Yankee Independence

Originally Aired: December 30, 1936 In Cavalcade of America #63, "Yankee Independence," the colonists of Connecticut face a dire threat to their most precious possession: the charter that guarantees their right to self-government. When Governor Robert Treat convenes the General Court in Hartford in 1687, he brings troubling news that King's appointee Sir Edmund Andros has been given supreme power over all New England and will soon demand surrender of Connecticut's charter. Understanding that losing the charter means losing their freedom, the assembly devises a clever plan at the suggestion of Captain Wadsworth: they transfer the charter from Governor Treat's possession to a special committee, making it legally impossible for the governor to surrender it on command. When Colonel Samuel Bly arrives to take control of the government and seize the charter, he finds himself outwitted at every turn. Captain Wadsworth and the assembly exploit the technicalities of Bly's orders, forcing him into an illegal alteration of the document that invalidates his authority. Though Bly threatens that Governor Andros himself will come to settle the matter, the Connecticut colonists have bought themselves precious time and demonstrated their determination to protect the symbol of their independence through wit rather than open rebellion.