Ethan Allen &
The Green Mountain Boys
Capture Fort Ticonderoga
After fighting in the French and Indian War (1754-1763), Ethan Allen was ready to settle down. Like many others he decided to stake out a homestead by taking advantage of “The New Hampshire Grants” (also called the “Benning Wentworth Grants” after the colonial governor of New Hampshire). Designed to encourage individuals to settle the area, the grants offered land at discounted prices.
​
Through the program, Governor Wentworth hoped to claim the land west of Connecticut River (now known as Vermont) for New Hampshire. However, New York’s governor claimed the same area for his colony—neither side would budge.
When settlers from New Hampshire established their new homesteads, Lieutenant Governor Cadwallader Colden (New York) responded by offering the same land for sale by the state of New York. Those occupying the land now had to decide if they would repurchase the land from New York, or vacate it when Colden sent law enforcement officials to
evict them. After watching their neighbors being run off their land with no compensation, settlers' tempers began to boil.
​
Ethan Allen for one, had had enough and wasn’t about to lose all he had worked for. He organized his friends and neighbors and made plans to defend their homes. The next time a sheriff from New York came to confiscate a farm, Allen’s men ran him out of the territory at gunpoint.
​
Newspapers in both colonies picked up the story and published it. Some in New York labeled Allen’s group “The Bennington Mob,” and called them rioters who needed to be stopped. Papers on the New Hampshire side applauded Allen’s bravery and called him a freedom fighter.
​
Soon groups of Ethan Allen’s boys were popping up all over the disputed territory prepared to defend their homes and farms. They first called themselves the “New Hampshire Men,” but before long a newspaper dubbed them “The Green Mountain Boys” and the name stuck.
​
As the Green Mountain Boys became more powerful and ran off more sheriffs from New York, Colden called them criminals and offered a reward for their capture. A few of them, including Ethan Allen, were taken into custody and put on trial in New York. Allen told the judge that “The Green Mountain Boys” were fighting for their “liberty, property and life!” The American Revolutionary war had just begun, and it is believed that the judge—linking Allen’s comments to the war effort decided to let them go so they could join in the fight.
Capturing Fort Ticonderoga
Shortly after the acquittal, Allen was approached by Colonel Benedict Arnold of the American Continental Army. He wanted Allen’s men to help him capture Fort Ticonderoga. Allen agreed. On May 10, 1775, he and 89 Green Mountain Boys arrived at the fort.
Catching the Red Coats by surprise, Allen’s men were able to penetrate the fort in no time. Once inside they found only a small contingency of British soldiers. Allen approached the door of the officer's residence and after arousing the captain, demanded his surrender “in the name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress!” The captain surrendered and the Green Mountain Boys had taken the fort.
Capturing Fort Ticonderoga was the first of the American offensive and a major victory in the Revolutionary War. Though it appeared to be minor, it had important strategic implications. Not only did it sever lines of communication between British armies in the north and south and provide American patriots with much needed heavy artillery (cannons, howitzers and mortars), but it also gave the budding revolutionary army a staging ground for the invasion of Quebec later that year.
More about the Green Mountain Boys
The Green Mountain Boys participated in more revolutionary battles including the invasion of Quebec in June 1775.
On July 8, 1777 a group of delegates from the territory met in Windsor to sign the Constitution of Vermont declaring themselves not only separate from King George III, but also independent from New York and New Hampshire. They desired to join the 13 colonies, but New York was opposed, and the Continental Congress was too busy fighting for independence to consider Vermont’s application.
Despite their disappointment, The Green Mountain Boys, who served as the new independent state’s militia, continued to fight with the American patriots in both the Battle of Hubbardton (July 1777) and the Battle at Bennington (August 1777).
​
Vermont remained independent for the duration of the American Revolution and chose to call themselves the
Flag of the Green Mountain Boys.
Republic of New Connecticut (although they were sometimes referred to as Republic of the Green Mountains). They would not become a part of the United States until March 4, 1791 when they became the 14th state in the Union.