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The Wheelhouse

Why is Connecticut called the ‘Constitution State?’

By Frankie Graziano,
Chloe Wynne
Published August 20, 2025 at 7:15 AM EDT
An image of King Charles II, King of England, appears in the upper left of a detail photograph of the Royal Charter of 1662. Written on parchment, the document, says the Museum of Connect History, “gave royal approval to the structure and freedoms that were already in place under the Colony of Connecticut’s Fundamental Orders of 1639, the first written government framework in the nation created and implemented by a group of people to govern themselves.”
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Museum of Connecticut History
An image of King Charles II, King of England, appears in the upper left of a detail photograph of the Royal Charter of 1662. Written on parchment, the document, says the Museum of Connect History, “gave royal approval to the structure and freedoms that were already in place under the Colony of Connecticut’s Fundamental Orders of 1639, the first written government framework in the nation created and implemented by a group of people to govern themselves.”

How did Connecticut earn the moniker “Constitution State”?

Hint – it’s not the Constitution you learned about in history class!

We’ll travel back to the 1600s to explore how history, conflict and big aspirations helped shape the state’s identity.

GUESTS:

  • Thomas Balcerski, professor of history at Eastern Connecticut State University and director of the Center for Connecticut Studies
  • Kathy Craughwell-Varda, director of Conservation ConneCTion, Connecticut State Library
  • Andrea Rapacz, chief curator of collections, Connecticut Museum of Culture and History

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Frankie Graziano
Frankie Graziano is the host of 'The Wheelhouse,' focusing on how local and national politics impact the people of Connecticut.
See stories by Frankie Graziano
Chloe Wynne
Chloe is a producer for The Wheelhouse and Where We Live at Connecticut Public. She's also the host and a producer of the narrative podcast 'Generation Gilmore Girls.' Before that, she produced and reported for VPM and Story Mechanics on the investigative podcast 'Admissible: Shreds of Evidence.' She earned her master's degree from Columbia Journalism School in 2021. Reach her at cwynne@ctpublic.org.
See stories by Chloe Wynne
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