Ethan Allen: His Life and Times

by Willard Sterne Randall

The long-awaited biography of the frontier Founding Father whose heroic actions and neglected writings inspired an entire generation from Paine to Madison.

On May 10, 1775, in the storm-tossed hours after midnight, Ethan Allen, the Revolutionary firebrand, was poised for attack. With only two boatloads of his scraggly band of Vermont volunteers having made it across the wind-whipped waters of Lake Champlain, he was waiting for the rest of his Green Mountain boys to arrive. But with the protective darkness quickly fading, Allen determined that he hold off no longer.While Ethan Allen, a canonical hero of the American Revolution, has always been defined by his daring, predawn attack on the British-controlled Fort Ticonderoga, Willard Sterne Randall, the author of Benedict Arnold, now challenges our conventional understanding of this largely unexamined Founding Father. Widening the scope of his inquiry beyond the Revolutionary War, Randall traces Allen’s beginning back to his modest origins in Connecticut, where he was born in 1738. Largely self-educated, emerging from a relatively impoverished background, Allen demonstrated his deeply rebellious nature early on through his attraction to Deism, his dramatic defense of smallpox vaccinations, and his early support of separation of church and state.Chronicling Allen’s upward struggle from precocious, if not unruly, adolescent to commander of the largest American paramilitary force on the eve of the Revolution, Randall unlocks a trove of new source material, particularly evident in his gripping portrait of Allen as a British prisoner-of-war. While the biography reacquaints readers with the familiar details of Allen’s life—his capture during the aborted American invasion of Canada, his philosophical works that influenced Thomas Paine, his seminal role in gaining Vermont statehood, his stirring funeral in 1789—Randall documents that so much of what we know of Allen is mere myth, historical folklore that people have handed down, as if Allen were Paul Bunyan.As Randall reveals, Ethan Allen, a so-called Robin Hood in the eyes of his dispossessed Green Mountain settlers, aggrandized, and unabashedly so, the holdings of his own family, a fact that is glossed over in previous accounts, embellishing his own best-selling prisoner-of-war narrative as well. He emerges not only as a public-spirited leader but as a self-interested individual, often no less rapacious than his archenemies, the New York land barons of the Hudson and Mohawk Valleys.As John E. Ferling comments, “Randall has stripped away the myths to provide as accurate an account of Allen’s life as will ever be written.” The keen insights that he produces shed new light, not only on this most enigmatic of Founding Fathers, but on today’s descendants of the Green Mountain Boys, whose own political disenfranchisement resonates now more than ever.

Genres: Biography, History, American Revolution, Nonfiction, American History, American Revolutionary War, American

651 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Willard Sterne Randall is an American historian and author who specializes in biographies related to the American colonial period and the American Revolution. He teaches American history at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont.

Reviews

[Adam Tschorn]

As any student of Vermont history can tell you — and the recent flood devastation in that state underscores all too well — water has played a huge role in shaping what would become the 14th state to join the Union. The Connecticut River forms Vermont's eastern border with New Hampshire, and Lake Champlain forms the majority of the state's western border with New York.

But the boundary lines of current-day Vermont were hardly the result of riparian randomness: The future state was carved out of competing colonial claims asserted by New York and New Hampshire, and if there were a single individual who was as much a force of nature as the waters themselves at shaping the Green Mountain State, most historians would agree it was Ethan Allen. The exploits of this rebel, philosopher, land speculator and early hero of the American Revolution in defense of the property interests of Vermont's earliest settlers made the lesser-known founding father a nearly saint-like figure to anyone growing up in Vermont (as I did).

Whether "Ethan Allen: His Life and Times" will change the Allen who is introduced to Vermont schoolchildren remains to be seen, but Willard Sterne Randall — a Champlain College professor and biographer of Thomas Jefferson and Benedict Arnold — takes great pains to paint a more nuanced, multidimensional (and far from flattering) portrait of Allen, intimating that he was as much of a terrorist, turncoat and narcissist as rebel patriot, and someone whose brash actions ended up doing as much harm to Vermont's bid for statehood as his early actions did to advance the cause.

Randall is quick to acknowledge the Ethan Allen of legend. He describes him as "part Davy Crockett, part Paul Bunyan and two parts Jack Daniels." His book hits on all the requisite tales of the Ethan Allen story. We're told how he represented Bennington landowners against the hated "Yorkers," organized a militia known as the Green Mountain Boys and had a crucial role in the taking of Fort Ticonderoga — which Randall calls "the first offensive military action" in U.S. history.

