Hartford's flag, adopted on September 12, 1983, features a blue field with a white disc (a modified version of the municipal seal) at the center, surrounded by a wide blue ring bearing the words "CITY OF HARTFORD" at the top and "CONNECTICUT" at the bottom, separated by two five-pointed stars, all in white.
The seal shows the Hartford Charter Oak, the legendary symbol of Connecticut's independence. In 1687, according to tradition, colonists hid the colony's royal charter in the hollow of this oak to protect it from the English governor who wanted to revoke it. The tree became a symbol of resistance to tyranny.
This concentration of insurance companies dates back to the 19th century, when marine insurers diversified into fire and life insurance.
Hartford was also a weapons-manufacturing center: Colt's Manufacturing Company, founded in 1855, produced the legendary Colt revolvers. Samuel Colt turned Hartford into an American arsenal. Today, insurance towers dominate the skyline, and the simple blue-and-white flag flies over a capital that insures America.