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The land that is now Vermont was once inhabited by Paleo-Indians, followed by more modern Native
Americans, such as the Abenaki peoples. The Abenaki have called the land their home for thousands of
years, and lived in villages along the shores of Lake Champlain and the Connecticut River, in addition
to locales throughout northern New England and southern Quebec. Their land was called Wobanakik,
"Place of the Dawn". Today the Abenaki continue such ancient traditions as making maple syrup and
gathering herbs and berries, in addition to celebrating their heritage with numerous dances.
European exploration of the Vermont area began when French explorer Samuel de Champlain was led to
the region by Algonquin tribes from Canada, who marched against their enemies, the Iroquois. Champlain
claimed what is now northern Vermont for France, and subsequently French settlements formed, such as at
Isle LaMotte. The British established a settlement at Fort Dummer, near modern Brattleboro, in 1724.
Following the French and Indian War, the British continued settlement of the land and named it the New
Hampshire Grants; however, New York also staked claim to the land. As a result, the Green Mountain
Boys formed in 1775 to defend the New Hampshire land grants against New Yorkers, and were led by
Colonel Ethan Allen.
The Green Mountain Boys would emerge again during the American Revolution, when in 1777 they fought
at the battles of Hubbardton and Bennington. Vermont showed its spirit upon declaring itself an
independent republic called "New Connecticut" on January 17, 1777. Vermont even boasted its own money
and postal service, and its own constitution, which was the first in America to prohibit adult slavery
and let all men vote whether or not they owned property. The republic persisted until 1791, when it
was admitted to the Union; it was the first state to follow the original thirteen. The state is named
for its Green Mountains. To this day, Vermont tenaciously holds to its independent nature and is
protective of its legacy.
Many famous individuals have called Vermont their home. Among these are President Calvin Coolidge,
President Chester A. Arthur, Senator Justin Morrill, Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen, Mormon leaders
Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, Spanish American war hero Admiral George Dewey, actor Orson Bean,
inventor John Deere, poet Robert Frost, philosopher and educator John Dewey, painter William Morris
Hunt, actor and director Ernest Thompson, actor M. Emmet Walsh, and entertainer Rudy Vallee.
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