Historical Note:

Lean, Green Fighting Machine. . .

For years during the 18th century this land was claimed by both New Hampshire and New York in a nasty territorial dispute. It was finally settled in 1770 when Ethan Allen and his "Green Mountain Boys" drove the New Yorkers out, "whipping 'em" with birch rods. Later, the Green Mountain Boys (under joint leadership of Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold), also captured Fort Ticonderoga on May 10, 1775 in the first act of aggression against the British in the Revolutionary War.

Name Origin: French. (Vert [green] mont [mountain])

Capital: Montpelier

Population: 580,000

Area: 9,614 square miles

Statehood: March 4, 1791 (14th state)

Nickname: The Green Mountain State

Motto: "Freedom and unity"

Famous For: Maple Syrup, Dairies, Lakes, Forests, Mountains and Skiing

Trivia Question: Five states (including Vermont) adopted the Monarch butterfly as a state emblem. What are those five states, and what state was first?

Answer: The five states are: Illinois,Vermont, Alabama, Idaho and Texas, in that order. Illinois was first, adopting the Monarch butterfly in 1975. Vermont was second, adopting it twelve years later in 1987, Alabama was third (1989), Idaho was fourth (1992) and Texas was last (1995).