| 12 | | - | Whereas, for two centuries Vermonters have considered the Westminster Massacre, |
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| 13 | | - | which occurred on March 13, 1775, to constitute the first bloodshed of the American |
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| 14 | | - | Revolution, and |
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| 15 | | - | Whereas, in 1774, the Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Association, |
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| 16 | | - | enacting a trade embargo against Great Britain, and New York was the only province that |
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| 17 | | - | did not ratify the Articles, and |
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| 18 | | - | Whereas, the Cumberland County, NY towns, comprising all of current Vermont east |
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| 19 | | - | of the Green Mountains from Tunbridge to the Massachusetts border, voted to uphold the |
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| 20 | | - | Articles, and |
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| 21 | | - | Whereas, in 1775, local Whigs (supporters of American liberty) were experiencing |
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| 22 | | - | excessive lawsuits, resulting in their Tory neighbors acquiring the Whigs’ property |
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| 23 | | - | through bankruptcy proceedings, and |
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| 24 | | - | Whereas, 40 Whigs met with Chief Judge Thomas Chandler at his home to request |
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| 25 | | - | that the court be closed, but Judge Chandler said he had a murder case to try and after the |
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| 26 | | - | trial he would discuss it with them, and subsequently, the Whigs learned that the court |
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| 27 | | - | officials planned to arrive early and deny them entry, and |
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| 28 | | - | Whereas, on March 13, 1775, 100 Whigs, armed only with staves, occupied the |
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| 29 | | - | courthouse before Sheriff William Paterson and his posse’s arrival, and the sheriff read |
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| 30 | | - | them the Riot Act but they defied him, and |
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| 31 | | - | Whereas, Judge Chandler promised the protesters they could remain in the courthouse |
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| 32 | | - | overnight unmolested, but Sheriff Paterson returned with his posse and ordered his men |
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| 33 | | - | to fire point-blank, which wounded several Whigs, including William French of |
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| 34 | | - | Brattleboro (who died overnight and whose gravesite has been maintained with State |
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| 35 | | - | financial support) and Daniel Houghton of Dummerston (who died several days later), |
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| 36 | | - | and the Sheriff’s posse retook control of the courthouse, and |
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| 37 | | - | Whereas, on March 14, 1775, 400 armed local militia, including many from New |
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| 38 | | - | Hampshire, filled the street and recaptured the courthouse, imprisoning all the New York |
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| 39 | | - | officials and permanently terminating New York government in Cumberland County— |
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| 40 | | - | but refraining from any further violence—nearly two years before Vermont independence |
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| 41 | | - | was declared in Westminster on January 15, 1777, now therefore be it R-44 Page 2 of 2 |
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| 42 | | - | 2025 |
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| 43 | | - | |
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| 44 | | - | VT LEG #382068 v.1 |
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| 10 | + | Houseconcurrentresolutioncommemoratingthe250thanniversaryoftheMarch13,1775Westminster |
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| 11 | + | Massacre |
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| 12 | + | Whereas,fortwocenturiesVermontershaveconsideredtheWestminsterMassacre,whichoccurredon |
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| 13 | + | March13,1775,toconstitutethefirstbloodshedoftheAmericanRevolution, and |
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| 14 | + | Whereas,in1774,theContinentalCongressadoptedtheArticlesofAssociation,enactingatradeembargo |
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| 15 | + | againstGreatBritain,andNewYorkwastheonlyprovincethatdidnotratifytheArticles, and |
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| 16 | + | Whereas,theCumberlandCounty,NYtowns,comprisingallofcurrentVermonteastoftheGreen |
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| 17 | + | MountainsfromTunbridgetotheMassachusettsborder,votedtoupholdtheArticles, and |
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| 18 | + | Whereas,in1775,localWhigs(supportersofAmericanliberty)wereexperiencingexcessivelawsuits, |
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| 19 | + | resultingintheirToryneighborsacquiringtheWhigs’propertythroughbankruptcyproceedings, and |
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| 20 | + | Whereas,40WhigsmetwithChiefJudgeThomasChandlerathishometorequestthatthecourtbeclosed, |
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| 21 | + | butJudgeChandlersaidhehadamurdercasetotryandafterthetrialhewoulddiscussitwiththem,and |
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| 22 | + | subsequently,theWhigslearnedthatthecourtofficialsplannedtoarriveearlyanddenythementry, and |
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| 23 | + | Whereas,onMarch13,1775,100Whigs,armedonlywithstaves,occupiedthecourthousebeforeSheriff |
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| 24 | + | WilliamPatersonandhisposse’sarrival,andthesheriffreadthemtheRiotActbuttheydefiedhim, and |
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| 25 | + | Whereas,JudgeChandlerpromisedtheprotesterstheycouldremaininthecourthouseovernightunmolested, |
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| 26 | + | butSheriffPatersonreturnedwithhisposseandorderedhismentofirepoint-blank,whichwoundedseveral |
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| 27 | + | Whigs,includingWilliamFrenchofBrattleboro(whodiedovernightandwhosegravesitehasbeenmaintained |
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| 28 | + | withStatefinancialsupport)andDanielHoughtonofDummerston(whodiedseveraldayslater),andthe |
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| 29 | + | Sheriff’sposseretookcontrolofthecourthouse, and |
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| 30 | + | Whereas,onMarch14,1775,400armedlocalmilitia,includingmanyfromNewHampshire,filledthestreet |
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| 31 | + | andrecapturedthecourthouse,imprisoningalltheNewYorkofficialsandpermanentlyterminatingNewYork |
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| 32 | + | governmentinCumberlandCounty—butrefrainingfromanyfurtherviolence—nearlytwoyearsbefore |
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| 33 | + | VermontindependencewasdeclaredinWestminsteronJanuary 15, 1777,nowtherefore be it |
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