But the bulk of the book mines the lesser-known periods in Allen's life, and Randall paints a vivid picture of everything from what clothes Allen favored (a beaver tricorn hat would become his sartorial signature) to what the streets of Philadelphia would have looked like during Allen's first visit there. The book is subtitled "His Life and Times" for a reason.

To explain Allen's well-known contempt for authority and his attitude toward religion, Randall spends some time focusing on the forces that shaped his early years. Born in Litchfield, Conn., in 1738, Allen grew up amid a religious revival that bitterly divided towns and congregations throughout New England. The only formal education for the man who would become a prolific writer and self-described philosopher was a nine-month stretch of intense preparation to enter Yale, which Allen didn't do because of his father's unexpected death, which put the 17-year-old front and center in the family business. His decision to get a smallpox vaccination — banned at the time — made him a pariah, a string of failed business endeavors left him strapped for cash, and Allen's move from Connecticut north to what was then known as the New Hampshire Grants was an act of desperation.

Curiously, the actual raid on Ticonderoga on May 10, 1775, is covered in just a handful of pages — many of which also involve Allen's contentious relationship with Benedict Arnold, who accompanied Allen in the assault. It's after that event that most accounts of Allen tend to fast-forward, fragment or both; some stories focus on his ill-fated raid on Montreal and capture by the British, others mention it only in passing and focus instead on his extensive land dealings and philosophical writings. Regardless of where they meander, most accounts converge around the time of Allen's death at age 51 — two years before Vermont's statehood.

But it's during this period — May 1775 to February 1789 — that Randall's book feels like it's charting territory as unexplored as the acreage that Allen and his brother Ira (who would found the University of Vermont) snapped up as part of their Onion River Land Co. The author details the way Allen was perceived in the aftermath of Ticonderoga by everyone from his Bennington contemporaries (not well) to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson (much better), and he makes a pretty strong argument that Allen's actions could just as easily have been motivated by greed, revenge or a sense of inflated self-importance.

The most notable assertion Randall makes is that Allen's treatment during, and repatriation after, 952 days as a British prisoner of war for his assault on Montreal served "as a precedent for how to treat, and not mistreat prisoners of war; how to provide for their exchange; and how to think about the troublesome intersection of prisoner-of-war negotiations and diplomatic recognition of a state or union in rebellion." So at the same time that Randall makes the mythical Ethan Allen more human, in a way it also makes him more important — even to those who don't know or care about his role in shaping Vermont.

One oft-observed fact about Allen (and one repeated in this biography) is that despite the long shadow he cast over the early chapter of Vermont's history, there were no portraits painted of him during his lifetime — and precious few afterward. What Randall has managed to do, some 222 years after Allen's death, is provide the most detailed and unvarnished, snapshot of Allen to date.

[Thomas Kidd · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://www.booksandculture.com/articl...

Most Americans, I suspect, think "furniture" when they hear the name Ethan Allen. But Allen was one of the most fascinating figures the American Revolution: hero of Fort Ticonderoga, leader of Vermont's Green Mountain Boys, religious skeptic, and a bit of a scoundrel.

Some overstate the prominence of deism in the Revolution, but certainly in Ethan Allen and his contemporary Tom Paine we find not only two honest-to-goodness deists, but also America's two best-selling writers of the era. (Both had their greatest successes on topics other than religion, though.) In his Reason the Only Oracle of Man (1784), Allen made a remarkable declaration for his time: he was "no Christian," he said, "except mere infant baptism makes me one."

Randall, a former investigative reporter, skillfully portrays Allen's military exploits and experiences as a prisoner of war. His book is peppered, however, with careless errors, suspect claims, and ahistorical characterizations, especially with regard to Allen's religious context, which in Randall's telling was dominated by monochromatic "Puritanism," even after the Revolution. Some examples of the problems: on page 60, Randall uses a quote about George Whitefield that I've never seen before; it does not appear elsewhere in a Google Books search, and is not cited in an end note. Antirevivalist pastor Charles Chauncy's name is spelled two different ways. Six people were killed in the Boston Massacre, Randall says; later he says five.

