Vermont,
A
New England State, is bounded on the north by the province of
Quebec, east by
New Hampshire, south by
Massachusetts, and west by New York and
Lake Champlain.
It lies between 42° 44′ to 45° 43′ N. lat., and 71° 38′ to 73° 25′ W. long.
Area, 9,565 square miles, in fourteen counties.
Population, 1890, 332,422; 1900, 343,641.
Capital,
Montpelier.
Samuel de Champlain explores the lake bearing his name......1609
About 44,000 acres in
southern Vermont, granted to the colony of
Connecticut, in 1715, as an equivalent for lands granted by
Massachusetts in
Connecticut territory, transferred to
William Dummer,
Anthony Stoddard,
William Brattle, and
John White......1716
Fort Dummer built by the colony of
Massachusetts on the
Connecticut River at
Brattleboro......1724
French settle at
Chimney Point, Addison township, Vt......1730
Township Number One, now
Westminster, laid out between the great falls and the land grant of 1716, by the General Court of
Massachusetts......Nov. 19, 1736
Grant of Walloomsac, 1,200 acres mostly in New York, but extending into the township of
Bennington......1739
Governor Wentworth, of
New Hampshire, makes a grant of
Bennington......1749
Bennington settled......1761
Proclamation by
Lieutenant-Governor Colden, of New York, claiming the territory west of the
Connecticut, now
Vermont, under grants from Charles II.
to the
Duke of
York, and ordering the sheriff to return the names of those who had settled on it under titles from
New Hampshire......Dec. 28, 1763
[This claim was not settled until 1790.]
Northern boundary of
Vermont fixed at lat. 45° N......1763
Governor Wentworth, after granting about 130 townships west of the
Connecticut, proclaims the claims of New York obsolete, and jurisdiction belongs to
New Hampshire......March 13, 1764
New York appeals to the
King, who decides the
Connecticut River to be the eastern boundary of New York......July 20, 1764
Lieutenant-Governor Colden proclaims
Vermont annexed to New York......April 10, 1765
First New York patent for lands in
Vermont, under
Colden's proclamation, for 26,000 acres, called
Princetown, in the
valley of the Battenkill, between
Arlington and
Dorset......May 21, 1765
Samuel Robinson, appointed by 1,000 settlers under the
New Hampshire grants to present their petition to the
King, sails from New York for
England......Dec. 25, 1766
King George III.
forbids New York, until authorized, to grant land in
Vermont......July 24, 1767
Lieutenant-Governor Colden disregards the order, and between September, 1769, and October, 1770, grants 600,000 acres......1769-70
New-Yorkers, claiming the farm of
James Breakenridge in the township of
Bennington (part of the Walloomsac grant of 1739), send commissioners and surveyors who are dispersed by friends of Breakenridge......Oct. 19, 1769
Ejectment suits for lands claimed by New York at
Albany are decided against settlers under
New Hampshire grants......June, 1770
Sheriff Ten
Eyck, with a posse of about 300 citizens of
Albany, attempts to take Breakenridge's farm for New York claimants, but are driven off by armed settlers......July 19, 1771
Organization of the “
Green Mountain boys” under command of
Col. Ethan Allen, for opposing “the Yorkers” ......1771
Jehiel Hawley and
James Breakenridge appointed by deputies of
Bennington at
Manchester, Oct. 21, to petition the
King to confirm their grants from
New Hampshire......Oct. 21, 1772
Green Mountain Boys visit
Durham (
Clarendon) twice, armed and with threats, to compel the inhabitants to acknowledge the
New Hampshire title......October-November, 1773
Governor Tryon, of New York, by proclamation, commands Ethan Allen,
Seth Warner,
Remember Baker,
Robert Cochran,
Peleg Sunderland,
Silvanus Brown,
James Breakenridge, and
John Smith
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to surrender within thirty days, offering £ 150 for capture of
Allen, and £ 50 each for capture of the others......March 9, 1774
Convention at
Manchester resolves that whoever takes a commission of the peace from New York will be deemed an enemy to his country and the common cause......April 12-13, 1774
Benjamin Hough, an inhabitant of
New Hampshire Grants, favoring New York, procures a commission as justice of the peace.
He is found guilty of violating the resolution of April, 1774, publicly whipped, and sent to New York......Jan. 30, 1775
People, to resist the holding of court under royal authority at
Westminster appointed for March 14, 1775, assemble at the court-house, March 13.
A guard left during the night is fired upon by
Sheriff Patterson and his posse a little before midnight, wounding ten, two mortally, and seven are taken prisoners.
