Vermont, The Green Mountain State

Some Vermont History

Vermont is a tiny state hidden in the northeast corner of the United States. Originally populated by various indigenous peoples of the Algonquin, Iroquois, and Abenaki nations, the land now known as Vermont was first seen by European eyes in 1609, when the French explorer Samuel de Champlain sailed the lake that now bears his name. The French must have paid their visits during the warmer months, for when they gazed upon the mountains that form the spine of the state, they named them Les verts monts, 17th century French for the Green Mountains. The name of state capital "Montpelier" also comes from the French Montpelier which means the "naked mount" (i.e the mount without trees). As happens with language, Les verts mont became Verts Mont became Vermont. And as happened with explorers, Champlain claimed all he saw in the name of France.

In 1763, England was granted the area via the Treaty of Paris, which ended the French and Indian war. Locally, the land was at various times claimed by both New Hampshire and New York; however, Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys put an end to that, and by 1777 Vermont had achieved independence. In fact, Vermont remained an independent republic until 1791, at which point it joined the United States as that fledgling nation's fourteenth member. Nonetheless, to this day Vermonters remain fiercely independent. Indeed, in 1996, Vermont's sole Congressional seat is held by the House of Representative's lone independent, Rep. Bernard Sanders.

Memories of recent Vermont history are embodied by the Vermont WPA Life Histories Project.

Despite its rural nature, Vermont has a rich history in science and technology. High on a hilltop in southern Vermont, backed against a southern shield of tall spruce trees and facing north to Mount Ascutney is the home of the Springfield Telescope Makers, the oldest group of amateurs in the country devoted to building and using astronomical telescopes and other scientific instruments. Located on the east side of the road which leads from Brandon to the village of Forestdale, Vermont stands a two story house known as the Orange Smalley-Thomas Davenport Shop. It was probably built around 1830 or earlier as a workshop on the farm of Dr. Adoniram J. Smalley. Here in 1834, Orange Alfonso Smalley, experimented with electromagnetism. This shop is now known as the birthplace of the electric motor.

Visitors to Burlington (home of the historic DuPont building) might want to bone up on some history of the Queen City before taking a stroll around the town. Brattleboro has so much history it takes two sites to cover it all. Up on Grand Isle stands the The Grand Isle County Courthouse, a building steeped in Vermont history.

Brought to you through the courtesy of Computing and Information Technology, University of Vermont. Copyright © 1995 The University of Vermont and others. All rights reserved.