Happy Birthday Vermont

   

       Today in 1777, the state of Vermont declares itself an independent and sovereign state. The French and British had wrangled over the territory before the British finally gained control of the region, which was incorporated in the colonies of New York and New Hampshire.

     

     Before the Revolutionary War started, disputes over landownership broke out as settlers from New York infiltrated and provoked the New Hampshire settlers.  To resolve this, Vermont declared itself an Independent and sovereign entity in 1777, with the help of Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys and thus the Republic of Connecticut was born. The Constitution, which was written at Windsor Tavern, was the first to outlaw slavery and granted the rights of suffrage to all men regardless of class or landownership.

     The Green Mountain Republic would retain it's sovereign status for 14 years, including minting it's own coinage before being admitted to the U.S. as the 14th colony.