qui Transtulit Sustinet."
The General Assembly of 1897 provided an official description of the flag setting the dimensions at five feet, six inches in length and four feet, four inches in width, of azure blue silk, with the armorial bearings in argent white silk with the design in natural colours and border of the shield embroidered in gold and silver. Below the shield there is a white streamer, cleft at each end, bordered in gold and browns, the streamer bearing in dark blue the motto "Qui Transtulit Sustinet."
Nickname: The Constitution State.
Capital: Hartford.
Constitution: The 5th State.
Statehood: January 9th 1788.
Motto: Qui Transtulit Sustinet - He Who Transplanted Still Sustains
History:
Algonquian Indian tribes lived in the Connecticut region before the Europeans arrived. Dutch explorers sailed up the Connecticut River in 1614. The first permanent European settlers in the area were English colonists from Massachusetts. They formed the Connecticut Colony in 1636 and adopted the Fundamental Orders in 1639. The Orders, sometimes referred to as the first written constitution, gave voters the right to elect government officials. In 1637, the colonists defeated the Pequot Indians, the most powerful tribe in the region. The colony received a charter from England in 1662.
At the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, Connecticut delegates helped work out the Connecticut Compromise, or Great Compromise. It helped determine how states should be represented in the nation's congress. Connecticut became a state of the U.S.A. in 1788.
During the 1800's, improved transportation and the development of mass production made Connecticut a thriving industrial centre. In 1910, the U.S. Coast Guard made its home in New London. In 1917, the U.S. Navy opened a submarine base in Groton. The world's first nuclear-powered submarine was built and launched there in 1954.
Bird:
The American Robin was adopted as the official State Bird by the General Assembly in 1943. The name Robin is applied to a number of familiar birds, but in North America it is the migratory thrush. (Turdus migratorius.)
Our Robin, a true thrush, is a migratory bird with a reddish brown or tawny breast and a loud cheery song. It was first called Robin by the early colonists, in remembrance of the beloved English bird. Despite the protests of some naturalists, we still retain that traditional name.
Familiar in the summertime throughout North America, the American Robin is seen from Alaska to Virginia. Most people do not know that many Robins spend the entire winter in New England. They roost among the evergreens in the swamps where they feed on winter berries.
Coat of Arms:
On March 24, 1931, the General Assembly adopted a design for the official Arms of the State, which it ordered drawn and filed with the Secretary of the State.
The official description of the Arms calls for: A shield of rococo design of white field, having in the centre three grape vines, supported and bearing fruit. Below the shield shall be a white streamer, cleft at each end, bordered with two fine lines, and upon the streamer shall be in solid letters of medium bold Gothic the motto: "QUI TRANSTULIT SUSTINET" (He Who Transplanted Still Sustains)
The official arms and seal of the State of Connecticut, whether as a reproduction, imprint or facsimile, shall be made and used only under the direction and with the approval of the the Secretary of State.
Economy:
Agriculture: Nursery stock, eggs, dairy products, cattle.
Industry: Transportation equipment, machinery, electric equipment, fabricated metal products, chemical products, scientific instruments.
Flower:
Designated as the State Flower by the General Assembly in 1907, the Mountain Laurel is perhaps the most beautiful of native American shrubs. Its fragrance and the massed richness of its white and pink blossoms so vividly contrast with the darker colours of the forests and the fields that they have continually attracted the attention of travelers since the earliest days of our colonization. First mentioned in John Smith's "General History," in 1624 specimens were sent to Linnaeus, the famous botanist, by the Swedish explorer Peter Kalm in 1750.
Linnaeus gave it the name of Kalmia latifolia, honoring the name his correspondent and at the same time describing the "wide-leafed" characteristic of the plant. In addition to being called the "Mountain Laurel," the plant has also been spoken of as "Calico Bush" and "Spoonwood."
Motto:
The motto "Qui Transtulit Sustinet," (He Who Transplanted Still Sustains), has been associated with the various versions of the seal from the creation of the Saybrook Colony Seal. While the origin of the motto is uncertain, the late Charles J. Hoadly, a former State Librarian, suggested in an article entitled "The Public Seal of Connecticut," which appeared in the 1889 edition of the Connecticut State Register and Manual, that we look to the 80th Psalm as a possible source. "Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it."
Origin of state's name:
Quinnehtukqut -- Mohican for "Long River Place" or "Beside the Long Tidal River".