Randall states that evangelical theologian Jonathan Edwards "inveighed" against smallpox inoculations from his pulpit (again with no end note), another assertion I cannot find elsewhere. In his most inexplicable statement, Randall says—with no further commentary—that today Jonathan Edwards "would probably be an Evangelical Lutheran." I was surprised to see these kinds of missteps in a book published by the normally reliable Norton. These weaknesses suggest that we may have to wait for a more authoritative biography of Allen.

Thomas S. Kidd is Senior Fellow at the Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University, and the author of God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution and the forthcoming Patrick Henry: First Among Patriots.

[Lauren Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan Allen was a man that I think I knew about only as a name in relationship to the Revolutionary war. I didn't know that he was responsible for the first offensive action in the war--the capture of Fort Ticonderoga. I didn't know that he was held as a POW (and cruelly mistreated) by the British for almost 3 years. His captivity narrative was the best selling book of the time after Tom Paine's Common Sense. He also was a (or the) founder of Vermont. But Randall does not neglect the negative side of Allen--his encouraging of attacks on loyalists after the war (and the confiscation of their property), his attacks on otherwise innocent "Yorkers" (or those who were from NY during the battle of NY and New Hampshire over the soon-to-be Vermont territory), or that he probably made money from the land sold cheaply by those terrified of attack. His capture by the British was the result of his unauthorized attack on Montreal. But finally, he was a man and Randall shows him in his many facets. He certainly stood up for what he believed and sometimes at great risk. He didn't believe in dispossessing Native Americans of their land. He believed in the smallpox vaccine at a time when there were religious strictures against it. And, he believed that the "average" man should be protected from the large landowners. It is clear that the flourishing of Vermont was at least in part because it was based on an economy of small independent farmers rather than the large estates of "grandees" worked by poor struggling laborers--and that was due in no small part to Allen's defence of those independent farmers against the wealthy politicians who conspired to take their land from them.

[Carl Rollyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Type "Ethan Allen" (1738-89) into a Google search and you will find some wonderful decorating ideas. Oh, wait, was he the one who turned traitor during the American Revolution? No, that was Benedict Arnold. This kind of confusion is understandable, when every publishing season hails another biography of an august George Washington, a lofty Thomas Jefferson or -- not far behind -- a cantankerous but principled John Adams.

So it is a pleasure to descend into the trenches of U.S. history with Willard Sterne Randall in his new book, which puts a good deal of flesh on the New England hero who captured the British-held Fort Ticonderoga in May 1775. A spirited man, Allen was, like other founding fathers, not averse to profiting from land speculation and accumulating wealth in ways that allied him as much with the old world as the new.

Allen is also notable for his unconventional "guerrilla warfare," and his searing accounts of his time as a British prisoner of war. It is, however, not well known that Allen (as Randall relates) found the cruelty of his fellow Americans -- especially those who remained loyal to the British crown -- far worse than what the British army had in store for him.

Randall, also the author of "Benedict Arnold: Patriot and Traitor," is perfectly positioned to explore the mixed and sometimes enigmatic personalities of those patriots making the transition from a colonial to a republican world, where questions of personal prestige, family tradition and individual rights were fiercely debated, resulting in much contradictory conduct in the lives of men like Allen and Arnold.

Indeed, Randall's comparison of the two provides some of the more fascinating pages in this book. We follow Allen on a visit to Philadelphia, where he is incensed to find his "old rival, Major General Benedict Arnold," now military governor of the city, "coddling" Loyalists. What had happened to Arnold, a man who, like Allen, once had the ambition to conquer Canada?

Randall filters Arnold's biography through the picture Allen was able to piece together, providing a gripping account of how Arnold felt superseded and passed over for promotion in spite of his against-all-odds heroism, which resulted in crippling wounds to his legs. Without an income (Congress refused to pay him), Arnold began dealing in confiscated British goods and seeking favor among highly placed Loyalists. These activities resulted in his employment by the British secret service after Washington, who had larger matters on his mind, ignored Arnold's pleas for assistance.

Occasionally, Randall lets us down, as when he follows up riveting passages with statements of the obvious. Writing about Arnold and Allen, he observes that the two men followed "sharply different trajectories, reflecting divergent paths of the Revolution." True, very true. But why?

