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"The Only True American Republic" : Vermont Independence And The Development Of Constitutional Government In The Early United States., Jacob Michael Abrahamson
"The Only True American Republic" : Vermont Independence And The Development Of Constitutional Government In The Early United States., Jacob Michael Abrahamson
College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses
Vermont’s declaration of independence in 1777 created a unique and unprecedented situation in the brief history of the United States. Individuals in the newly independent New York and New Hampshire each claimed portions of present-day Vermont as part of their own state, and while Vermonters wished to become the fourteenth state in the brand-new country, the Continental Congress was in no hurry to take action. This paper analyzes how the Vermont issue affected the broader debate over the nature and limits of American federalism and the channels and limits of congressional power.