How a rogue militia forced a new nation into existence

Cultures · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before it was a state, Vermont was a frontier contested by two British provinces. To protect their land titles, settlers formed the Green Mountain Boys, an armed militia that became a de facto government and eventually launched a successful invasion of Canada during the American Revolution.

In the decade leading up to the American Revolution, the territory between New York and New Hampshire was a legal battleground. While the British crown granted legal control to New York, many settlers held land titles from New Hampshire. This tension created the New Hampshire Grants, a region where New York officials were often met with physical resistance and destroyed property when attempting to enforce their authority.

To defend their interests, settlers organized the Green Mountain Boys. Led by Ethan Allen, along with his brother Ira Allen and cousins Seth Warner and Remember Baker, the group operated out of the Catamount Tavern in Bennington. They were more than just soldiers; they functioned as an armed military force and a de facto government, effectively preventing New York from exercising control over the northeastern frontier.

The group's most famous achievement occurred on May 10, 1775, when Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain. This victory, along with the capture of Crown Point and Fort George, provided a strategic advantage during the early stages of the war. However, the group's politics were complex; while they fought in battles like Bennington in 1777, the Vermont Republic later adopted a neutral stance and even engaged in secret negotiations with the British during the Haldimand Affair.

The militia's influence was so deep that after Vermont declared independence in 1777, the Vermont Republic operated for 14 years before finally joining the United States as the 14th state in 1791. Today, the legacy of the original militia survives through the Vermont National Guard, which carries the name 'Green Mountain Boys'.

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