Vermont Republic
Vermont Republic (1777-1791) Republic of New Connecticut (January-June 1777) | |
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Flag
Coat of arms
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| Motto: Freedom and Unity | |
| Capital | Windsor, then Castleton |
| Official languages | English |
| Government | Republic |
| Legislature | House of Representatives of the Freemen of Vermont |
| Independence from New York and New Hampshire | |
• Declared independence | January 1777 |
• July 2, 1777 | Constitution adopted |
| Currency | Vermont copper |
| Today part of | United States Vermont |
The Vermont Republic was a country that existed from 1777 to 1779 on land that was claimed by New York and New Hampshire. It had its own postal system, military, and currency. Even though it had a government, it was not recognized by either Great Britain or the Continental Congress of the United States.[1]
History
Both New York and New Hampshire claimed that Vermont was in their control. The argument was caused by the New Hampshire Grants. The governor of New Hampshire wrote 135 grants, each of 6 square miles, of land to create towns. New York also made grants in the same areas.
In January 1777, Vermont was made independent as "New Connecticut." In June, the name was changed to "Vermont." On July 2, 1777, representatives of nearby Vermont towns met in Windsor. They wanted to leave New York and form their own country under a new constitution.
The Vermont Constitution was designed to be like the Pennsylvania Constitution and was very democratic. Adult slavery was banned in Vermont, the first state that did not allow it. The constitution gave all adult males the right to vote. In the past, only people who owned land could vote.[2] It also outlined how eminent domain would work in Vermont, which is the government taking private property and paying the owners, and included having public schools.
Vermont sent representatives to the United States, the Netherlands, and France to try to discuss peace and trade. It wanted to join the United States as the 14th state. Money made in 1785 and 1786 said "STELLA QUARTA DECIMA" on it, which means "the fourteenth star" in Latin.
New York did not want Vermont to become a state because it still claimed the land as its owm. In 1790, representatives of both states met and decided that Vermont would pay $30,000 to New York in exchange for respecting the border between the two states at Lake Champlain. Vermont then became the 14th state in 1791. At the time, the population was about 85,000.
Green Mountain Boys
The Green Mountain Boys were the militia and the only military force of Vermont. They began in 1775 after an argument about land between New York and New Hampshire.[3]
The militia was led by Major General Ethan Allen, who was born in Vermont and was in the military from 1757 (British Army) until 1780 (Vermont militia).
In 1780, 300 soldiers of the Green Mountain Boys defended Vermont from 307 British and Iroquois soldiers in the Royalton raid. The British and the Iroquois successfully attacked Vermont as a part of many raids by the British during the American Revolutionary War.[4]
The Green Mountain Boys fought with the Continental Army at the Battle of Ticonderoga and the Battle of Bennington.
References
- ↑ "ASK THE GLOBE". 2 January 1989.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ↑ "New Connecticut (Vermont) declares independence - Jan 15, 1777 - HISTORY.com".
- ↑ "Secretary of State - Kids Page: History". www.sec.state.vt.us. Archived from the original on 2017-10-23. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
- ↑ Lovejoy, Mary Evelyn Wood (5 June 2018). "History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911". Burlington, Vt., Free press printing company – via Internet Archive.