101-523: Burlington School District is a school district in Vermont , United States. It has its headquarters in Burlington . The budget for 2009-10 was $ 49.9 million. The increase in fiscal year 2009 was a voter approved 9.9% above the prior year. The percentage increase was above the state average. This amount was exceeded by $ 750,000. In 2008, about 26% of the city's 3,600 students were minorities. This contrasts with
202-582: A Köppen climate classification of Dfb, a temperate continental climate. The rural northeastern section known as the " Northeast Kingdom " often averages 10 °F (5.6 °C) colder than the southern areas of the state during winter. The annual snowfall averages between 60 and 100 inches (1,500 and 2,500 mm) depending on elevation. Vermont is the seventh coldest state in the country. Lake Champlain Lake Champlain ( / ʃ æ m ˈ p l eɪ n / sham- PLAYN ; French : Lac Champlain )
303-550: A convention in Vermont voted 105–4 to petition Congress to become a state in the federal union. Congress acted on February 18, 1791, to admit Vermont to the Union as the 14th state as of March 4, 1791; two weeks earlier on February 4, 1791, Congress had decided to admit Kentucky as the 15th state as of June 1, 1792. Vermont became the first state to enter the Union after the original 13 states. The revised constitution of 1786, which established
404-693: A direct invasion route to British Canada. However, had the British controlled the lake, they could have divided the colonies of New England and further depleted the Continental Army . The Continental Army's first offensive action took place in May 1775, three weeks after the Battles of Lexington and Concord . Ethan Allen , accompanied by 200 Green Mountain Boys , was ordered to capture Fort Ticonderoga and retrieve supplies for
505-475: A discharge of pollution into Lake Champlain. Agricultural and urban runoff from the watershed or drainage basin is the primary source of excess phosphorus, which exacerbates algae blooms in Lake Champlain. The most problematic blooms have been cyanobacteria , commonly called blue-green algae, in the northeastern part of the lake: primarily Missisquoi Bay . To reduce phosphorus runoff to this part of
606-575: A dooryard garden, typical of mid-19th century New England village homes, and his experience settling in the Champlain Valley depicts the industries and lifestyles surrounding Lake Champlain following the Revolutionary War. Similar to the experience of Salmon Dutton, former colonial militia Major General Hezekiah Barnes settled in Charlotte, Vermont , in 1787. Following the war, Barnes worked as
707-561: A greater separation of powers, continued in effect until 1793, two years after Vermont's admission to the Union. Under the Act "To Secure Freedom to All Persons Within This State," slavery was officially outlawed by state law on November 25, 1858, less than three years before the American Civil War . Vermonters provided refuge at several sites for escaped slaves fleeing to Canada, as part of
808-528: A national postal service. Thomas Chittenden was the Governor in 1778–1789 and in 1790–1791. Because the state of New York continued to assert that Vermont was a part of New York, Vermont could not be admitted to the Union under Article IV, Section 3 of the Constitution until the legislature of New York consented. On March 6, 1790, the legislature made its consent contingent upon a negotiated agreement on
909-451: A natural defensive position. The British and American vessels engaged in combat for much of the day, only stopping due to impending nightfall. After a long day of combat, the American fleet was in worse shape than the experienced British Navy. Upon ceasefire, Arnold called a council of war with his fellow officers, proposing to escape the British fleet via rowboats under the cover of night. As
1010-639: A road surveyor; he also established an inn and trading post in Charlotte, along the main trade route from Montreal down Lake Champlain. Barnes' stagecoach inn was built in traditional Georgian style, with 10 fireplaces, a ballroom on the interior and a wraparound porch on the outside. In 1800, Continental Army Captain Benjamin Harrington established a distillery business in Shelburne, Vermont , which supplied his nearby inn. These individual accounts shed light on
1111-521: A row, or flocks of blackbirds flying close to the water". In 2022, it was reported that a feature dramatic film, Lucy and the Lake Monster , was in the works about a young orphan girl and her grandfather looking for Champ. A pollution prevention, control and restoration plan for Lake Champlain was first endorsed in October 1996 by the governors of New York and Vermont and the regional administrators of
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#17328768094021212-606: A small uproar, the Great Lake status was rescinded on March 24 (although New York and Vermont universities continue to receive funds to monitor and study the lake). In 1609, Samuel de Champlain wrote that he saw a lake monster 5 ft (1.5 m) long, as thick as a man's thigh, with silver-gray scales a dagger could not penetrate. The alleged monster had 2.5 ft (0.76 m) jaws with sharp and dangerous teeth. Native Americans claimed to have seen similar monsters 8 to 10 ft (2.4 to 3.0 m) long. This mysterious creature
1313-455: A successful siege of Quebec. In May 1776, with the arrival of a British convoy carrying 10,000 British and Hessian troops to Canada, the Continental forces retreated back down the Champlain Valley to reevaluate their strategy. "I know of no better method than to secure the important posts of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and by building a number of armed vessels to command the lakes, otherwise