In the morning court is opened, but the judge and officers are imprisoned at
Northampton by the mob......March 14, 1775
Ethan Allen, with eighty-three men, captures
Fort Ticonderoga......May 10, 1775
Ethan Allen and thirty-eight men, captured in an attack on
Montreal, sent in irons to
England......Sept. 25, 1775
Convention of the New Hampshire grants at
Dorset; fifty-six delegates from thirty-three towns, to form a separate State......Sept. 25, 1776
Convention at
Westminster declares
Vermont “a separate, free, and independent jurisdiction or State, as ‘New Connecticut,’ ” ......Jan. 17, 1777
Convention at
Windsor names the
State Vermont, adopts a constitution, and appoints a provisional council of safety for the
State......July 2-8, 1777
British troops under
Generals Fraser and
Riedesel disperse the rear guard of
St. Clair's army under
Colonels Francis and
Warner at
Hubbardton......July 7, 1777
Council of Vermont appoints “commissioners of sequestration” to seize the property of “all persons in the
State who had repaired to the enemy” ......July 28, 1777
Battle of Bennington;
General Burgoyne sends about 1,000 German troops under
Colonels Baume and
Breyman to seize provisions at
Bennington; they are routed by
Americans under
General Stark......Aug. 16, 1777
Legislature at
Windsor divides the
State into two counties: one east of the
Green Mountains, called
Cumberland, and another west, called
Bennington......March 12, 1778
Stockade fort and block-house erected at
Rutland......April, 1778
Col. Ethan Allen, prisoner of the
British since 1775, exchanged, is welcomed to
Bennington by a salute of fourteen guns, “one for young
Vermont” ......May 31, 1778
Convention of towns on both sides of the
Connecticut River, including eight from
Vermont, at
Cornish, N. H., proposes to form a State, with capital on the
Connecticut......Dec. 9, 1778
Assembly of Vermont declares the union of 1778, with the sixteen towns east of the
Connecticut, null and void......Feb. 12, 1779
Legislature of New York refers to Congress to determine equitably the controversy between New York and
Vermont......Oct. 21, 1779
Town of
Royalton attacked by 300 Indians from
Canada; many buildings burned......Oct. 16, 1780
Massachusetts assents to the independence of
Vermont......March, 1781
Towns east of the
Connecticut annexed to
Vermont at their request......April, 1781
Col. Ira Allen, commissioner to exchange prisoners with the
British, reaches
Ile aux Noix, a few miles north of the
Canadian line, about May 8, and spends seventeen days in conference; a union of Vermont with the
British is proposed, under instructions from
General Haldimand, by encouraging which
Allen effects an exchange of prisoners and cessation of hostilities on the border......May, 1781
Jonas Fay,
Ira Allen, and
Bazaleel Woodward sent by the legislature to represent the cause of
Vermont to the Continental Congress......June 22, 1781
First newspaper in
Vermont, the
Vermont Gazette, or Green Mountain Postboy, printed at
Westminster by
Judah Paddock Spooner and
Timothy Green......1781
Congress resolves that an indispensable preliminary to the admission of
Vermont as a State should be the relinquishing of territory east of the
Connecticut and west of the present
New York State line, Aug. 20, 1781; the legislature dissolves its eastern and western unions......Feb. 22, 1782
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Residents of
Brattleboro,
Guilford, and
Halifax, in a petition prepared by
Charles Phelps to
Governor Clinton, of New York, complain of the
Vermont government, and ask New York to assume jurisdiction over
Windham county......April 30, 1782
Governor Chittenden commissions
Gen. Ethan Allen, Sept. 2, to raise 250 volunteers, and march into
Windham county as a posse comitatus to enforce
Vermont laws.