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for a general book on Vermont history at the library and didn't really like the looks of what was on the shelf. So I picked up this one on Ethan Allen, whose name you see an awful lot in these parts. It turns out that his story is essentially the early history of Vermont. And his story is really something! He got kicked out of Connecticut for pushing back against the Church, landed in the disputed lands between New York and New Hampshire and ended up leading a militia that fought off the powers that be from both colonies so that the actual settlers in the area could live in peace (or something like that). It really takes off when the Revolutionary War begins and Allen decides to start raiding British forts on Lake Champlain, which he does successfully. The book follows his exploits during and after the War, most notably what he goes through after being captured by the British - which was shocking.

It was especially interesting to learn about the role of Vermont in the Revolutionary War when it was not a colony but rather disputed territory. It was essentially fighting for independence from New York, New Hampshire, and England; and it operated as somewhat as an independent republic, at times negotiating directly with the Continental Congress, England, and France. I also was surprised to read about Allen's extensive philosophical writings regarding principles of reason, and his arguments against predetermination, which got him into so much trouble with the clergy leaders.

I thought Randall did a great job with this book. It is very comprehensive in discussing the politics of the time and larger context of the events of this era, but I thought it was also a pretty good page turner. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in Vermont history or the Revolutionary War.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why read about Ethan? He's an example of our non-aristocratic founding fathers. He was always a kind of a non-conformist and troublemaker, especially about religion. He was booted from several towns for it. He was also intelligent, missing his chance to attend Yale, he managed to self educate himself and wrote extensively, including an influential deist/what? tract. He was also a hardworking business man and also quite the land speculator. One of the defining points of his life was the property fights over the Hampshire grants, the New York land aristocracy who wanted large estates of sharecroppers versus individual farmers owning their own land. During the war, Allen and Crittendon manage to play Congress, New York and England off against one another for several years, trying to keep Vermont free, slimy and fun! This land mess is a big chunk of the book and I think the most interesting.

Also his POW experience is a good read if you have never read it before, but it's extensively covered by Allen himself and by many other authors.

Not much about the war other than the initial bits since Allen was not in many battles.

The author comments in his introduction that there are very few scholarly and current works on Ethan Allen. I've only read a couple of older ones and they didn't have the depth of research this one has. It was much tougher locating and accessing material in the pre-internet days.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read about man who helped shape modern America, but is little known today. Randall does a fantastic job of explaining on Ethan Allen rose to become on of the most prominent men of the Revolutionary period.

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a compelling read !
The Historian, W. Randall provides a detailed narrative not only
of Ethan Allen, but also provides a larger and detailed historical narrative,
as a backdrop to the struggles that propelled Allen to the status of
a prolific American Revolutionary Icon.

[Roxana Schoen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately I found this unreadable (and it's very rare for me to not finish a book). I only made it about 50 pages in. The author assumes a massive amount of detailed knowledge from the reader - names, dates, places, activities, in literally every sentence. I needed the Easy Reader version of this book, I guess. Though I did pick this out with an eye to a "very readable" biography of this man. I'm a big disgruntled with the many reviewers who said this is good for people new to this area of history. It's definitely not.

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan Allen, one of the firebrands of the American Revolution, has fallen victim to history not being remembered as he should, a remarkable character in the founding of America. The date of May 10, 1775 is the singular event of note associated with Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys as they seized Fort Ticonderoga in a brazen pre-dawn attack. This early victory became the stuff of legend but it overshadowed Allen's life and times. Forging out the frontier as a successful explorer, businessman, founder of the state of Vermont, prolific writer, drinker, and not shy about using profanity and his fists also became one of the most famous prisoners of war in history. His life was something usually celebrated in Americana folklore but he towards the end of his life he published Reason: the Only Oracle of Man (1785) stating his complete opposition to organized religion. Thomas Paine would do the same about a decade later and would suffer a similar fate as in the subsequent decades and then centuries as religious figures would tarnish the character of both men. When you share sentiments such as, “In those parts of the world where learning and science has prevailed, miracles have ceased; but in those parts of it as are barbarous and ignorant, miracles are still in vogue.” in Puritan New England there are going to be some blowback. Despite this there is no denying Ethan Allen was a staunch defender of liberty for both those he agreed and disagreed with and so his spirit was very much in line with the age of revolution.

A great read!

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kept waiting to read about Ethan Allen's amazing prowess for making furniture - It never happened neither in the book nor real life. What made Ethan Allen notable was his forming of The Green Mountain Boys in helping the settlers or current day Vermont reclaim land from the scheming governments of New York and New Hampshire, his rogue behavior during the Revolution when he held together the Green Mountain Boys and successfully attacked and captured Fort Ticonderoga (with Benedict Arnold at his side), and his vital direction and caginess in founding the State of Vermont. He could be described as both a Founding Father and an author as he wrote of his captivity as a prisoner after his botched assault on Montreal.

