Ethan Allen
A swaggering, rebellious frontiersman who seized a key fort and fiercely fought for Vermont's independence.
1738–1789 (age 51)·American farmer, military officer and politician·Birthday: January 21
Biography
Ethan Allen was less a polished statesman and more a force of nature—a larger-than-life land speculator, polemicist, and militia leader who became the defiant face of the New Hampshire Grants. His primary cause was not initially American independence from Britain, but the property rights of settlers (including himself) against New York's competing claims. To that end, he formed the Green Mountain Boys, a rough-and-ready militia that terrorized New York officials. When the Revolutionary War broke out, Allen saw an opportunity and, with Benedict Arnold, pulled off the war's first major offensive victory by capturing Fort Ticonderoga in a daring dawn raid. Captured later in a failed attack on Montreal, he spent years as a prisoner of war, where he wrote fiery propaganda. After the war, he devoted his considerable energies to securing Vermont's separate statehood, negotiating controversially with the British, and cementing his legend as a brash, uncompromising pioneer.
#1 When Ethan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1738
Ethan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1738Born
1743Started school
1751Became a teenager
1754Could drive
1756Could vote
1759Turned 21
1768Turned 30
1778Turned 40
1788Turned 50
1789Died at 51
Key Achievements
- Led the Green Mountain Boys in the surprise capture of Fort Ticonderoga from the British in May 1775.
- Authored 'A Narrative of Colonel Ethan Allen's Captivity,' a best-selling account of his time as a prisoner of war.
- Was a founding figure and relentless advocate for the independent Republic of Vermont.
- Successfully defended the land claims of New Hampshire settlers against the government of New York.
Did You Know?
He was a professed deist and wrote a book called 'Reason the Only Oracle of Man' that challenged organized Christianity.
He was known for his towering height and physical strength, described as a 'giant' by contemporaries.
After his capture, he was imprisoned on a British ship off the coast of New York and later in England.
The city of Burlington, Vermont, is located on land that was originally owned by Ethan Allen.
“In the name of the great Jehovah and the Continental Congress!”