1414-582: Is Burlington . Its metropolitan area is also the most populous in the state, with an estimate of 225,562 as of 2020. Although these towns are large enough to be considered cities, they are not incorporated as such. The annual mean temperature for the state is 43 °F (6 °C). Vermont has a humid continental climate , with muddy springs, in general a mild early summer, hot Augusts; it has colorful autumns : Vermont's hills reveal red, orange, and (on sugar maples ) gold foliage as cold weather approaches. Winters are colder at higher elevations. It has
1515-523: Is Kaniatarakwà:ronte , meaning "a bulged lake" or "lake with a bulge in it". An alternate name is Kaniá:tare tsi kahnhokà:ronte (phonetic English spelling Caniaderi Guarunte ), meaning "door of the country" or "lake to the country". The lake is an important eastern gateway to Iroquois Confederacy lands. The lake was named after the French explorer Samuel de Champlain , who encountered it in July 1609. While
1616-470: Is 23 miles (37 km) north of Glens Falls on the Hudson River and 70 miles (110 km) north of Albany, New York . Forts were built at Ticonderoga and Crown Point ( Fort St. Frederic ) to control passage on the lake in colonial times. Important battles were fought at Ticonderoga in 1758 and 1775. During the Revolutionary War, the British and Americans conducted a frenetic shipbuilding race through
1717-646: Is 89 miles (143 km) at the Canada–U.S. border; the narrowest width is 37 miles (60 km) near the Massachusetts border. The width averages 60.5 miles (97.4 km). The state's geographic center is approximately three miles (4.8 km) east of Roxbury , in Washington County . There are fifteen U.S. federal border crossings between Vermont and Canada . Several mountains have timberlines with delicate year-round alpine ecosystems, including Mount Mansfield ,
1818-606: Is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States . It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. As of the 2020 U.S. census , the state had a population of 643,503, ranking it the second least populated U.S. state . It is the nation's sixth smallest state in area . The state's capital of Montpelier
1919-564: Is a natural freshwater lake in North America . It mostly lies between the US states of New York and Vermont , but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec . The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern parts of Clinton County and Essex County . Most of this area is part of the Adirondack Park . There are recreational facilities in the park and along
2020-465: Is an extensive Ordovician carbonate rock formation that extends from Tennessee to Quebec and Newfoundland . The oldest reefs are around "The Head" of the south end of Isle La Motte ; slightly younger reefs are found at the Fisk Quarry, and the youngest (the famous coral reefs) are in fields to the north. The lake has long acted as a border between indigenous nations, much as it is today between
2121-695: Is fed by the Ausable , Boquet , Great Chazy , La Chute , Little Ausable, Little Chazy , Salmon and Saranac rivers, along with Putnam Creek. In Quebec, it is fed by the Pike River . It is connected to the Hudson River by the Champlain Canal . Parts of the lake freeze each winter, and in some winters the entire lake surface freezes, referred to as "closing". In July and August, the lake temperature reaches an average of 70 °F (21 °C). The Chazy Reef
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#17328768094022222-691: Is in the Lake Champlain Valley between the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Adirondack Mountains of New York , drained northward by the 106 mi-long (171 km) Richelieu River into the St. Lawrence River at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec , northeast and downstream of Montreal . The Champlain basin collects waters from the northwestern slopes of the Green Mountains and the eastern portion of
2323-467: Is likely the original Lake Champlain monster. The monster has been memorialized in sports teams' names and mascots, e.g., the Vermont Lake Monsters and Champ, the mascot of the state's minor league baseball team. A Vermont Historical Society publication recounts the story and offers possible explanations for accounts of the so-called monster: "floating logs, schools of large sturgeon diving in
2424-468: Is sometimes credited with coining the name Vermont , but it does not in fact appear until 1777, when, at the suggestion of Thomas Young , it was adopted as the name of the Vermont Republic (replacing New Connecticut , the name the republic had borne for the first six months of its existence). It represents a French translation of Green Mountain(s) . The latter first appears in 1772 in the context of
2525-456: Is the least populous U.S. state capital . No other U.S. state has a most populous city with fewer residents than Burlington . Native Americans have inhabited the area for about 12,000 years. The competitive tribes of the Algonquian -speaking Abenaki and Iroquoian -speaking Mohawk were active in the area at the time of European encounter. During the 17th century, French colonists claimed
2626-465: Is the only state that does not have any buildings taller than 124 feet (38 m) . Land comprises 9,250 square miles (24,000 km ) and water comprises 365 square miles (950 km ), making it the 43rd-largest in land area and the 47th in water area. In total area, it is larger than El Salvador and smaller than Haiti . It is the only landlocked state in New England, and it is the easternmost and
