Ethan+Allen

Ethan Allen

Ethan Allen was born January 21, 1738, in the colony of Litchfield, Connecticut. Ethan Allen was a soldier and frontiersman. He also led of the Green Mountain Boys during the American Revolution.

Wednesday, May 10, 1775, Ethan Allen and his men attacked and took over command of Fort Ticonderoga from a small contingent of British soldiers. Militia Colonel Benedict Arnold was at his side. The fort was small and relatively unimportant, but the artillery would be useful. The cannons that were captured from Fort Ticonderoga were later taken to Boston to fortify the American position at Dorchester Heights. This caused the British to leave Boston.

Ethan later led the Green Mountain Boys on an attack on Montreal. He was captured and sent to Pendennis Castle in Cornwall, where he remained a prisoner of war until the American forces engineered an exchange of prisoners. Mr. Allen returned to Vermont, where he began to work on the recognition of Vermont by the Continental Congress. The Continental Congress refused because they did not want to make New York or New Hampshire angry.

Ethan Allen originally organized the Green Mountain Boys before the revolution to oppose the claims of the New York government to Vermont territory. They repeatedly harassed New Yorkers and, after the war, declared Vermont an independent republic. When New York gave up its claims to the land, Vermont applied for statehood and in 1791 became the 14th state.

Cool facts:

1. Ethan Allen was an atheist.

2. He was declared an outlaw by the royal governor of New York.

3. In order to protect their land rights, Ethan and his brother even went so far as to negotiate with the British. Ethan was charged with treason, but was never sentenced when the government realized he was trying to force the Continental Congress to act.

Quote:

In those parts of the world where learning and science have prevailed, miracles have ceased; but in those parts of it as are barbarous and ignorant, miracles are still in vogue. [Ethan Allen, //Reason the Only Oracle of Man//, pamphlet, 1784]

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