By VDC Staff

On July 8, 1777, delegates meeting at Elijah West’s tavern in Windsor adopted the first Constitution of the Free and Independent State of Vermont, nearly five months after declaring independence. The document established the framework for governing what became the Vermont Republic, an independent nation that existed for 14 years before joining the United States in 1791 as the 14th state.

Vermont’s path to independence was shaped by years of disputes with neighboring New York and New Hampshire, both of which claimed the tract of land between them. In January 1777, delegates meeting at the Westminster Convention voted to create “a new and separate state,” arguing that New York’s government had imposed an unjust system of land ownership and political control. That declaration of independence laid the foundation for the constitution adopted six months later.

The Vermont Constitution was one of the most progressive governing documents of its time. It established a representative government and guaranteed many individual rights, including freedom of religion and the press, due process of law, the rights to vote, own property, bear arms in self-defense, assemble and petition the government. It also created a system of public schools, making Vermont the first state to include public education in its constitution.

Among these provisions was its opinion on slavery. Vermont’s 1777 Constitution became the first in the Americas to prohibit adult slavery, declaring that no man over the age of 21 or women over the age of 18 could be held as a servant, slave or apprentice without their consent. Although the provision did not immediately end all forms of enslavement and its enforcement was inconsistent, it created a departure from the laws of the other American states.

The constitution was adopted at Elijah West’s tavern, now known as the Old Constitution House, which has been preserved as a state historic site. The building has served as a tavern, store, tenement and warehouse over the centuries before being restored through preservation efforts beginning in the early 1900s. Today, the Old Constitution House is undergoing renovations and is scheduled to reopen in May 2027, with a commemoration planned for July 8, 2027, marking the 250th anniversary of the adoption of Vermont’s first Constitution.

Although amended many times over the past 249 years, the Vermont Constitution remains the foundation of state government and a unique history among states in our nation.