Ethan moved to the Green Mountains because he thought the land was beautiful and he hoped to help the people living in the Hampshire Grants.
The Hampshire Grants
The Hampshire Grants consisted of 10,000 sq. miles located between New York and New Hampshire. The land had been previously claimed by the Iroquois, the Abenakis, and the French before the British had taken control. The land was owned by New York at the time and the land had remained unsettled because of the harsh climate and land. It was Governor Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire who exploited the land for monetary gain. He sold the land inexpensively to many individuals who bought these Hampshire Grants.
Governor Cadwallader Colden of New York, asked the British government for support in halting the selling of their land. The British Government then made the Royal Proclamation of 1764, which said the land did indeed belong to New York. However, Governor Colden did not enforce this, so Wentworth continued selling the land.
Governor Colden then resold this land to settlers, this meant two people believed the land was theirs. New York told the settlers of the Hampshire Grants they could keep the land if the paid New York. Most individuals did want to pay for this land twice. The owners of the Grants sent an envoy to Britain to state their case. Britain told New York to do nothing until they could deal with it. However they were very busy with the 13 colonies, meanwhile Benning continued to sell the Grants.
In 1770 and 1771, Ethan Allen purchased land in Poultney and Castleton. He also moved his entire family to the Grants area. His brothers Ira and Heber, and cousins Remember and Seth all bought lands in the Grants.
A map showing some of the land holders plots from the Hampshire Grants
The Green Mountain Boys
A man was farming land he had acquired from the Grants, when two men who had purchased it from New York came to throw him off the land. The man, Breakenridge gathered sixty men with rifles and held them off. The two New Yorkers left to seek a trial. The Grants men had a meeting and decided they need to choose a strong leader. Someone suggested Ethan Allen.
(Right: Picture of the tavern where many Green Mountain Boys meetings were held)
A man was farming land he had acquired from the Grants, when two men who had purchased it from New York came to throw him off the land. The man, Breakenridge gathered sixty men with rifles and held them off. The two New Yorkers left to seek a trial. The Grants men had a meeting and decided they need to choose a strong leader. Someone suggested Ethan Allen.
(Right: Picture of the tavern where many Green Mountain Boys meetings were held)
On, June 28th, 1770, Ethan Allen rode to Albany, New York, hired a lawyer and went to the trial. However, it became clear they would lose because even the judge held New York land titles. The New York lawyers tried to persuade Ethan to get the Grant owners to follow the law of New York, because their might would beat the right. This stirred Ethan up and rode back to the tavern of the Green Mountain Boys where they decided they must protect their land. With Ethan the leader, they created an army to hold off the New Yorkers. They were originally The Bennington Mob but that eventually changed to The Green Mountain Boys.
(Pictured: The flag the Green Mountain Boys used to represent them.)
(Pictured: The flag the Green Mountain Boys used to represent them.)
Most of the confrontations the Green Mountain Boys had never came to shots being fired. They usually used their wits, bravado and humor to get the New Yorkers to turn back. However when that did not work they would whip them with beech switches. Ethan Allen was a big talker but did all he could to avoid violence. Not one person died from violence during the eight years of the Grantsman against the New Yorkers.
This ceased when Ethan Allen heard about the attack in Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. On May 2nd Ethan received a request from the Revolutionary Committee of Correspondence in Hartford. This request was the taking of Fort Ticonderoga.
This ceased when Ethan Allen heard about the attack in Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. On May 2nd Ethan received a request from the Revolutionary Committee of Correspondence in Hartford. This request was the taking of Fort Ticonderoga.
Got some extra time? Here is a longer video depicting the basics of the New Hampshire Grants and the taking of Fort Ticonderoga.
Resources used:
Raabe, Emily. Ethan Allen: The Green Mountain Boys and Vermont's Path to Statehood. New York: PowerPlus, 2002. Print
Raabe, Emily. Ethan Allen: The Green Mountain Boys and Vermont's Path to Statehood. New York: PowerPlus, 2002. Print