This force, doubled by volunteers from
Windham county, arrests some twenty leaders of the rebellion,
Charles Phelps escaping, Sept. 10; these leaders are tried at
Westminster and banished from the
State......Sept. 11, 1782
First school law; towns are empowered to form school districts and to elect trustees......Oct. 22, 1782
Legislature establishes post-offices and a postmaster-general; “the rates of postage to be the same as in the
United States” ......1784
Grant to
Reuben Harmon, Jr., of Rupert, of the exclusive privilege of coining copper for a limited period......1785
As provided by State constitution, the first council of censors meets and suggests changes in the constitution, and calls a convention......1785
Constitution framed by a convention, July 4, 1786, is adopted by the legislature and declared......March, 1787
Ethan Allen, born at
Litchfield, Conn., Jan. 10, 1737, dies at
Burlington......Feb. 12, 1789
New York consents to the admission of
Vermont into the
Union, renouncing her claims for $30,000, and the legislature of
Vermont ratifies the agreement......Oct. 28, 1790
Vermont adopts the
Constitution of the United States without amendments......Jan. 10, 1791
Vermont admitted by act of Congress of Feb. 18, to take effect......March 4, 1791
Constitutional convention meets at
Windsor, July 4; completes its labors......July 9, 1793
Constitution of 1793 adopted by the legislature......Nov. 2, 1796
Gov. Thomas Chittenden resigns on account of failing health (1797), and dies at
Williston......Aug. 25, 1797
University of
Vermont and State agricultural school at
Burlington, chartered 1791, opened......1800
Steamboat
The Vermont launched at
Burlington by John and
James Winans......1809
Flag-ship
Saratoga, of twenty-six guns, and several small vessels, built upon
Otter Creek during the winter of 1813-14, under
Thomas Macdonough, engage in the battle of
Plattsburg and
Lake Champlain;
Americans victorious......Sept. 11, 1814
President James Monroe makes a tour through
Vermont......1817
Norwich University founded at
Norwich......1819
Resolutions of the Vermont legislature presented in the United States Senate, declaring slavery a moral and political evil, and that Congress has the right to prohibit its extension......Dec. 9, 1820
General Lafayette lays the corner-stone of the new university building at
Burlington, to replace that destroyed by fire in 1824......June 29, 1825
Act for the establishment of common schools......1827
Anti-masonic governor,
William A. Palmer, elected......1831
House of Representatives divided into a Senate and General Assembly......1836
Vermont asylum for the insane at
Brattleboro, incorporated November, 1834, is opened......December, 1836
Legislature adopts anti-slavery resolutions......1837
State capitol at
Montpelier completed......1837
Small band of
Vermont patriots, organized on the
Canada side of the
Vermont line to invade the province, threatened by 1,600 or 1,700
Canadian troops,. decide to return to
Vermont, but are compelled to surrender by
General Wool......December, 1838
Marble first quarried at
Rutland......1844
License law passed......1844
School fund abolished to pay the
State debt......1845
First slate quarry in the
State opened at
Fairhaven......1845
Act providing State superintendent of common schools, with town superintendents and district committees......Nov. 5, 1845
Local option law passed......1846
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Two brass field-pieces, captured at
Bennington, given to
Vermont by Congress......July 10, 1848
Jacob Collamer appointed
Postmaster-General......March 8, 1849
Railroad jubilee at
Burlington, celebrating the union of the lakes and the
Atlantic by railroad through
Vermont......June 25, 1850
Vermont State Teachers' Association organized......1850
Maine prohibition law passed......Dec. 20, 1852
State board of education established......1856
Capitol at
Montpelier burned......Jan. 6, 1857
Personal liberty bill, “to secure freedom to all persons within the
State,” passed......Nov. 25, 1858
Under the call of
President Lincoln and
Governor Fairbanks, April 15, the first Vermont regiment reaches New York City......May 10, 1861
Personal liberty bill of 1858 repealed as inconsistent with the
Constitution of the United States......1861
Southern refugees in
Canada, under
Lieut. Bennett H. Young, rob the banks of
St. Albans, escaping into
Canada with over $200,000......Oct. 19, 1864
Norwich University removed to
Northfield......1866
Vermont ratifies the Fourteenth Amendment......Nov. 9, 1866
Vermont ratifies the Fifteenth Amendment......Oct. 21, 1869
Gov. P. J. Washburn dies;
Lieut.-Gov. W. Hendee succeeds......Feb. 7, 1870
Five hundred Fenians, marshalled and armed at
Fairfield, invade
Canada and are driven back by
Canadian militia......May, 1870
State constitution amended: council of censors abolished; legislative sessions and State elections made biennial......1871
Board of education abolished and the office of State superintendent of education created......1874
State reform school at
Waterbury destroyed by fire......Feb. 12, 1874
Celebration at
Bennington of one-hundredth anniversary of the
battle of Bennington......Aug. 15-16, 1877
Revision of State laws of
Vermont under act of 1878 completed......1880
Manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors prohibited......1882
State soldiers' home located at
Bennington......Feb. 5, 1887
One hundred thousand dollars appropriated for a State insane asylum at
Waterbury......1888
State board of trade organized......1888
Redfield Proctor appointed
Secretary of War......March 5, 1889
Australian ballot law passed at session......Oct. 1–Nov. 25, 1890
George F. Edmunds resigns from the United States Senate, to take effect Nov. 1......April 6, 1891
Ex-Gov. Paul Dillingham dies at
Waterbury......July 26, 1891
Celebration of centennial of admission of
Vermont into the
Union and dedication of the battle monument (308 feet high) at
Bennington......Aug. 19, 1891
Legislature called in special session concerning direct-tax money refunded by Congress......Aug. 25, 1891
Ex-Gov. John Gregory Smith dies at
St. Albans......Nov. 6, 1891
Redfield Proctor appointed
United States Senator, Aug. 25; qualifies......Dec. 7, 1891
Redfield Proctor elected
United States Senator......Oct. 19, 1892
Justin S. Morrill dies at
Washington, D. C......Dec. 28, 1898
Merchants' National Bank,
Rutland.
failed......March 26, 1900
Virginia 
