Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-01-17
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MONTPELIER VT
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY II. 1877.
Hundred Years.

The State of Vermont completes her
first one hundred years us an Independent
commonwealth this day, the formal decl"'
ration of independence having been adopt
ed by convention ut Westminster Janu-
arv II, 1777. For the next few months
the name of the rev state was New Con-
necticut, the name of Vermont having been
taken on the 4th of the following June.
For fourteen years after this declaration
Vermont was nation, the United States
refusing her admission either to the Old
Confederation or the new Union on terms
agreeable to the sturdy men who moved
to the " New Hampshire Grants and
those who followed after the Grants de-
cared their independence.
There was virtual declaration of the
independence of Vermont territory adopt
ell by convention held at Manchester, as
far back AS January 81, 1915, but the rev
ohiion came on apace, and turned the at
t,ntion of the Green Mountain boys to the
common enemy, The British. After a
year had passed in which their service in
behalf of the colonies had not brought rec
ognition of their claims, the inhabitants of
the Grants petitioned Congress, at con-
ventioD held at Dorset, january l6, 1776,
asking that when they were called on TO
fight, it should be as inhabitants of the
New Hampshire Grants, and not as inhab-
itants of New York.
Congress of course hated to offend New
York and no good resulted from the petit
ton of the convention. The next conven-
ton that was held was the one which de-
clarpd the Grants Independent and in a
small way it .rivaled the famous Long Par
lament, for it had no less than five SEES
sions and continued its deliberations, at
in c vas. from July 1776 to June 1777. II |
first met at Dorset July "a, 177G; adjourn
ed to meet September %, ut the same
place which was done and IL resolution
passed ito take suitable measures, as soon
as may be, to declare the New Hampshire
Grants free and separate district" An
adjournment was had till October 80,
when the convention held its third meet
ing ut Westminster, but the unsettled state
Of the country prevented any action AT
that time.
This convention held its fourth meeting
Mt Westminster, January 10, III. On
the 10th of January the members passed
IL resolution which may very well be con-
sidcred II declaration of independence. that
is THAT the district Of land commonly
called or known by the name of the New
Hampshire Grants be II new and separate
State, and for the future conduct them
selves us SUCH"
But in view of the flct that something
very similar had been said by the Man
chester convention nearly two years be-
fore, and by the convention at Dorset the
25th of September l776, it is hardly right
TO date our independence from the vote of
the 10Th. The action there was very much
like the action Of Congress preliminary to
the formal declaration of July 4, l776 and
the resolutions adopted on the l7lh of
January are of the same nature rs the ma
tional declaration of independence. On
the third day Of its Westminster session,
Friday, January II, 1777, the convention
declared our independence, saying that
" the district Of territory comprehendng
and usually known by the name and des-
cription of the New Hampshire Grants, of
right ought to be, and is hereby declared
forever hereafter to be considered rs II
separate. free and independent jurisdiction
or state; by the name and forever hereaf-
ter 10 be called known and distinguished
by the name of New CONNECTICUT"
But this convention was to meet once
more, and ut its fifth and last meeting on
the 4lh of the next June at Windsor it
changed the name of the new state from
New Connecticut to Vermont, following
the suggestion of Dr. Thomas Young, Il
Philadelphian,w who took an interest in our
people, and who on the 18th of April had
written letter addressed "to the inhabit.
ants of Vermont" This long continuing
convention was not very large body, its
first meeting having fifty-one members
representing thirty-lwo towns and its last
meeting seventy-two members, represent
ing fifty towns. The number of inhabi-
tants at this time has been estimated at
10000.
May Vermont's sons and daughters,
within and without her borders, make the
history of her second hundred years as
honorable as is that of the century which
she now completes.