My issue with this book is in its difficulty to follow. Mr. Randall would have done well to have a good editor. I often read sentences several times and still didn't understand the meaning. I suspected that information was inaccurate due to this. There were several times that the author just threw out events that weren't yet explained. This "jumping around" was very frustrating and led to chronological confusion. Many times I felt there was no structure to the book. With very few pages covering the actual attack on Fort Ticonderoga, and knowing the key facts the author was attempting to convey in Allen's life, I was left with the question why it took over 600 pages to tell this story.

I think the facts of Ethan Allen's life is worth hearing. I think there just must be a better vehicle.

On a 100 scale, I give this book a 48.

[MikeFromQueens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book spoke to me. Randall painted a human picture of Ethan Allen, and depicted the changing times through Ethan Allen's life and place in history. I fully appreciated how Allen applied his courage to define Liberty for himself and like-minded settlers looking to live in Freedom and "the pursuit of happiness". Randall brought to life the inside story of persecution by Clinton and his NY lackys, and applied "the law" as an excuse to prosecute for their own profit and political power. Allen lead the Vermonters' self organization in defense of their homesteads, which was no surprise as we learned of his character from Randall's depictions in the first half of the book. Ethan Allen pioneered what it meant to be a True American in every sense of the phrase, and Randall showed us how fragile and tenuous this undertaking was at that time in history as these individual rights were under attack from many sources. I'm still not sure if it was Allen's biography, or Randall's authorship that brought it to life, which I came to appreciate more.

[Stephen Dutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should be required reading for anyone who considers themselves to be a true Vermonter or a true New Englander. I dare say until one has read this history, one does not know much about Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, or Massachusetts and Connecticut or for that matter the American Revolution. It is amazing how much history you do not learn in school (and I mean "back then", today I fear for the youth of America who know approximately zero about this country unless they go to a charter school perhaps - but I digress!)

This history makes more plain why and how the Royal Governors ruling the colonies (and Monarchy rule in general) was so egregious to regular folks. It also points out how religiously intolerant different colonies could be if one didn't tow the line. The Royal Governors ruled as they saw fit and were so far away from Court they could get away with extreme extortion in the name of the king. They ran the colonies like Dukedoms of the Royal Order. And the corruption was breaktaking. Thus we have Vermont.

[Erik · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not what I was expecting at all.

The first few chapters tease about glorious exciting battles taking Fort Ticonderoga, but the majority of the book is a long, and I mean loooong, slow, boring exploration of the various theologies in pre-revolutionary America.

Not that these are not interesting subjects, it's just not what the cover and the blurbs I read that got me to buy the book had advertised.

The pace of the writing is very slow, and the constant flashing back and forth between different time periods of Ethan Allen's life make the book very confusing, as well. This might be forgiven if the narrative were a bit more exciting, but this is no Quentin Tarantino movie.

Ethan Allen's story is an amazing and important story, but I am very disappointed with this particular book. I might finish it eventually, years from now, but I have moved on to other things.

If I had the choice to buy it again, I would save my money.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been going to Vermont regularly for over 30 years, and have seen the Ethan Allen statue at the state capitol and been to his house in Burlington (which is not the house he spent most of his time in, I learned when I read this biography). But really, I knew very little about him other than that he died after falling on the ice on Lake Champlain, drunk--not very heroic. He is best known for taking Fort Tigonderoga very early in the war--A heroic and brave undertaking that he did with Benedict Arnold. What I didn't know was that he was a prisoner of war for much of the Revolutionary War, and wrote about his treatment in a book that is his most famous writing. This is an interesting bio, which gives a good sense of the early Vermonters as well as the man.

