Chittenden, Thomas

Chittenden, Thomas (chĭt`əndən), 1730–97, governor of Vermont, b. East Guilford, Conn. After moving to Vermont in 1774, he was active in the Windsor Convention, which declared (1777) Vermont independent. He and Ira Allen drew up the constitution, and Chittenden was elected (1778) first governor. He remained one of the Allen party, and he held office (except 1789–90) through Vermont's period of independence and early statehood until a few weeks before his death.

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Chittenden, Thomas (1730–97) governor; born in East Guilford, Conn. A Vermont farmer, he was a member of the council of state that drew up Vermont's first request for statehood (1777) after it had declared itself an independent republic that year. When the Continental Congress rejected the request, he became governor of the republic (1778–89, 1790–91). After Vermont began negotiating with the British commander in Canada, the adjacent states of New York and New Hampshire settled their territorial disputes with Vermont and it was accepted as the 14th state (March 4, 1791). Chittenden served as its first governor (1791–97).