The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – October 2020: Vermont
Talk Mystery and Suspense Extra!
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1bhabeck
Each month, we will visit a different state in the United States of America for the Monthly Reading Challenge in the Mystery & Suspense Extra! Group. This month, we head back to New England and visit Vermont.
The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – October 2020: Vermont
History
Vermont is a northeastern state in the New England region of the United States. Vermont is the 2nd least populated US state with approximately 623,989 people as of 2019 (but ranked 30th in terms of density) and the 45th largest by area of the 50 US states at 9,616 square miles (24,923 sq km). Its capital is Montpelier, the least populous state capital in the US. Burlington is the most populous city. Samuel de Champlain claimed the area around what is now Lake Champlain, giving the name, Verd Mont (Green Mountain) to the region he found, on a 1647 map. Evidence suggests that his name came into use among English settlers before it morphed into "Vermont", ca. 1760.
For some 12,000 years, indigenous peoples inhabited this area. The historically competitive tribes of the Algonquian-speaking Abenaki and Iroquoian-speaking Mohawk were active in the area at the time of the European encounter. During the 17th century, French colonists claimed the territory as part fo the Kingdom of France's colony of New France. After the Kingdom of Great Britain began to settle colonies to the south along the Atlantic coast, the two nations competed in North America in addition to Europe. For years, each country enlisted Native American allies in continuous raiding and warfare between the New England and New France colonies. This produced an active trade in captives taken during such raids, often held for ransom, although some captives were adopted by families into the Mohawk or Abenaki tribes.
After being defeated in 1763 in the Seven Years War, France ceded its territory east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain. Thereafter, the nearby British Thirteen Colonies, especially the provinces of New Hampshire and New York, disputed the extent of the area called the New Hampshire Grants to the west of the Connecticut River, encompassing present-day Vermont. The provincial government of New York sold land grants to settlers in the region, which conflicted with earlier grants from the government of New Hampshire. The Green Mountain Boys militia protected the interests of the established New Hampshire land grant settlers against the newly arrived settlers with land titles from New York. Ultimately, a group of settlers with New Hampshire land grant titles established the Vermont Republic in 1777 as an independent state during the American Revolutionary War. Vermont was admitted to the newly established United States as the 14th stated in 1791. Vermont is one of 4 US states that were previously sovereign states (along with Texas, California, and Hawaii).
During the mid-19th century, Vermont was a strong source of abolitionist sentiment (the Vermont Republic abolished slavery before any of the other states), although it was also tied to "King Cotton" through the development of textile mills in the region, which relied on southern cotton. It sent a significant contingent of soldiers to participate in the American Civil War.
In 1960, Vermonters' politics started to shift from being reliably Republican toward favoring Democratic candidates. Starting in 1963, Vermont voters have alternated between electing Republican and Democratic governors. Since 2007, Vermont has elected only Democrats and Independents to Congress. In 2000, the state legislature was the first to recognize civil unions for same-sex couples. In 2001-2012, the state officially recognized 4 Abenaki tribes.
The top contributors to Vermont's economy are a mix of government, real estate, durable goods, finance, health services and technical services and agriculture. Vermont's largest foreign trade partners are Canada and Taiwan. Vermont's economic activity of $34 billion in 2018 ranked 52nd on the list of US states and territories by GDP (every state plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico were larger), but 34th in GDP per capital.
Geography
Vermont is bordered to the south by Massachusetts, the east by New Hampshire, New York to the west and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. Much of the eastern border with New Hampshire is defined by the Connecticut River. Vermont is the only New England state is landlocked as it does not touch the Atlantic Ocean.
The geography of Vermont is marked by the Green Mountains, which run north-south up the middle of the state, separating Lake Champlain and other valley terrain on the west from the Connecticut River valley that defines much of its eastern border. A majority of its terrain is forested with hardwoods and conifers, and a majority of its open land is devoted to agriculture. The state's climate is characterized by warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters.
Fun Facts
Vermont was the first state to produce an African-American university graduate, Alexander Twilight, in 1823.
With a population of less than nine thousand people, Montpelier is the smallest state capital in the US. It is also the only US state capital without a McDonalds.
Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the US, producing over 500,000 gallons a year. Something to consider the next time you eat pancakes – it takes about 40 years for a sugar maple to grow large enough (at least 10 inches in diameter) to tap. Then it takes some 40 gallons of sap to produce a single gallon of syrup!
Vermont is America's No. 1 producer of marble and No. 2 producer of talc.