2727-658: The Champlain Canal connected Lake Champlain to the Hudson River system, allowing north–south commerce by water from New York City to Montreal and Atlantic Canada . In 1909, 65,000 people celebrated the 300th anniversary of the French discovery of the lake. Attending dignitaries included President William Howard Taft , along with representatives from France, Canada and the United Kingdom. In 1929, then-New York Governor Franklin Roosevelt and Vermont Governor John Weeks dedicated
2828-467: The Connecticut River , encompassing present-day Vermont. The provincial government of New York sold land grants to settlers in the region, which conflicted with earlier grants from the government of New Hampshire. The Green Mountain Boys militia protected the interests of the established New Hampshire land grant settlers. Ultimately, a group of settlers with New Hampshire land grant titles established
2929-517: The Connecticut River Valley that defines much of its eastern border. A majority of its terrain is forested with hardwoods and conifers . The state has warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. Vermont's economic activity of $ 40.6 billion in 2022 is ranked last on the list of U.S. states and territories by GDP , but 21st in GDP per capita. Known for its progressivism , the state was one of
3030-579: The Great Appalachian Valley , which stretches between Quebec , Canada, to the north, and Alabama , US, to the south. The Champlain Valley is a physiographic section of the larger Saint Lawrence Valley , which in turn is part of the larger Appalachian physiographic division. Lake Champlain is one of numerous large lakes scattered in an arc through Labrador , in Canada, the northern United States, and
3131-696: The Great Vermont Flood of 1927 , which killed 84 and damaged much of the state's infrastructure, the flood of 1973, which covered many of the state's roads in the southeast, and Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, which caused substantial damage throughout the state. In response to the 1927 flood, the federal government funded construction of six flood control dams in the state, run by the Army Corps of Engineers . These extreme rain and flooding events are expected to intensify with climate change . Vermont has ten incorporated cities. The most populous city in Vermont
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3232-541: The Green Mountain Boys . The first humans to inhabit what is now Vermont arrived about 11,000 years ago, as the glaciers of the last ice age receded. Small groups of hunter-gatherers followed herds of caribou , elk , and mastodon through the grasslands of the Champlain Valley . At that time much of region was mixed tundra . The oldest human artifacts are 11,000 year old projectile points found along
3333-517: The Iroquois . It was abandoned by 1670. A short-lived settlement existed at Pointe à l'Algonquin, now Windmill Point, Alburgh . A village with a church, saw mill and fifty huts existed at the present site of Swanton . Much of the eastern shore of Lake Champlain was mapped out with seigniories , but settlers were unwilling to populate the area, possibly because of continual warfare and raiding there. The English also made unsuccessful attempts to colonize
3434-546: The Northwest Territories of Canada. It is the thirteenth-largest lake by area in the US. Approximately 490 sq mi (1,269 km ) in area, the lake is 107 mi (172 km) long and 14 mi (23 km) across at its widest point, and has a maximum depth of approximately 400 ft (120 m). The lake varies seasonally from about 95 to 100 ft (29 to 30 m) above mean sea level . Lake Champlain
3535-578: The Pennacook . About 3,000 years ago, the Woodland period began. Food was increasingly sourced from domesticated plants, including maize , beans , and squash . Agriculture meant a more sedentary life and larger settlements. Pottery was made from local clay , and tools were made from chert found along the Winooski River . Canoes were used for fishing and travel. The arrival of European explorers in
3636-475: The Pre-Columbian era of Vermont is from found artifacts. About 750 prehistoric sites are known in Vermont, but few have been excavated by archaeologists , and those on private property benefit from no legal protection. About 20 native toponyms survive in the state, including Lake Bomoseen , Lake Memphremagog , Missisquoi River , Monadnock Mountain , and Winooski . In 1609, Samuel de Champlain led
3737-533: The Republican Party grew, Vermont supported Republican candidates. In 1860, it voted for Abraham Lincoln , giving him the largest margin of victory of any state. During the American Civil War , Vermont sent 33,288 troops into United States service, of which 5,224 (more than 15 percent) died. The northernmost land action of the war was the St. Albans Raid —the robbery of three St. Albans banks, perpetrated in October 1864 by Confederate agents. A posse pursued
3838-555: The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Reynolds v. Sims required " one man, one vote " redistricting in all states. It had found that many state legislatures had not redistricted and were dominated by rural interests, years after the development of densely populated and industrial urban areas. In addition, it found that many states had an upper house based on geographical jurisdictions, such as counties. This gave disproportionate power to rural and lightly populated counties. The court ruled there
