Talk:Constitution of Vermont
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How can Vermont claim to have the first "national" constitution? First its a state and lastly New Hampshire enacted a constitution in 1776. Assawyer 16:32, 19 September 2005 (UTC)
Because we were an independent nation at the time, unlike New Hampshire which was a mere state. BipolarBear 04:50, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
State or nation, the Constitution of Vermont was extremely progressive, particularly in its guarantee of universal manhood suffrage, outlawing indentured servitude and slavery, and requiring public education of its citizens. By several definitions Vermont, from 1777 to 1791 met the definition of nationhood. The Vermont Republic minted coins, printed paper currency, ran a postal service, and sent ambassadors to The Hague, Paris, New York and Philadelphia. Vermont's infantry was never under control of either the Continental Congress or the U.S. government under the Articles of Confederation. All that said, I think Vermont was a sort of reluctant republic, with many citizens hoping for eventual political union wit the U.S. It has been argued that Vermont's tumultuous years of independence have greatly contributed to its differences from its neighboring state of New Hampshire.CApitol3 15:15, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
Of course Vermont and New Hampshire have more in common than they have differences. They may not be in the same boat, but they are in the same water. They are much more alike today than they were 20 years back, when the Union Leader would refer to Vermont as a misguided bastion of communism.CApitol3 15:25, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
That's because we've been thoroughly colonized by New York and Massachusetts the last few decades, with special concentration in the Burlington region. As to "the same water," not quite, at least literally. As part of the agreements that got our neighbors to back off and let us become a state, Vermont in the east ends at the water's edge in order to make New Hampshire happy, rather than the normal practice of drawing the dotted line down the middle of the river. I hope that means New Hampshire was stuck with the full upkeep of the bridges crossing the river. BipolarBear 04:44, 28 September 2006 (UTC)
