The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-01-12
THE NAME OF VERMONT

A ncwsTapcr, chiefly remarkable for its
" e'c5anJ'y written editorials" of ''marked
" ability, says that the settlers of the
New Hampshire Grants, at Westminster,
January 1G, III, 'declared themselves q
&" free and independent state, TO be for
% ever hereafter called, known and dis
" tinguishcd by the name of New Connec-
I" ticut. dli1S Vermont" The fact is no
such declaration aras erer adopted, either at
Westminster, January IS, l777, or at any
other tine or place. On the 17th of jan
uary, III, however, not on the 10th, the
settlers of the New Hampshire Grants, in
convention assembled ct Westminster, did
Goclare that "the district of territory COM
- pretending and usually known by the
" name and description of the New Hamp-
d" shire Grants, of right ought to bs, and is
thereby declared forever hereafter TO be
" considered as a separate, free and indie
90 pendent jurisdiction or state by the
d" name and forever hereafter to be called,
known and distinguished by the name OF
"NEw C-oNNECTIcUT."
BIT we do MT propose TO consider the
nantes. error in the date. We have al
ready said Gil that is necessary upon that
pciat, nlhave found the folly of endeav.
oring to convince q stiff necked people who
seem TO think q lie well stuck to is as good
as the truth, and who prefer to believe in q
lie rather than in the truth. But we may
be permitted to ask the president of the
Vermont Historical society, who knows
better, why he will give countenance tc
error, by Issuing his pronunciamento de-
Glazing that among the vermont centen,
4" nisl days in 1877" is January 16 the an
niversary Of the ''decldrati0n of New Con
q" necticut as an independent state ~
The name of vermont" was not known
or suggested, in connection with the pres
cnt territory, or state, called by that name
at the Westminster convention, or fol
weeks or months afterwards. And, will
due Difference to the president of the Vcr
mont Historical society, we may add tina
the name of New Connecticut" was no
known or used in connection Herewith I'm
til the sereateenM day of January, 1777
Pdor TO January II, 1777, the state, or thu
territory now comprising it, was known a
the New Hampshire Grants" for the OBJ
yious reason that the title Of the settlers 4
these lands was derived from q grant from
the royal governor of New Hampshire
The name Of "New Connecticut" was, I'm
dou5tedly, adopted because it was the mos
familiar and homelikc name which on
fathers could select all our prominen
leaders, at that time, both civil and mill
t2ry, were from Connecticut, and, for som
time afterwards, laws were enacted by
reference to similar statutes las SAID &C
" stand on the Connecticut statute book.
From January II, l777 to June 4 of tn
same year, this territory was known a
"New Connecticut'-although the nam
cf "Vermont" was first used in ~connectIo
herewith, in a published letter, date
April II, l777, from DR.. Thomas Younl
of Philadelphia, addressed "to the inhat
"itauts Of Vermont" The Westminste
convention of January adjourned, on tn
seventeenth, to meet at Windsor on til
first Wednesday of June, and on the fourt
day Of June l777, the convention reassen
bled, the Official record thereof CONNER
cling as follows "New Hampshire Gram
" (alias) New Connecticut" There wei
present eeventy-two delegates representa-
fifty towns, Joseph Bowker, of RUTLAND
being president of the convention, and j
ra7 Fay, Of Bennington, clerk.
The 1Ts. business of the convention WI
the adoption of a preamble and resolution
setting forth the proceedings at WestmiI
ster, and then proceeding as follows
"And a0Aereas, This convention have bee
Uniformed hat q district Of land lying O
the Susqlehanna river, has been her
A." tofOre and 10 now known by the nam
"New Connecticut, which was unknow
"t1 them until some time since the declt
ration az Westminster aforesaid and
81 would be inconYenient IN many r
aspects for two separate districts on tn
"olntircn. to bear the zane name u
"solrcd Therefore, unanimously, that Il
"ea'd district dcsc,ibed in the preamble
the declaration at Westminster, afor
" said, shall now hereafter be called an
"known by the name of VERMONT"
Th.t he name of "Vermont' was fir
applied to this territory by Thomas YounI
in his published letter of April II, III
and that the honor of naming the state b