3939-678: The Underground Railroad . From the mid-1850s on, some Vermonters became abolitionists , which they had previously worked to contain in the South. Abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens was born in Vermont and later represented a district in Pennsylvania in Congress. He developed as a national leader and later promoted Radical Republican goals after the American Civil War . As the Whig Party declined and
4040-591: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In April 2003, the plan was updated, and Quebec signed on to it. The plan is being implemented by the Lake Champlain Basin Program and its partners at the state, provincial, federal and local levels. Renowned as a model for interstate and international cooperation, its primary goals are to reduce phosphorus inputs to Lake Champlain, reduce toxic contamination, minimize
4141-478: The Vermont Republic in 1777 as an independent state during the American Revolutionary War . The Vermont Republic abolished slavery before any other U.S. state. It was admitted to the Union in 1791 as the 14th state. The geography of the state is marked by the Green Mountains , which run north–south up the middle of the state, separating Lake Champlain and other valley terrain on the west from
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4242-474: The Webster–Ashburton Treaty of 1842, the Canada–U.S. border was adjusted northward to include the strategically important site of "Fort Blunder" on the US side. In 1844, work was begun to replace the remains of the 1812-era fort with a massive new Third System masonry fortification, known as Fort Montgomery . Portions of this fort are still standing. In the early 19th century, the construction of
4343-580: The 1600s marked the end of the Woodland period and the beginning of the Abenaki . At that time, there were about 10,000 Indigenous people in what is now Vermont, of whom an estimated 75–90% were killed by European diseases like smallpox . Survivors moved north to New France or assimilated with European settlers. Today, there are no Indian reservations in Vermont. In 2021 , 0.2% of live births in Vermont were to American Indian people. Nearly all information about
4444-409: The 1796 Jay Treaty . Eager to take back control of Lake Champlain following the end of the Revolutionary War, Americans flocked to settle the Champlain Valley . Many individuals emigrated from Massachusetts and other New England colonies, such as Salmon Dutton , a settler of Cavendish, Vermont . Dutton emigrated in 1782 and worked as a surveyor, town official and toll-road owner. His home had
4545-582: The Adirondack Mountains, reaching as far south as the 32 mi-long (51 km) Lake George in New York. Lake Champlain drains nearly half of Vermont, and approximately 250,000 people get their drinking water from the lake. The lake is fed in Vermont by the LaPlatte, Lamoille , Missisquoi , Poultney and Winooski rivers, along with Lewis Creek, Little Otter Creek and Otter Creek . In New York, it
4646-561: The American victory denied the British any leverage to demand exclusive control over the Great Lakes or territorial gains against the New England states. Three US Naval ships have been named after this battle: USS Lake Champlain (CV-39) , USS Lake Champlain (CG-57) and a cargo ship used during World War I . Following the War of 1812, the U.S. Army began construction on " Fort Blunder ": an unnamed fortification built at
4747-781: The British burned Arnold's flagship, the Royal Savage , to the east, the Americans rowed past the British lines. The following morning, the British learned of the Americans' escape and set out after the fleeing Continental vessels. On October 13, the British fleet caught up to the struggling American ships near Split Rock Mountain . With no hope of fighting off the powerful British navy, Arnold ordered his men to run their five vessels aground in Ferris Bay, Panton, Vermont . The depleted Continental army escaped on land back to Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence ; however, they no longer controlled
4848-402: The British fleet on Lake Champlain. By the end of the summer of 1776, the opposing armies were prepared to battle over the strategic advantage of controlling Lake Champlain. On October 11, 1776, the British and American naval fleets met on the western side of Valcour Island , on Lake Champlain. American General Benedict Arnold established the location, as it provided the Continental fleet with
4949-534: The British took control of the fort. However, Burgoyne's southern campaign did not go uncontested. On October 7, 1777, American General Horatio Gates , who occupied Bemis Heights , met Burgoyne's army at the Second Battle of Freeman's Farm . At Freeman's Farm, Burgoyne's army suffered its final defeat and ended its invasion south into the colonies. Ten days later, on October 17, 1777, British General Burgoyne surrendered his army at Saratoga . This defeat
5050-481: The British. Thus, the colonial militias devised a plan to take control of the two forts and bring the guns back to the fight in Boston. The necessity of controlling the two forts at Ticonderoga and Crown Point placed Lake Champlain as a strategic arena during the Revolutionary War. By taking control of these forts, Americans not only gained heavy artillery, but control of a vast water highway as well: Lake Champlain provided
5151-513: The Catholic population of Irish and Italians. Based on the colonial past, some Yankee residents considered the French Canadians to have intermarried too frequently with Native Americans. In 1970, the population of Vermont stood at 444,732. By 1980, it had increased by over 65,000 to 511,456. That change, an increase of 15 percent, was the largest increase in Vermont's population since the days of