Seal:
After the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, the inscription on the colonial seal was no longer appropriate. Therefore, in May of 1784 the General Assembly directed the Secretary to alter the inscription to read "SIGILL. REIP. CONNECTICUTENSIS." However, when a new version of the seal was prepared, the inscription contained the words spelled out ---SIGILLUM REIPUBLICAE CONNECTICUTENSIS (Seal of the State of Connecticut). There has been no subsequent alteration to the official state seal. In 1931, the General Assembly required that all representations of the state seal conform to the description in Chapter 54 of the Public Acts of that year. This legislation also prohibited reproduction of the seal except by or under the direction of the Secretary of the State.
The Connecticut State Seal is an official emblem of the State.
Reproduction of State Arms and Seal:
Please be advised that permission is required to reproduce the state arms and seal under Section 3-106a of the Connecticut General Statutes: Sec. 3-106a. Reproduction of arms and seal. The official arms and seal of the State of Connecticut, or imitation thereof, whether as a reproduction, imprint or facsimile, shall be made and used only under the direction and with the approval of the Secretary of the State for purposes specifically authorized by the constitution and laws of the state or related directly or indirectly to the official business of the state, provided the secretary may in his judgment approve other reproductions of said arms or seal of the state for memorials and for purposes he considers educational.
Tartan:
The State Tartan was adopted by Act of the Legislature, 1995.
Tree:
Deep-rooted in the historic tradition of Connecticut, the Charter Oak is one of the most colourful and significant symbols of the spiritual strength and love of freedom which inspired our Colonial forebears in their militant resistance to tyranny. This venerable giant of the forest, over half a century old when it hid the treasured Charter in 1687, finally fell during a great storm on August 21, 1856.
Two English kings, a royal agent, a colonial hero and a candle-lit room are the figures and backdrop in one of the most thrilling chapters of America's legend of liberty. The refusal of our early Connecticut leaders to give up the Charter, despite royal order and the threat of arms, marked one of the greatest episodes of determined courage in our history.
On October 9, 1662, The General Court of Connecticut formally received the Charter won from King Charles II by the suave diplomacy of Governor John Winthrop, Jr., who had crossed the ocean for the purpose. Twenty-five years later, with the succession of James II to the throne, Connecticut's troubles began in earnest. Sir Edmund Andros, His Majesty's agent, followed up failure of various strategies by arriving in Hartford with an armed force to seize the Charter. After hours of debate, with the Charter on the table between the opposing parties, the candle-lit room suddenly went dark. Moments later when the candles were re-lighted, the Charter was gone. Captain Joseph Wadsworth is credited with having removed and secreted the Charter in the majestic oak on the Wyllys estate.
Algonquian Indian tribes lived in the Connecticut region before the Europeans arrived. Dutch explorers sailed up the Connecticut River in 1614. The first permanent European settlers in the area were English colonists from Massachusetts. They formed the Connecticut Colony in 1636 and adopted the Fundamental Orders in 1639. The Orders, sometimes referred to as the first written constitution, gave voters the right to elect government officials. In 1637, the colonists defeated the Pequot Indians, the most powerful tribe in the region. The colony received a charter from England in 1662.
At the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, Connecticut delegates helped work out the Connecticut Compromise, or Great Compromise. It helped determine how states should be represented in the nation's congress. Connecticut became a state of the U.S.A. in 1788.
During the 1800's, improved transportation and the development of mass production made Connecticut a thriving industrial centre. In 1910, the U.S. Coast Guard made its home in New London. In 1917, the U.S. Navy opened a submarine base in Groton. The world's first nuclear-powered submarine was built and launched there in 1954.
Bird:
The American Robin was adopted as the official State Bird by the General Assembly in 1943. The name Robin is applied to a number of familiar birds, but in North America it is the migratory thrush. (Turdus migratorius.)
Our Robin, a true thrush, is a migratory bird with a reddish brown or tawny breast and a loud cheery song. It was first called Robin by the early colonists, in remembrance of the beloved English bird. Despite the protests of some naturalists, we still retain that traditional name.
Familiar in the summertime throughout North America, the American Robin is seen from Alaska to Virginia. Most people do not know that many Robins spend the entire winter in New England. They roost among the evergreens in the swamps where they feed on winter berries.
Coat of Arms:
On March 24, 1931, the General Assembly adopted a design for the official Arms of the State, which it ordered drawn and filed with the Secretary of the State.
