Vermont Historical Society

Today is Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the emancipation of slaves in the United States. On this day in 1865, Major General Gordon Granger issued the order in Texas to enforce President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

Vermont has a long (and complicated) history with abolition. Black Vermonters have lived in the state from its early days, the state's constitution famously prohibited adult slavery, while many Vermonters became ardent abolitionists. But there were people who owned slaves in our history or who held racist views.

Here's Mary Annette Anderson, the first African-American woman to be inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and valedictorian of Middlebury College in 1899. She was born on July 27th, 1874 in Shoreham, Vermont and became a professor of English grammar and history at Howard University before moving back to Shoreham, where she died on May 2th, 1922.

50 for 250 is coming! Our next exhibit and book will focus on the story of Vermont through the last 250 years, as told through 50 special objects from our collection!

We’re currently installing the exhibit at the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier, and we’re excited to show it off to you!

VHS Members will have an opportunity to check out the exhibit early on June 25th, starting at 4:30PM.

On June 18th, 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain, kicking off the war of 1812. Vermont had joined the US in 1791, but its citizens were reluctant to take part in the conflict as many had trade relations with British Canada to the north. Furthermore, the war meant that Lake Champlain was once again a key waterway for invasion.

Here’s an item from our collection from the conflict: a uniform coat and hat worn by Jacob Perkins of Orwell reportedly took part in the battle of Plattsburgh between September 6th and 11th 1814. It’s currently on display at the Vermont history Museum in Montpelier.

The Battle of Bunker Hill takes place in Boston on this day in 1775. Several participants eventually reached Vermont, including Joseph Howes.

He served in Washington's army during the Revolutionary War and fought in the battle. He was born in 1752 in Lebanon, CT but eventually settled in Norwich VT and died in 1824.

This is a powder horn that he carried. The inscription on the side reads "JOSEPH : HOWES : OF : LEBANON : HIS" and "HORN : MADE : IN : WICKED : CAMBRIDGE", and it features carvings of Boston.

Ali McFarland, our 2026 Geiger Fellow, wrote about her experiences writing and researching some of Vermont's more difficult topics, like the Buffalo Soldiers, immigration, and the K*K.

New arrival at the VHS bookstore: Charity & Sylvia, by Tillie Walden! It’s a graphic novel based on the lives of Sylvia Drake and Charity Bryant, an openly Le***an couple who lived in Weybridge in 19th century Vermont.

Today is Flag Day, which commemorates the day that the United States formally adopted the American flag in 1777.

Here's one flag from our collection: it reads on the side "US Ensign No. 7 Funeral Mare Island Feb 1944," and comes with a white canvas bag for the flag with the name "Rossi" written in small script in ink on the back side.

Mare Island Naval Station was the base for the US Pacific Fleet in San Francisco Bay during World War II and where Naval flags were manufactured.

This could be the flag given to the Rossi family after the death of Claude Raymond Rossi (1921-1945), who had enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942. He trained to become a pilot and in December 1944, flew off an aircraft carrier patrolling the coast of California. After the end of WWII, he became a test pilot and died in a plane crash on September 24th, 1945 in Alameda, California.

Thanks to WCAX-TV for checking out our latest book, When the Trees Came Back!

Today is Vermont Days across the state of Vermont: we're open for free at both the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier and the Vermont History Center in Barre!

Our "50 for 50" artifact for Vermont is this flyer from 1911, which advertises a fair and carnival in Rutland, Vermont, that promises “aeroplane flights every day,” capturing the public excitement surrounding early aviation. The first air races, meets, and exhibitions kicked off a wave of public enthusiasm for aviation that circled the globe. Aerial exhibitions and meets introduced the airplane to the public in truly thrilling ways. People flocked to these events, anxious to see daring aviators show their stuff.