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#17328768094025252-444: The Champlain Valley from 1778 to 1780, and Lake Champlain permitted direct transportation of supplies from the British posts at the northern end of the lake. With the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783, the British naval fleet on Lake Champlain retreated up to St. John's. However, British troops garrisoned at Fort Dutchman's Point ( North Hero, Vermont ) and Fort au Fer ( Champlain, New York ), on Lake Champlain, did not leave until
5353-520: The Champlain Valley. The goal of this invasion was to divide the New England colonies, thus forcing the Continental Army into a separated fight on multiple fronts. Lake Champlain provided Burgoyne with protected passage deep into the American colonies . Burgoyne's army reached Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence in late June, 1777. During the night of July 5, the American forces fled Ticonderoga as
5454-414: The Confederate raiders into Canada and captured several, before having to turn them over to Canadian officials. Canada reimbursed the banks, released, and later re-arrested some of the perpetrators. Beginning in the mid-19th century, Vermont industries attracted numerous Irish , Scottish , and Italian immigrants , adding to its residents of mostly English and some French Canadian ancestry. Many of
5555-471: The Koos Abenaki Nation . In 2016, the state governor proclaimed Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples Day. Vermont has no federally recognized tribes . Vermont approved women's suffrage decades before it became part of the national constitution. Women were first allowed to vote in the elections of December 18, 1880, when they were granted limited suffrage . They were first allowed to vote in town elections, and later in state legislative races. In 1931, Vermont
5656-421: The Lake Champlain waterway. The approaching winter of 1776–1777 restricted British movement along the recently controlled Lake Champlain. As the British abandoned Crown Point and returned to Canada for the winter, the Americans reduced their garrisons in the Champlain Valley from 13,000 to 2,500 soldiers. In early 1777, British General John Burgoyne led 8,000 troops from Canada, down Lake Champlain and into
5757-426: The New Yorkers, and went on, with Benedict Arnold , to fight in the American Revolutionary War , where they captured Fort Ticonderoga from the British. On January 15, 1777, representatives of the New Hampshire Grants declared the independence of Vermont . For the first six months of its existence, it was called the Republic of New Connecticut. On June 2, 1777, a second convention of 72 delegates met and adopted
5858-456: The October 1776, the Continental Army had 16 operating naval vessels on Lake Champlain: a great increase to the four small ships they had at the beginning of the summer. General Benedict Arnold commanded the American naval fleet on Lake Champlain, which was composed of volunteers and soldiers drafted from the Northern Army. With great contrast to the Continental navy, experienced Royal Navy officers, British seamen and Hessian artillerymen manned
5959-415: The Revolutionary War. In 2002, the State of Vermont incorrectly reported that the Abenaki people had migrated north to Quebec by the end of the 17th century; however, in 2011, the State of Vermont designated the Elnu Abenaki Tribe and the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation as state-recognized tribes ; in 2012 it recognized the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi and the Koasek Traditional Band of
6060-473: The age of 21 and females at 18 . It provided for universal adult male suffrage and established a public school system. The Battle of Bennington was fought on August 16, 1777. A combined American force under General John Stark , attacked the Hessian column at Hoosick, New York , just across the border from Bennington. It killed or captured virtually the entire Hessian detachment. General John Burgoyne never recovered from this loss and eventually surrendered
6161-400: The area in the 1600s. In 1724, they built Fort Dummer near what is now Brattleboro , but it remained a small and isolated outpost, often under attack by the Abenaki. With the 1763 Treaty of Paris , France ceded its claims east of the Mississippi River to the Kingdom of Great Britain , making the area more attractive to settlement. At the same time, New England was overcrowded; new land
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#17328768094026262-413: The best land was kept by Wentworth for later resale. Settlers came from across New England, and were obliged to "Plant and Cultivate Five Acres of Land" within five years. Some settlers kept to the agreement and started farms. Others, like Ethan Allen , did not. They wanted to sell the land for profit. Those who purchased New Hampshire Grants ran into disagreements with New York, which began selling off
6363-447: The eastern shore of the saltwater Champlain Sea . This time is known as the Paleo-Indian period. By about 8,000 years ago, the Champlain Sea had become the freshwater Lake Champlain and the climate was more temperate , bringing increased diversity of flora and fauna. This was the beginning of the Archaic period . By about 4,300 years ago, the forests were as they are today. Large mammals underwent extinction or migrated north, and
