Vermont Founder Ira Allen: 1751–1814
Apr 22, 2023
On this day in 1814, one of the founders of Vermont, Ira Allen died. Allen fought with the Green Mountain Boys at Ticonderoga, Montreal and Quebec, wrote volumes of pro-Vermont propaganda, helped write the Vermont constitution, established several Vermont towns, set up mills in Winooski and Burlington, founded the University of Vermont, spent three years in prison in Europe for smuggling cannon and muskets, and lived the last 10 years of his life in Philadelphia to escape debtors prison in Vermont. He died a pauper and his remains are lost. #vermonthistory #americanrevolution
Glenn Fay is the author of Ambition: The Remarkable Family of Ethan Allen available online and in bookstores.
