Under the Fundamental Orders of 1639, and the Royal Charter of 1662, colonial Governors had limited authority over the other magistrates and the legislative body. The Constitution of 1818 provided for a distinct "supreme executive power" balanced by the legislature and the judiciary. It was not until the twentieth century however, that the Governor became a full-time chief executive. Wilbur L. Cross was the first full-time Governor. In 1945, Raymond E. Baldwin was the first chief executive to occupy the official residence.
The State Constitution of 1965 transformed the Office of the Governor. Today, the Governor exercises powers common to chief executives: proposing legislation and reporting to the legislature; signing or vetoing bills; appointing or nominating commission and board members and higher judicial and executive branch officers; convening or adjourning the legislature during emergencies; and taking care "that the laws be faithfully executed" through budgetary powers and executive direction of state agencies under the office's jurisdiction.
The laws of Connecticut did not allow governors to serve consecutive terms until 1660. In 1875, voters approved an amendment to the State Constitution increasing the term of the governor to two years. The 1965 State Constitution increased the term from two to four years.
The Judicial and Civil History of Connecticut by The Residence is owned by the State of Connecticut and has scheduled public tours. Governors and their spouses have held holiday open houses for the residents of Connecticut. CT-N has made video recordings of some of the events.
While there is overlap of information in the links below, each tour has some unique content.
Archived pages may have linking issues, as might pages from the Governor's office during administration transitions.
The Office of the Governor manages its records in accordance with the policies, guidelines and standards of the State Records Management Program, including the General Records Retention Schedules for State Agencies and Agency Specific Records Retention Schedules.
These are a few suggestions.