6464-443: The fight in Boston. Benedict Arnold shared the command with Allen, and, in early May 1775, they captured Fort Ticonderoga, Crown Point and the southern Loyalist settlement of Skenesborough . As a result of Allen's offensive attack on the Champlain Valley in 1775, the American forces controlled the Lake Champlain waterway. The Continental Army realized the strategic advantage of controlling Lake Champlain, as it leads directly to
6565-409: The first European expedition to Lake Champlain . He named the lake after himself and made the first known map of the area. The land that is now Vermont remained part of New France until 1763. The French had a military presence around Lake Champlain, since it was an important waterway, but they did very little colonization. In 1666, they built Fort Sainte Anne on Isle La Motte to defend Canada from
6666-454: The first bridge to span the lake, built from Crown Point to Chimney Point . This bridge lasted until December 2009. Severe deterioration was found, and the bridge was demolished and replaced with the Lake Champlain Bridge , which opened in November 2011. On February 19, 1932, boats were able to sail on Lake Champlain. It was the first time that the lake was known to be free of ice during the winter at that time. Lake Champlain briefly became
6767-438: The first in the U.S. to recognize same-sex civil unions and marriage , has the highest proportion of renewable electricity generation at 99.9%, and is one of the least religious and least racially/ethnically diverse states. Dairy, forestry, maple syrup , and wine are important sectors in Vermont's agricultural economy. Vermont produces approximately 50% of the nation's maple syrup. The French explorer Samuel de Champlain
6868-399: The first state to legalize cannabis for recreational use by legislative action, and the ninth state in the United States to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. This law was signed by Republican Governor Phil Scott . Vermont is located in the New England region of the northeastern United States and comprises 9,614 square miles (24,900 km ), making it the 45th-largest state. It
6969-611: The following year. In this period, the Continental Army gained strength and was victorious at Saratoga . At the start of the Revolutionary War , British forces occupied the Champlain Valley . However, it did not take long for rebel leaders to realize the importance of controlling Lake Champlain. Early in the war, the colonial militias attempted to expel the British from Boston ; however, this undertaking could not be achieved without heavy artillery. The British forts at Ticonderoga and Crown Point , on Lake Champlain, were known to have ample supplies of artillery and were weakly-manned by
7070-429: The forces now in Canada will be brought down upon us as quick as possible, having nothing to oppose them...They will doubtless try to construct some armed vessels and then endeavor to penetrate the country toward New York." (Brigadier General John Sullivan to George Washington , June 24, 1776). Both British and American forces spent the summer of 1776 building their naval fleets, at opposite ends of Lake Champlain. By
7171-431: The heart of Quebec. Immediately after taking Forts Ticonderoga and Crown Point, the Americans began planning an attack on British Canada. The American siege of Quebec was a two-pronged assault and occurred throughout the winter of 1775–1776. Brigadier General Richard Montgomery led the first assault up the Champlain Valley into Canada, while Benedict Arnold led a second army to Quebec via the Maine wilderness. Despite
7272-741: The highest mountain in the state; Killington Peak , the second-highest; Camel's Hump , the state's third-highest; and Mount Abraham , the fifth-highest peak. Areas in Vermont administered by the National Park Service include the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park (in Woodstock ) and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail . The topography and climate make sections of Vermont subject to large-scale flooding . Incidents include
7373-502: The human population became reliant on smaller game and plants. People developed fishing equipment and stone cookware, and practiced woodworking and food storage. They had time for travel, leisure, and performed elaborate ceremonies. Most of the state's territory was occupied by the Abenaki , south-western parts were inhabited by the Mohicans and south-eastern borderlands by the Pocumtuc and
7474-630: The immigrants migrated to Barre , where many worked as stonecutters of granite , for which there was a national market. Vermont granite was used in major public buildings throughout the United States. In this period, many Italian and Scottish women operated boarding houses to support their families. Such facilities helped absorb new residents and taught them the new culture; European immigrants peaked in number between 1890 and 1900. Typically immigrants boarded with people of their own language and ethnicity, but sometimes they boarded with others. Gradually,
7575-468: The largest include Grand Isle , Isle La Motte and North Hero : all part of Grand Isle County, Vermont . Because of Lake Champlain's connections both to the St. Lawrence Seaway via the Richelieu River , and to the Hudson River via the Champlain Canal , Lake Champlain is sometimes referred to as "The Sixth Great Lake". The Champlain Valley is the northernmost unit of a landform system known as
7676-596: The name "Vermont". This was on the advice of Thomas Young , a mentor of Ethan Allen. He advised them on how to achieve admission into the newly independent United States of America as the 14th state. On July 4, they completed the drafting of the first Constitution of Vermont (in effect from 1777 to 1786) at the Windsor Tavern , and adopted it on July 8. This was the first written constitution in North America to ban adult slavery , stating that male slaves become free at
