318 VERMONT Fort Dummer near the present site of Brattle- boro, which was then supposed to be in Massa- chusetts. From this fort and from Charles- town, N. H., troops were sent against the French in the war of 1745, and the fertile lands along the upper Connecticut, the Winooski, and Otter creek attracted their attention. The tide of emigration began to set in about 1760, and between that date and 1768 138 townships had been granted within the present limits of the state by Gov. Wentworth of New Hamp- shire, who claimed the jurisdiction and fee of the soil by virtue of the New Hampshire char- ter. The country west of the Connecticut was only known at that time by the name of "New Hampshire grants." A proclamation was made by the governor of New York, Dec. 28, 1763, claiming the territory under the grants from Charles II. to the duke of York, and ordering the sheriff to make returns of the names of those who had settled W. of Connecticut river under titles derived from New Hampshire. Gov. Wentworth issued a counter proclama- tion, March 13, 1764, declaring those claims obsolete, and maintaining the jurisdiction of New Hampshire. New York appealed to the king, who granted to that colony jurisdiction to the Connecticut river. The New York gov- ernment now attempted to eject and dispossess the settlers from their lands. These proceed- ings were met by organized resistance on the part of the settlers, acting under .the lead of Ethan Allen, Seth Warner, and others. In 1774 Gov. Try on of New York issued a procla- mation commanding Ethan Allen, Seth Warner, Remember Baker, Robert Cochran, Peleg Sun- derland, Silvanus Brown, James Breakenridge, and John Smith to surrender themselves within 30 days under pain of conviction of felony and death without benefit of clergy, and offering a bounty of 150 for the capture of Allen and 50 for each of the others. The Vermont leaders retorted by offering a reward for the apprehension of the attorney general of New York. The commencement of the revolution caused a suspension of the controversy. In 1776 the Vermont settlers petitioned the pro- vincial congress, then in session in Philadel- phia, for admission into the confederacy ; but New York opposed, and they withdrew. In 1777 Vermont declared her independence, and in July of the same year again applied to be admitted into the confederacy. Congress hesi- tated and temporized, and the people became indignant. Meantime the British generals en- deavored to induce the Vermonters to declare allegiance to Great Britain. Aware of the importance of gaining time, and avoiding the troubles which would follow a bold decision in favor of the congress which had twice re- pulsed them, Ira Allen and others kept the British officers inactive till the theatre of the war was changed. In 1781 congress offered to admit Vermont with a considerable curtail- ment of her boundaries ; but the people refused to come in on such terms, and for nine years she remained outside the Union. In 1790 New York revived the old question, and offered to relinquish all claims to lands in or jurisdiction over the state on the payment of $30,000. Vermont acceded to the proposition, and on March 4, 1791, was admitted into the Union. But though not one of the confederated colo- nies, and having no voice in their councils, the " Green mountain boys" had distinguished themselves during the revolution in some of the hardest fought and most successful bat- tles and expeditions. Ethan Allen and his company of 83 men took Fort Ticonderoga, May 10, 1775. Allen and Warner participa- ted in the invasion of Canada, and the for- mer was taken prisoner and sent to England, while the latter with his regiment protected the retreat from Quebec, and adopted the measures which led to the capitulation of the British garrison at St. John's. In the battles on Lake Champlain their obstinate resistance gained them credit ; and the two battles near Bennington, which were the primary causes of Burgoyne's defeat arid surrender, immortalized the Green mountain boys. After the admis- sion of the state into the federal Union, Ver- mont prospered beyond most of the other states. In the war of 1812 the governor refused to call out the militia, and issued a proclamation forbidding troops to leave the state. In spite of this the " Vermont volunteers " took an active part in the battle of Plattsburgh and the naval conflict on Lake Champlain, and added to their old renown for valor. As they were not regularly organized state troops, they were not entitled to bounty or pensions, but con- gress subsequently granted land warrants to the survivors. In 1887, at the time of the Canadian rebellion, a considerable body of the inhabitants of northern Vermont sympathized with the insurgents, and to the number of 500 or 600 crossed into Canada. A well armed British force was despatched to drive them off, and Gen. Wool, then in command on the fron- tier, gave them the alternative of returning and surrendering their arms to him, or, if they per- sisted and were compelled to retreat into Ver- mont, of being shot when they came over. Af- ter some hesitation they laid down their arms and dispersed. During the civil war Vermont furnished to the federal army 35,256 troops, being equivalent to 29,052 for three years. The original constitution was adopted in 1777, and was modelled on that of Pennsylva- nia. It was amended in 1786 and again in 1793. The convention of 1793 embodied their amendments in the constitution instead of pro- mulgating them separately ; and this instru- ment has since been known as " the constitu- tion of Vermont adopted by the convention " of 1793. The constitution of 1777 provided for a council of censors, consisting of 13 per- sons, to be chosen every seven years ana to hold office one year. Their duty was to in- quire whether the constitution had been pre- served inviolate during the last septenary (in-
