398 VERMONT. ' 



Tryon, governor of New York, attempted, in 1772, some concilia- 

 tory measures, but without the desired effect. At last the govern- 

 ment of New York, exasperated and chagrined, passed an act, in 1774, 

 the most vindictive and despotic of any to be found upon the records 

 of colonial legislation. It subjected all the offending settlers, who 

 should neglect or refuse to surrender themselves, within seventy 

 days, as traitors attainted asid convicted of felony, to the penalty of 

 death, without benefit of clergy. At the same time the governor of- 

 fered, by proclamation, a reward of 50/. a head for apprehending 

 Allen, Warner, and six others. This blasted all hopes of reconcili- 

 ation. The committees for the townships held a general meeting, 

 and entered into resolutions to defend their friends and brethren. 

 At the same time a plan was formed to have the New Hampshire 

 grants erected into a separate royal government. On the 1 3th of 

 March, 1775, some of the settlers took possession of Westminster 

 court house, early in the morning, and prevented the officers of the 

 court from entering. At night, the sheriff, with the officers of the 

 court, attended by an armed force, repaired to the court-house, and, 

 being refused admittance, fired into the house, killed one person and 

 wounded several. Shortly after this event, the battle at Lexington 

 announced the commencement of hostilities between Great Britain 

 and the colonies, and suspended for the present these colonial feuds'. 



In the fall of 1775 application was made by the settlers to congress, 

 convened at Philadelphia, for information and advice. The next 

 year a convention met, who drew up and presented a petition to 

 congress, which not being satisfactorily answered, a second conven- 

 tion met in order to ascertain the prevailing opinion of the people. 

 Finding it in favour of a total separation from New York, a general 

 convention was called, in 1777, which declared the territory, com- 

 prehending the New Hampshire grants, a free and independent ju- 

 risdiction or state. This revived the controversy with New York. 

 Both parties applied to congress, but New York, by the influence of 

 her representatives, prevailed, and resolutions were passed, censur- 

 ing the conduct of the convention, and refusing the New Hampshire 

 grants admission into the federal union, as an independent state. In 

 1778 some events occurred in New Hampshire unfavourable to the 

 independence of Vermont. The inhabitants of sixteen towns on the 

 east side of Connecticut river, renounced their allegiance to New 

 Hampshire, with a view either of uniting with Vermont or of erect- 

 ing themselves into a separate state. New Hampshire and some of 

 the other states, became apprehensive that the conduct of Vermont 

 would countenance discontented persons, in fomenting divisions, re- 

 bellion and insubordination throughout the Union. Vermont, at the 

 request of the sixteen towns, admitted them into political fellowship, 

 and invited others to follow their example. But she soon grew ti- 

 red of this union, and dissolved ad connection with them, February 

 12, 1779. Encouraged by this and other divisions, New Hampshire, 

 New York, and even Massachusetts revived their respective claims 

 to Vermont. The controversy with New York, assuming a hostile 

 appearance, congress appointed a committee to repair to Vermont, 

 for the purpose of settling the differences, and appeasing the ani- 

 mosities between the parties, but nothing was affected. Congress, 

 fearful of alienating; the affections of the powerful states of New- 

 Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York, from the confederation, 

 adopted a temporising policy. Perceiving the drift of congress, and 