7777-509: The nation's sixth Great Lake on March 6, 1998, when President Clinton signed Senate Bill 927. This bill, which was led by U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont and reauthorized the National Sea Grant Program , contained a line declaring Lake Champlain to be a Great Lake. This status enabled its neighboring states to apply for additional federal research and education funds allocated to these national resources. However, following
7878-414: The new immigrants assimilated into the state. Times of tension aroused divisions. In the early 20th century, some Vermonters were alarmed about the decline of rural areas; people left farming to move to cities and others seemed unable to fit within society. In addition, there was a wave of immigration by French Canadians, and Protestant Anglo-Americans feared being overtaken by the new immigrants, who added to
7979-447: The northernmost end of Lake Champlain to protect against attacks from British Canada. Its nickname came from a surveying error: the initial phase of construction on the fort turned out to be taking place on a point 3 ⁄ 4 mi (1.2 km) north of the Canada–U.S. border. Once this error was spotted, construction was abandoned. Locals scavenged materials used in the abandoned fort for use in their homes and public buildings. By
8080-414: The ports of Burlington, Vermont , Port Henry, New York , and Plattsburgh, New York , today are primarily used by small craft, ferries and lake cruise ships, they were of substantial commercial and military importance in the 18th and 19th centuries. New France allocated concessions all along Lake Champlain to French settlers and built forts to defend the waterways. In colonial times, Lake Champlain
8181-506: The precise boundary between the two states. When commissioners from New York and Vermont met to decide on the boundary, Vermont's negotiators insisted on also settling the property ownership disputes with New Yorkers, rather than leaving that decision to a federal court. The negotiations were successfully concluded in October 1790 with an agreement that Vermont would pay $ 30,000 to New York to be distributed among New Yorkers who claimed land in Vermont under New York land patents. In January 1791,
8282-415: The present boundaries of Vermont . Although the Continental forces suffered defeat, the British forces were damaged to the point that they did not pursue the Americans (retreating from Fort Ticonderoga) any further. Vermont continued to govern itself as a sovereign entity based in the eastern town of Windsor for 14 years. The independent state of Vermont issued its own coinage from 1785 to 1788 and operated
8383-407: The relatively undeveloped coastline of the lake. The cities of Plattsburgh, New York , and Burlington, Vermont , are on the lake's western and eastern shores, respectively, and the town of Ticonderoga, New York , is in the southern part of the region. The Quebec portion is in the regional county municipalities of Le Haut-Richelieu and Brome-Missisquoi . There are a number of islands in the lake;
8484-424: The remainder of the 6,000-man force at Saratoga, New York , on October 17 of that year. The battles of Bennington and Saratoga together are recognized as the turning point in the Revolutionary War because they were the first major defeat of a British army. The anniversary of the battle is celebrated in Vermont as a legal holiday. The Battle of Hubbardton (July 7, 1777) was the only Revolutionary battle within
8585-521: The risks to humans from water-related health hazards and control the introduction, spread, and impact of non-native nuisance species to preserve the integrity of the Lake Champlain ecosystem. Senior staff who helped organize the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970 recall that International Paper was one of the first companies to call upon the brand-new agency, because it was being pressured by both New York and Vermont with regard to
8686-581: The same land as land patents . In 1764, King George III proclaimed the territory to be under the jurisdiction of New York, which meant that the New Hampshire Grant landowners did not have legal title. Meanwhile, New York continued selling large tracts of land, many of which overlapped with those already inhabited. The dispute led to Ethan Allen forming the Green Mountain Boys , an illicit militia that attacked New York settlers and speculators through arson and mob violence. They eventually repelled
8787-605: The significance of Lake Champlain during the post-Revolutionary War period. During the War of 1812 , British and American forces faced each other in the Battle of Lake Champlain, also known as the Battle of Plattsburgh , fought on September 11, 1814. This ended the final British invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812. It was fought just prior to the signing of the Treaty of Ghent , and
8888-483: The smallest in area of all landlocked states. The Green Mountains in Vermont form a north–south spine running most of the length of the state, slightly west of its center. In the southwest portion of the state are located the Taconic Mountains . In the northwest, near Lake Champlain , is the fertile Champlain Valley . In the south of the valley is Lake Bomoseen . The west bank of the Connecticut River marks
