VERMONT

constituent state of the United States of America. One of the six New England states lying in the northeastern corner of the nation, it was admitted to the Union on March 4, 1791, as the 14th state. Its 9,614 square miles (24,900 square kilometres) have relatively few inhabitants, and its capital, Montpelier, is one of the least-populous U.S. state capitals. On the south, Vermont borders Massachusetts; on the west, New York; and on the north, Quebec, Can. From the Canadian to the Massachusetts border, the Connecticut River separates Vermont from New Hampshire on the east. The river, from the mean low-water line on the western bank, is entirely within New Hampshire. In many ways Vermont is a vigorous survivor of an earlier, simpler time in the United States. Millions of people visit the state each year, and many thousands of out-of-state residents maintain second homes in Vermont. These people primarily seek the beauty and tranquillity of Vermont's mountains and narrow valleys and the sense of the nation's past that pervades the entire state. The steeples of white wooden churches rising above small, mountain-bound towns with trim village greens; the herds of dairy cattle on sloping mountain pastures; and the red-gold leaves of tree-lined autumnal lanes are aspects of scenic Vermont that, in painting and photography, have become symbols of the rural United States. Many people left their birthplaces in Vermont to join the movement westward and to America's cities. In turn, many creative personalities have sought the spiritual refuge offered by the state. Vermont has never stood in the mainstream of the nation's history, but its people and land have poured into their country a strength and a sense of continuity that joins the achievements of the nation's past with the purposes of its present. New England. constituent state of the United States of America, situated in the New England region, northeastern U.S. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Quebec, to the east by New Hampshire, to the south by Massachusetts, and to the west by New York. The capital is Montpelier. Originally inhabited by Abnaki Indians who lived by hunting and fishing, the area was visited by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain, who sighted Lake Champlain on Vermont's northwestern border in 1609. The French made the first permanent European settlement in 1666 on Isle La Motte. Both the Dutch and the British established settlements in the 18th century, but the area fell exclusively to the British in 1763. It was contested by New York and New Hampshire until Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys drove the New Yorkers from the region. Vermonters created an independent republic in 1777. In 1791 it joined the Union as the 14th state. The state grew quickly, but by the 1830s its residents were departing in large numbers to cities and other parts of the country with more fertile land. Vermont was the site of the only American Civil War action north of Pennsylvania: in 1864 a band of Confederates raided St. Albans from Canada. The Green Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountain system, trend north-south through the centre of Vermont. The highest point, Mount Mansfield, is 4,393 feet (1,339 metres) above sea level. Only 15 percent of the state is level land with fertile soil and high productive capability. Most of the rivers drain into Lake Champlain, which empties northward via the Richelieu River into the St. Lawrence River. Some 400 natural lakes are located entirely within the state. The climate tends to be cold. Temperatures can drop to -34 F (-37 C) and lower in winter, but in the summer they rarely rise above 90 F (32 C). Snowfall averages between 70 and 80 inches (1,800 and 2,000 mm) each winter in the valleys and up to 110 inches (2,800 mm) in the mountains. The annual growing season is only about 120 days. Vermont's culture typified that of the New England Yankee of English and Protestant background, but other ethnic groups have become important. There are French Canadians in Winooski, Italians in Barre, Spaniards in Barre-Montpelier, Welsh in western Vermont, and Poles in Brattleboro. The population rose 24 percent from 1970 to 1995, one of the highest growth rates in New England, but in the 1970s and '80s many new arrivals were building second, or vacation, homes. Vermont's urban population is low32 percent in 1990; the state had no census-defined Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area until 1980. Dairying is the dominant agricultural activity, and Vermont has more milk cows per capita than any other state except Wisconsin. Industry has undergone major changes; once-flourishing textile plants are closed, as are railroad shops and related industries, but specialized products are still important. Wood and paper products account for about one-tenth of the manufacturing output. Printing is among the major industries. The mining of marble, granite, and slate also is significant. Tourism continues to grow in importance, with summer visitors attracted by the forests and mountains and winter sports enthusiasts drawn by the numerous ski resorts. Rail and airline service is limited. Aside from the main north-south routes in the Connecticut River valley, roads are often winding, narrow, and hilly. Transportation remains a major problem. Vermont enjoys a vigorous cultural life despite its rural and small-town character. Art galleries are found in a number of cities, and there is a state-supported symphony orchestra. A state-operated arts-and-crafts service aids in marketing the work of folk arts practitioners. Local history is highlighted, and most of the state's more than 100 covered bridges are maintained and protected by the state. The University of Vermont was chartered in 1791, and the school of languages at Middlebury College is internationally known. There are numerous daily and weekly newspapers, several commercial television stations, and many radio stations. Area 9,615 square miles (24,903 square km). Pop. (1990) 562,758; (1996 est.) 588,654. Additional reading Federal Writers' Project, Vermont, Vermont: A Guide to the Green Mountain State (1937, reprinted 1989), is also available in a 3rd rev. ed., edited by Ray Bearse (1968); it is still an excellent source for information on many aspects of the state. Harold A. Meeks, Time and Change in Vermont: A Human Geography (1986), discusses both continuity and change and includes a look at 20th-century Vermont, while his The Geographic Regions of Vermont: A Study in Maps (1975), presents the physical, economic, and cultural characteristics of the state. DeLorme Mapping Company, The Vermont Atlas and Gazetteer, 9th ed. (1996), focuses on topography. Information on geography and local history are treated in Esther Munroe Swift, Vermont Place-Names (1977, reprinted 1996). Charles W. Johnson, The Nature of Vermont: Introduction and Guide to a New England Environment, new and expanded ed. (1998), combines history and natural history. Colin G. Calloway, The Western Abenakis of Vermont, 16001800: War, Migration, and the Survival of an Indian People (1990), examines Vermont's Abenakis during the first 200 years of contact with European settlement. Vermont Life (quarterly) publishes illustrated articles on such topics as Vermont's environment, history, and crafts.Charles T. Morrissey, Vermont (1981), provides an overview of the history of modern Vermont by focusing on historical antecedents and distinctive characteristics. Michael A. Bellesiles, Revolutionary Outlaws: Ethan Allen and the Struggle for Independence on the Early American Frontier (1993), explores the democratic influences of the New England frontier that led to the creation and survival of Vermont as an independent republic, 177791. Matt Bushnell Jones, Vermont in the Making, 17501777 (1939, reissued 1968); and Chilton Williamson, Vermont in Quandary, 17631825 (1949), also explore the issues surrounding the creation of Vermont and early statehood. David Ludlum, Social Ferment in Vermont, 17911850 (1939, reprinted 1966), is also useful. Randolph A. Roth, The Democratic Dilemma: Religion, Reform, and the Social Order in the Connecticut River Valley of Vermont, 17911850 (1987), is an in-depth look at social change in Vermont. Frank M. Bryan, Yankee Politics in Rural Vermont (1974), explores the changing nature of 20th-century Vermont politics. Joe Sherman, Fast Lane on a Dirt Road: Vermont Transformed, 19451990 (1991), looks at the forces that have changed Vermont's social and economic environment following World War II. T.D. Seymour Bassett (ed.), Vermont: A Bibliography of Its History (1981), is an excellent guide to sources. Vermont History (quarterly) publishes ongoing research. Charles Thomas Morrissey D. Gregory Sanford