Welcome back to the Young Historians Corner, where we get to hear from rising historians. In this series, every story is dreamed up and written by students with a passion for the past.
This month, William is taking us on a journey back to 18th-century America. We’ll uncover the story of the Green Mountain Boys and one of the organization’s leaders, Ethan Allen. He would play an important role in Vermont’s history and the history of the early United States.
Introducing…
THE GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS
By William G.
Age 11
I have always loved history. In Kindergarten at our school talent show, I got up in front of all of the students to recite the presidents in order, starting with George Washington all the way to the current day...from memory. Several years later, I went to camp at Washington’s Crossing near my house in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where we learned to churn butter and make ice cream like the soldiers in the American Revolution once did. Today, my favorite books are Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series!
Recently, at my school, I had to pick a historical figure who has positively changed the course of American history. Because one of my favorite places to spend time is Middlebury, Vermont, I chose The Green Mountain Boys along with their leader, Ethan Allen.
William and his brothers at the waterfalls in Middlebury, Vermont.
Here is the story that I wrote from Ethan Allen’s perspective:
“Attack!” I started the surprise ambush on Fort Ticonderoga. The British were stunned. We won the first battle for America without firing a shot. I, Ethan Allen, changed the course of the American Revolution and founded Vermont.
I was born on January 21, 1738. My mother’s name was Mary Baker Allen. My father’s name was Joseph Allen. I was the oldest of eight children. My father wanted me to go to Yale for college. In 1755, my father died, so I did not go to Yale. Then I went to war in the French and Indian War. Due to my father’s death, I inherited my family's land. In the 1760s, I went to what would soon become Vermont, the state I helped found. In 1770, with all the land I had, I started the Green Mountain Boys militia group.
Ethan Allen at a meeting of the Green Mountain Boys, wood engraving from 1858. Image from the Library of Congress.
With the Green Mountain Boys, I joined the American Revolution and fought against the British. In May of 1775, we attacked Fort Ticonderoga with Benedict Arnold and his Connecticut troops. It worked perfectly. We attacked in the middle of the night, a surprise attack. We did not even fire a shot. We ambushed Fort Ticonderoga for the cannons inside, which we eventually gave to Henry Knox.
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga, illustration from 1875. Image from the New York Public Library.
We were very happy about the great attack. We wanted to raid another place, Quebec. In September of 1775, we attacked the Canadian city, and we failed miserably. I was taken to England to be executed, but the British were worried that if they killed me, the U.S. would kill some of their prisoners. They kept me prisoner until May 1778, when I was taken back to the U.S. for a prisoner exchange.
After coming back to the U.S., I did not fight in the American Revolution. I worked to make Vermont a separate state from New York. It did not work the first time, and I even asked Canada if they wanted my land, and they also said no. I died on February 12, 1789, because of a stroke at age 52 at my Winooski River homestead.
As you can see, I changed history as we know it. I won a crucial battle at Fort Ticonderoga, which helped form the United States of America. I helped found Vermont, which later became a state. Without me, some people believe Vermont would not be a state, and America may not have become a country. I changed history forever.
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