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Vermont, tucked away in northeastern corner of the United States, is often overlooked, being the 2nd smallest state per capita. But it is a state worth getting to know.
Early VermontAlthough originally populated by the Algonquin, Iroquois, and Abenaki nations, by as early as 1636 the Puritains began settling the southern and eastern sections of the state (The History of Vermont by Hiland Hal), despite the land being at first described as uninhabitable, with dense tangles of wilderness. Unihabitable, perhaps. But not unwanted, as the territories of Massachesettes, New Hampshire, and New York would all fight over the Green Mountains like bears over a bee hive, seeking to ever-expand their boarders. These already well-established states often petitioned the Crown for the land (or even out-right proclaimed ownership of it) in a nasty game of land-granting and border disputes that would last for years. Around the same period, the ever-lurking French, sent famed explorer Samuel de Champlain down the St. Lawrence river and into and giant body of water later named after the him, Lake Champlain. At first sight, the Frankophile dubbed the surrounding lushness "Verde Mont" (Green Mountains) and claimed it in the name of France. The Green Mountain BoysThus, the shape of Vermont's future would remain in flux until Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, in the wake of the Revolutionary war, helped secure its independence in 1777. Thanks in part to their efforts, from 1777 until 1791 Vermont declared herself an official republic of Windsor and even printed her own official money for a time. Along the way, she constitutionalized universal male suffrage, public schools, and abolition. Historic EventsDuring such time, Castleton, Vermont's first college, was chartered in 1787, and the first marble quarry opened in Dorset a few years earlier. Finally, in 1791 Vermont became the 14th state in the federation, and in the same year the University of Vermont (Universtiy of Verde Mont) was chartered. Despite all of this activity, there were only estimated 85,341 people living in the state at this time. Almost 20 years later that number more than doubled to 217, 895 (History of Vermont by Hiland Hal). Other notable dates include 1837, when John Deere patented the steel plow, and 1855, the date the first Republican govenor was elected (a postion the GOP would hold continuously until 1962). John Dewey was born in Vermont, as was former U.S. President Calvin Coolidge (1872 on the Fourth of July). Almost a decade later, Chester Arthur, also from Vermont, was elected President of the U.S. Progressive Vermont From humble beginnings, Vermont marked herself as progressive early on. At the early date of 1779, she established property rights for women, and would also produce the nation's first African American college graduate and, later, legislator, Alexander Twilight. Alas, the Green Mountain state never really boomed like her neighbors, and around the Turn of the Century, it was reported that cattle actually outnumber people in the state. As of 2006, more than 100 years later, according to the U.S. Census Bureau online the number of people still only tops out at 623,908 (not even doubling). So Vermont, though few in number, comes from a storied and progressive past which continues to grow in firsts, as she was the first state to legalize Civil Unions (July 1, 2000) and the first state to join the Climate Registry, a national effort to track and manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The copyright of the article History of Vermont in American History is owned by Jeremy Perkins. Permission to republish History of Vermont in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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