[Gary Land · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading this biography, I knew very little about Ethan Allen. Randall has certainly improved my knowledge as well as effectively placing Allen within the context of his time. I found particularly interesting the account of Allen's long struggle to establish the land interests of the Vermont farmers and speculators (including himself) against the domination of New York. Allen was not the easiest personality to deal with but he proved himself an effective leader for the interests of his (eventual)state. The story of his imprisonment by the British during the Revolution was also especially interesting. I highly recommend this biography.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having taught Vermont History at the high school level in Vermont, I was always frustrated that there was not a definitive book written about a man who was truly a legend in his own time. Randall brings objectivity to the table and as a result, makes Ethan Allen a real human being. Consequently I have come to appreciate Allen's contribution to Vermont's history and his role in the American story even more. A great read for those interested in biography in general and this character in particular.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! It is really hard to find books on the Green Mountain Boys, particularly one that is this in depth and well-researched. In many ways, Ethan Allen seems lost to time as he does not get the attention of other founding fathers (I love that Randall coins him as such), but this book provides as in-depth a look at Allen's life and time (hence the title) that I have ever come across. A lifelong fan of the Green Mountain Boys, I learned a lot from this book and have been inspired to retrace some of Allen's steps. Definitely recommend!

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid book. I knew virtually nothing about Ethan Allen other than the fact that he captured Ticonderoga during the war. This was a very thorough biography. However, most of what the book covered was his later life, in which he led the struggle for Vermont statehood. While somewhat intriguing, the history of Vermont can only be so interesting. But, it's worth spending the time to get through it.

[Dan Schroeder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very interesting information snuggled amidst some equally tedious reading. The writer's style was, for me, unnecessarily clause-ridden and bookish. I literally had to re-read many sentences multiple times to figure out the intent. Ethan Allen's life was an interesting one, but this book bogged down in back-story. Maybe necessary. But very noticeable.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book. I am intrigued by the great men who founded our country. And all the issues and back-biting that existed then as now. Especially interesting was learning about Ethan Allen's Puritan upbringing and how involved the church was in the early days of our politics. And how without Ethan Allen Vermont would not exist and probably be a part of New York.

[James Lundin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on one of the forgotten heroes of the Revolutionary war and leader of our first victory over the British at Fort Ticonderoga. The hero of Vermont, the green mountain boys and the first hero of the revolutionary war. Part gambler, part salesperson, part unifier, part land speculator, all in leader and straight up bad ass.

[Rick Hautala · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit chewy, maybe, but loaded with interesting facts and characters ... Maybe Vermont was a sideshow to the Revolution, but this book details how Allen was a key player and very much an :American." Highly recommended ...

[Kevin Moynihan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable book. Engaging writing style. Poor Ethan Allen has to be disappointed to see his Vermont as a stomping ground for Trust Funders and opioid addicts. What did he ultimately take Ft Ticonderoga for?

[Pollyanne Frantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good bio. of an interesting man.

[David Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating man,
Especially time as a
Prisoner of war.

[Nancy Knab · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written summary of Ethan Allen's contribution to the independence and subsequent statehood of Vermont.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

In depth look at a forgotten founding father

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The life and times of a complex man.

[Fred Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book has some flaws I really enjoyed it. Probably because I've spent a lot of time in Vermont (my wife was born and raised there, I'm a Great Plains kid) but knew almost nothing about Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys. Other than that their name is on about every third business there. The book is really as much a history of Vermont as it is about Ethan Allen as the two are inseparable. Coming from the Midwest I've never thought much about Vermont being the frontier but it was back at that time. In a weird set of treaties, Vermont was claimed by both New York and New Hampshire. New Hampshire was granting land titles hence the area was called the New Hampshire Grants. But from about a 100 year old treaty/proclamation, New York claimed the land themselves and wanted these people to pay twice. Enter into this picture Ethan Allen. He's one of these people that seems to historically live up to his popular reputation. Somewhat of a combination of Robin Hood and Daniel Boone. He started traveling the area as a hunter (which he was very good at) and gradually became more engaged. I know the history of the colonies is complex back in these pre-revolutionary times but there was a lot of time spent on some of the religious conflicts. I know they were important in forming who Ethan Allen was but that really dragged. It was interesting that someone who was basically a very good backwoodsman became such a shrewd diplomat and politician navigating the complexity of Vermont becoming first a republic and not a state yet. He was captured trying to take over Montreal and spent a couple bad years as a POW. This led to a lot of reforms and changes in diplomacy. Although weirdly in those days, when Allen was held in a New York location, officers were allowed to basically leave the premises. As long as they promised to stay within the city. Obviously many prisoners escaped but Allen said he would stay because he was an officer and it would cause a lot of problems in the ongoing war and diplomacy. His book about his experiences is still in print.

I'd certainly recommend the book. It also helps explain why Vermonters are not so fond of New York, even to this day.