HCR 35

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No. R-44. House concurrent resolution commemorating the 250th anniversary of the
March 13, 1775 Westminster Massacre.
                                         (H.C.R.35)
  Offered by Representatives Bos-Lun of Westminster, Burtt of Cabot, Charlton of
Chester, Cooper of Pownal, Eastes of Guilford, Goldman of Rockingham, Masland of
Thetford, Morrow of Weston, Mrowicki of Putney, and Sweeney of Shelburne
   Offered by Senators Harrison and Hashim
  Whereas, for two centuries Vermonters have considered the Westminster Massacre,
which occurred on March 13, 1775, to constitute the first bloodshed of the American
Revolution, and
   Whereas, in 1774, the Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Association,
enacting a trade embargo against Great Britain, and New York was the only province that
did not ratify the Articles, and
   Whereas, the Cumberland County, NY towns, comprising all of current Vermont east
of the Green Mountains from Tunbridge to the Massachusetts border, voted to uphold the
Articles, and
   Whereas, in 1775, local Whigs (supporters of American liberty) were experiencing
excessive lawsuits, resulting in their Tory neighbors acquiring the Whigs’ property
through bankruptcy proceedings, and
    Whereas, 40 Whigs met with Chief Judge Thomas Chandler at his home to request
that the court be closed, but Judge Chandler said he had a murder case to try and after the
trial he would discuss it with them, and subsequently, the Whigs learned that the court
officials planned to arrive early and deny them entry, and
   Whereas, on March 13, 1775, 100 Whigs, armed only with staves, occupied the
courthouse before Sheriff William Paterson and his posse’s arrival, and the sheriff read
them the Riot Act but they defied him, and
    Whereas, Judge Chandler promised the protesters they could remain in the courthouse
overnight unmolested, but Sheriff Paterson returned with his posse and ordered his men
to fire point-blank, which wounded several Whigs, including William French of
Brattleboro (who died overnight and whose gravesite has been maintained with State
financial support) and Daniel Houghton of Dummerston (who died several days later),
and the Sheriff’s posse retook control of the courthouse, and
   Whereas, on March 14, 1775, 400 armed local militia, including many from New
Hampshire, filled the street and recaptured the courthouse, imprisoning all the New York
officials and permanently terminating New York government in Cumberland County—
but refraining from any further violence—nearly two years before Vermont independence
was declared in Westminster on January 15, 1777, now therefore be it
                                                                            VT LEG #382068 v.1
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   Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:
  That the General Assembly commemorates the 250th anniversary of the March 13,
1775 Westminster Massacre, and be it further
   Resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send a copy of this resolution to
the Westminster Historical Society.
                                                                            VT LEG #382068 v.1