Birthplace of Vermont: The 1771 Breakenridge Standoff

A story of the New Hampshire Grants and New York’s claims to the land that became Vermont.

Bob Hoar will discuss the early conflicts with New York over ownership of land in what is  now Vermont. The turning of the tide was the standoff between the Yorkers and the Green Mountain Boys at the Breakenridge farm near the Henry Bridge in Bennington. This is sometimes described as the birth of Vermont.

Bob started studying the Battle of Bennington at the Bennington Museum Research Library in 2005, with Joe Parks and Tyler Resch. There being no book on the subject, Bob put together the story from available sources and began inspiring others with  his enthusiasm. He has been involved with the Friends of the Bennington Battlefield and has serves as tour guide at the Battlefield. He has also produced a study of the Continental Storehouse in Bennington, the object of the British attack at the battle.

Bob has been involved with the planning behind a 250th anniversary committee to commemorate the state’s founding, constitution, and especially the 1777 battles at Hubbardton and Bennington. Bob currently lives in Bennington and offers history tours under the name of The Iron Cannon Club.