Who Founded Vermont? No Single Founder—A Tapestry of Peoples and Claims

Vermont's Complex Origins

Vermont has no single "founder" in the traditional sense. Its history is a layered narrative of indigenous stewardship, imperial rivalry, and grassroots self-creation.

First Peoples: The Abenaki

Algonquian-speaking Abenaki communities inhabited the region for millennia before European contact, maintaining sophisticated relationships with the land.

French Exploration & Settlement (Early 1600s–1763)

• Samuel de Champlain explored the lake that bears his name (1609)
• French built Fort Dummer (1724) near present-day Brattleboro—the first permanent European settlement
• New France claimed the region until the French and Indian War ended in 1763

British Rule & the New Hampshire Grants (1763–1777)

Britain gained control after 1763. Governor Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire issued land grants in the territory (the "New Hampshire Grants"), sparking conflict with New York, which also claimed the land.

An Independent Republic (1777–1791)

• January 1777: Settlers declared the Independent Republic of Vermont (first constitution to abolish adult slavery)
• Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys defended the territory
• 14 years as a sovereign republic—minting coins, running a postal system, negotiating with foreign powers

Statehood

Vermont joined the Union as the 14th state on March 4, 1791—the first admitted after the original 13.

Bottom Line: Vermont was "founded" by the Abenaki, shaped by French and British empires, and ultimately created by ordinary settlers who declared their own republic against imperial claims.