Green Mountain contrarian - Vermont Daily Chronicle

The word Vermonter has certain connotations, rightly or wrongly calling to mind such qualities as independence, hard work, and a relatively enlightened attitude toward civil rights. The State Constitution banned slavery in 1777, emancipating men over the age of 21 and women over the age of 18. The state had a strong history of support for abolition, with its citizens playing an active role in the smuggling of enslaved people from the southern states along several Underground Railroad routes. Ultimately, however, people in Vermont were as imperfect as anywhere else.