The official description of the Arms calls for: A shield of rococo design of white field, having in the centre three grape vines, supported and bearing fruit. Below the shield shall be a white streamer, cleft at each end, bordered with two fine lines, and upon the streamer shall be in solid letters of medium bold Gothic the motto: "QUI TRANSTULIT SUSTINET" (He Who Transplanted Still Sustains)
The official arms and seal of the State of Connecticut, whether as a reproduction, imprint or facsimile, shall be made and used only under the direction and with the approval of the the Secretary of State.
Economy:
Agriculture: Nursery stock, eggs, dairy products, cattle.
Industry: Transportation equipment, machinery, electric equipment, fabricated metal products, chemical products, scientific instruments.
Flower:
Designated as the State Flower by the General Assembly in 1907, the Mountain Laurel is perhaps the most beautiful of native American shrubs. Its fragrance and the massed richness of its white and pink blossoms so vividly contrast with the darker colours of the forests and the fields that they have continually attracted the attention of travelers since the earliest days of our colonization. First mentioned in John Smith's "General History," in 1624 specimens were sent to Linnaeus, the famous botanist, by the Swedish explorer Peter Kalm in 1750.
Linnaeus gave it the name of Kalmia latifolia, honoring the name his correspondent and at the same time describing the "wide-leafed" characteristic of the plant. In addition to being called the "Mountain Laurel," the plant has also been spoken of as "Calico Bush" and "Spoonwood."
Motto:
The motto "Qui Transtulit Sustinet," (He Who Transplanted Still Sustains), has been associated with the various versions of the seal from the creation of the Saybrook Colony Seal. While the origin of the motto is uncertain, the late Charles J. Hoadly, a former State Librarian, suggested in an article entitled "The Public Seal of Connecticut," which appeared in the 1889 edition of the Connecticut State Register and Manual, that we look to the 80th Psalm as a possible source. "Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it."
Origin of state's name:
Quinnehtukqut -- Mohican for "Long River Place" or "Beside the Long Tidal River".
Seal:
After the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, the inscription on the colonial seal was no longer appropriate. Therefore, in May of 1784 the General Assembly directed the Secretary to alter the inscription to read "SIGILL. REIP. CONNECTICUTENSIS." However, when a new version of the seal was prepared, the inscription contained the words spelled out ---SIGILLUM REIPUBLICAE CONNECTICUTENSIS (Seal of the State of Connecticut). There has been no subsequent alteration to the official state seal. In 1931, the General Assembly required that all representations of the state seal conform to the description in Chapter 54 of the Public Acts of that year. This legislation also prohibited reproduction of the seal except by or under the direction of the Secretary of the State.
The Connecticut State Seal is an official emblem of the State.
Reproduction of State Arms and Seal:
Please be advised that permission is required to reproduce the state arms and seal under Section 3-106a of the Connecticut General Statutes: Sec. 3-106a. Reproduction of arms and seal. The official arms and seal of the State of Connecticut, or imitation thereof, whether as a reproduction, imprint or facsimile, shall be made and used only under the direction and with the approval of the Secretary of the State for purposes specifically authorized by the constitution and laws of the state or related directly or indirectly to the official business of the state, provided the secretary may in his judgment approve other reproductions of said arms or seal of the state for memorials and for purposes he considers educational.
Tartan:
The State Tartan was adopted by Act of the Legislature, 1995.
Tree:
Deep-rooted in the historic tradition of Connecticut, the Charter Oak is one of the most colourful and significant symbols of the spiritual strength and love of freedom which inspired our Colonial forebears in their militant resistance to tyranny. This venerable giant of the forest, over half a century old when it hid the treasured Charter in 1687, finally fell during a great storm on August 21, 1856.
Two English kings, a royal agent, a colonial hero and a candle-lit room are the figures and backdrop in one of the most thrilling chapters of America's legend of liberty. The refusal of our early Connecticut leaders to give up the Charter, despite royal order and the threat of arms, marked one of the greatest episodes of determined courage in our history.
On October 9, 1662, The General Court of Connecticut formally received the Charter won from King Charles II by the suave diplomacy of Governor John Winthrop, Jr., who had crossed the ocean for the purpose. Twenty-five years later, with the succession of James II to the throne, Connecticut's troubles began in earnest. Sir Edmund Andros, His Majesty's agent, followed up failure of various strategies by arriving in Hartford with an armed force to seize the Charter. After hours of debate, with the Charter on the table between the opposing parties, the candle-lit room suddenly went dark. Moments later when the candles were re-lighted, the Charter was gone. Captain Joseph Wadsworth is credited with having removed and secreted the Charter in the majestic oak on the Wyllys estate.