New Connecticut.
Sixteen of the newly formed townships on the eastern side of the
Connecticut River, wishing to escape the heavy burden of taxes imposed by the
Revolutionary War, applied to isolated and independent
Vermont to be
[
373]
received as a part of that State.
They were adopted (1779) under the pretence that, by
Mason's patent of
New Hampshire, that State extended only 60 miles inland, and that those towns were west of that limit.
As
Vermont yet hoped to be admitted to the
Union, and the Continental Congress, disapproving of the proceeding, sent a committee to inquire into the matter, the connection with the
New Hampshire towns was very soon dissolved.
An ineffectual attempt was then made (June, 1779) by the towns on both sides of the river to constitute themselves into a State, with the title of “New Connecticut.”
New Hampshire retaliated by renewing her old claim to the
territory of Vermont as the
New Hampshire Grants (see
New Hampshire). Very soon
Vermont began to act on the offensive.
The towns on the east bank of the river that were to form a part of New Connecticut were again received as a part of
Vermont, and along with them all the new townships of New York east of the
Hudson and north of the
Massachusetts line
