New Connecticut

A convention of town representatives, in what would become Vermont, declared independence on January 15th 1777, and named themselves the Republic of New Connecticut.

Following tousles between the land holders of the New Hampshire and the New York Grants, and what could only be called the guerrilla war fare of Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, the leaders of the “Grants” held a convention. On January 15th 1777 representatives from the towns of the region met in the town of Westminster and declared themselves an independent republic. They choose to call themselves the Republic of New Connecticut. The written constitution of this new Republic was the first constitution, in what would become the United States, to ban slavery.

In July of 1777 the name of the republic was changed to Vermont. It would become the 14th State in 1791 when it was added to balance to admittance of the slave holding state of Kentucky.