Vermont Republic

The Vermont Republic (French: République du Vermont), officially known at the time as the State of Vermont (French: État du Vermont), was an independent state in New England that existed from January 15, 1777, to March 4, 1791.[1] The state was founded in January 1777, when delegates from 28 towns met and declared independence from the jurisdictions and land claims of the British colonies of Quebec, New Hampshire, and New York. The republic remained in existence for the next fourteen years, albeit without diplomatic recognition from any foreign power. On March 4, 1791, it was admitted into the United States as the State of Vermont, with the constitution and laws of the independent state continuing in effect after admission.[2]

The delegates also forbade slavery within their republic. Many Vermonters took part in the American Revolution, but the Continental Congress did not recognize the jurisdiction’s independence.[3] Because of objections from New York, which had conflicting property claims, the Continental Congress declined to recognize Vermont, then sometimes also known as the New Hampshire Grants.[4] Vermont’s overtures to join the Province of Quebec were accepted by the British, offering generous terms for the Republic’s reunion. When the British surrendered at the Siege of Yorktown in 1781, however, American independence became apparent. Vermont, now bordered on three sides by American territory, ended negotiations with the British and instead negotiated terms to become part of the United States.