Vermont Firsts And Other Claims To Fame

Vermont may be small in population, but it looms large with innovation. The state constitution was the first in America to ban slavery, provide for universal male suffrage and establish a system for publicly funded education. Ethan Allen captured Fort Ticonderoga for America's First Victory. An eleven-year-old Willie Johnston was America's youngest Medal of Honor winner, and Grace Coolidge became the one and only First Lady to have a raccoon as a pet while in the White House. In the 1930s, rebellious Vermonters were the first to vote down a major New Deal construction project, the Green Mountain Parkway. Join local historian Dick Smith as he reveals this state's pioneering nature.

The author of Vermont Firsts and Other Claims to Fame examines the pivotal American Revolutionary War skirmish and the men behind it. In April 1775, a small band of men set out from Hartford and traveled swiftly north toward the shore of Lake Champlain, recruiting men to their expedition along the way. Within only a few days, this loyal group of volunteers arrived in Vermont and, joining forces with Ethan Allen and his legendary Green Mountain Boys, launched a daring attack to capture more than one hundred cannons stored at Fort Ticonderoga. In this comprehensive look at “America's First Victory,” Richard Smith traces the Patriots’ route from Connecticut, through the towns of western Massachusetts and the Berkshire hills and north to Bennington, Vermont, and Lake Champlain. He chronicles the rival expedition led by Benedict Arnold, his confrontation with Allen, and the surprise attack that changed the course of the American Revolution.

The First Vermont Cavalry participated in 75 major Civil War engagements from 1862 through 1865. As the state's only mounted regiment, riding Vermont-bred Morgan horses, the Cavalry unit battled some of the most notable Confederate cavalry commanders, mostly in Virginia. This history explores in detail the battles and leaders of the unit, including generals George Custer and Philip Sheridan.

In From the East, Bearing Gifts, Don Peabody presents a rich collection of Vermont history and lore. It's an excellent travel companion for a drive though Vermont.

The United States Constitution has already been interpreted to provide a variety of family-related protections which, if applied consistently, also protect same-sex couples and their children. Only by radically reformulating and severely undermining existing protections can courts and commentators justify the claim that the Federal Constitution does not offer a wealth of family protections, including the right to marry a same-sex partner. Discussing the constitutional implications of civil unions with a special focus on how they might be treated in the interstate context, Strasser explains how the courts and commentators have reworked and significantly weakened a variety of constitutional protections in their attempts to establish that same-sex couples are not afforded constitutional protections. He further suggests that the constitutional protections for religion support rather than undermine the constitutional protection of same-sex unions.

An all new guide to the scenic routes of Vermont Vermont is bigger than it looks. This may be one of the country’s smallest states but the more you drive here, the more beauty you uncover. While drives do include popular resort towns, the focus is on getting away from tourist hubs. This brand- new first edition suggests drives through covered bridges to high roads with unexpected vistas, to waterfalls and swimming holes, to crafts studios and farms selling their own eggs or cheese or even prize- winning beer. See the Green Mountains with peaks rising more than 4,000 feet in places, or take in the orchard- patched hillsides and riverbanks spread along the floor of the Lake Champlain Valley. With clear, curated, field- tested navigation, easy- to- read maps, beautiful photography, and recommendations for lodging, dining, and more, this guide will help you make the most of every mile of your journey in Vermont.