8989-421: The spring and summer of 1776, at opposite ends of the lake, and fought a significant naval engagement on October 11 at the Battle of Valcour Island . While it was a tactical defeat for the Americans, and the small fleet led by Benedict Arnold was almost destroyed, the Americans gained a strategic victory; the British invasion was delayed long enough so the approach of winter prevented the fall of these forts until
9090-572: The state where 96% of the population was white. The Burlington School District is a partner in the Burlington School Food Project , a food program that aims to bring fresh produce to students and their families. 44°28′39″N 73°13′21″W / 44.4776°N 73.2224°W / 44.4776; -73.2224 This Vermont school-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Vermont Vermont ( / v ər ˈ m ɒ n t / )
9191-542: The state's eastern border with New Hampshire, though much of the river flows within New Hampshire. 41% of Vermont's land area is part of the Connecticut River's watershed. Lake Champlain , the sixth-largest body of fresh water in the United States, separates Vermont from New York in the northwest portion of the state. From north to south, Vermont is 159 miles (256 km) long. Its greatest width, from east to west,
9292-537: The states of New York and Vermont . The lake is located at the frontier between Abenaki and Mohawk ( Iroquois Confederacy ) traditional territories. The official toponym for the lake, according to the orthography established by the Grand Council of Wanab-aki Nation, is Pitawbagok (alternative orthographies include Petonbowk and Bitawbagok), meaning "middle lake", "lake in between" or "double lake". The Mohawk name in modern orthography, as standardized in 1993,
9393-499: The strategic advantage of controlling a direct route to Quebec by way of the Champlain Valley, the American siege of British Canada during the winter of 1775 failed. The Continental Army mistakenly assumed that it would receive support from the Canadians upon their arrival at Quebec. This was not the case, and the rebel army struggled to take Quebec with diminishing supplies, support, and harsh northern winter weather. The Continental Army
9494-679: The territory as part of New France . Conflict arose when the Kingdom of Great Britain began to settle colonies to the south along the Atlantic coast; France was defeated in 1763 in the Seven Years' War , ceding its territory east of the Mississippi River to Britain. Thereafter, the nearby British Thirteen Colonies disputed the extent of the area called the New Hampshire Grants to the west of
9595-473: Was forced to camp outside Quebec's walls for the winter, with reinforcements from New York, Pennsylvania , Massachusetts , New Hampshire and Connecticut allowing the soldiers to maintain their siege of the city. However, smallpox descended on both the sieging forces and their reinforcements and savaged the American force. The reinforcements traveled hundreds of miles up the frozen Lake Champlain and St. Lawrence River, but were too late and too few to influence
9696-528: Was instrumental to the momentum of the Revolutionary War, as the defeat of the British army along the Champlain-Hudson waterway convinced France to ally with the American army. Following the failed British campaign led by General Burgoyne, the British still maintained control over the Champlain waterway for the duration of the Revolutionary War. The British used the Champlain waterway to supply raids across
9797-488: Was needed for settlement. The territory west of the Connecticut River was the last unsettled part of New England, and both the Province of New Hampshire and the Province of New York laid claim to it. In 1749, New Hampshire governor Benning Wentworth began to auction land in an uncolonized area between Lake Champlain and the Connecticut River . This area became known as the New Hampshire Grants . This westward expansion
9898-402: Was no basis for such a structure. Major changes in political apportionment took place in Vermont and other affected states. In the 21st century, Vermont increasingly became defined by its progressivism. It was the first state to introduce civil unions in 2000 and the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2009, unforced by court challenge or ruling. On January 22, 2018, Vermont became
9999-406: Was started to increase New Hampshire's tax base and claim the timber there, White Pine in particular. There were eventually 135 New Hampshire Grants . The first of Benning Wentworth's grants included a town named after himself: Bennington . A typical town, it was 6 square miles (16 km ), contained 48 lots, with land set aside for a school, a church, and a town center. Five hundred acres of
10100-557: Was the 29th state to pass a eugenics law. Vermont, like other states, sterilized some patients in institutions and persons it had identified through surveys as degenerate or unfit. It nominally had permission from the patients or their guardians, but abuses were documented. Two-thirds of the sterilizations were done on women, and poor, unwed mothers were targeted, among others. There is disagreement about how many sterilizations were performed; most were completed between 1931 and 1941, but such procedures were recorded as late as 1970. In 1964,
10201-537: Was used as a water (or, in winter, ice) passage between the Saint Lawrence and Hudson valleys. Travelers found it easier to journey by boats and sledges on the lake rather than go overland on unpaved and frequently mud-bound roads. The lake's northern tip at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu , Quebec (known as St. John in colonial times under British rule) is just 25 miles (40 km) from Montreal , Quebec. The southern tip at Whitehall (Skenesborough in revolutionary times)
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