Some people joke that Vermont has more dairy cows than people – not true. It has one cow for every 3.8 people, which is still the nation's highest ratio of cows to people. (Milk is Vermont's #1 farm product)
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream company gives their ice cream waste to the local Vermont farmers who use it to feed their hogs. The hogs seem to like all of the flavors except Mint Oreo.
Vermont does not sell alcohol to out of state licenses, you must have a liquor ID in order to purchase alcohol at liquor stores and grocery stores. This doesn't apply to bars but can affect those traveling through the state.
Rudyard Kipling, living in Vermont in the 1890s, invented the game of snow golf.
Lake Champlain, located primarily in Vermont with parts in New York and Quebec, isn't as big as the Great Lakes but – according to legend - it does have its own monster! Champ is said to be friendly, 20 to 80 feet long, and have a head like either a snake or a dog. The most famous photo of him was taken in 1977.
According to a 2013 Gallup Poll, Vermont is the least religious state in the US. Only 22% of the respondents said they consider religion important and regularly attend religious services.
Billboard advertising is illegal in Vermont.
The first Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream store opened in Burlington, VT in 1978.
In 2005, visitors made an estimated 13.4 million trips to the state, spending $1.57 billion. In 2012, fall accounted for $460 million of income, about one-quarter of all tourism.
Notable Residents
US Presidents Chester A. Arthur and Calvin Coolidge were born in Vermont. Chester A. Arthur was an attorney and politician that served as the 21st president of the United States. Previously, the 20th vice president, he succeeded to the presidency upon the death of James A. Garfield in September 1881. Arthur served as President from September 20, 1881 to March 4, 1885. Calvin Coolidge was a politician and lawyer who served as the 30th president of the United States. Previously Governor of Vermont, Coolidge was elected as the 29th vice president and succeeded to the presidency upon the sudden death of Warren G. Harding in 1923. Elected in his own right in 1924, Coolidge serviced from August 2, 1923 to March 4, 1929. Calvin Coolidge was the only president born on the fourth of July. Born 7/4/1872.
Bernie Sanders, the junior Senator from Vermont, unsuccessfully sought the US Presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020. Sanders has been a US Senator for Vermont since 2007. Prior to that, he served as a US Representative from 1991 to 2007. Sanders is the longest serving Independent in US Congressional history.
Well-known people from Vermont include Authors: Chris Bohjalian, Pearl S. Buck, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, John Irving, and Sinclair Lewis; Actors: Tim Daly, Felicity Huffman, and Daphne Zuniga ; Athletes: Suzy "Suzy Chapstick" Chaffee (skier), Kelly Clark (2002 Olympic gold medalist, snowboarding), and Patty Sheehan (golfer, winner of 35 LPGA tournaments). Also from Vermont, Ted Bundy (serial killer), John Deere (inventor), Ida May Fuller (1st recipient of Social Security), and Brigham Young (2nd prophet and president of the Church of Latter Day Saints).
In honor of VERMONT, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:
• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Green," "Monster," "Mountain," or "Fall" in the title or has a cover that is more than 50% green;
• A Mystery/Suspense book which includes a same-sex couple or takes place is a sparsely populated area or the story takes place in the New England region of the United States;
• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's initials (BOTH the first AND last) can be found in VERMONT.
Happy Reading ❤
The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – October 2020: Vermont
History
Vermont is a northeastern state in the New England region of the United States. Vermont is the 2nd least populated US state with approximately 623,989 people as of 2019 (but ranked 30th in terms of density) and the 45th largest by area of the 50 US states at 9,616 square miles (24,923 sq km). Its capital is Montpelier, the least populous state capital in the US. Burlington is the most populous city. Samuel de Champlain claimed the area around what is now Lake Champlain, giving the name, Verd Mont (Green Mountain) to the region he found, on a 1647 map. Evidence suggests that his name came into use among English settlers before it morphed into "Vermont", ca. 1760.
For some 12,000 years, indigenous peoples inhabited this area. The historically competitive tribes of the Algonquian-speaking Abenaki and Iroquoian-speaking Mohawk were active in the area at the time of the European encounter. During the 17th century, French colonists claimed the territory as part fo the Kingdom of France's colony of New France. After the Kingdom of Great Britain began to settle colonies to the south along the Atlantic coast, the two nations competed in North America in addition to Europe. For years, each country enlisted Native American allies in continuous raiding and warfare between the New England and New France colonies. This produced an active trade in captives taken during such raids, often held for ransom, although some captives were adopted by families into the Mohawk or Abenaki tribes.
After being defeated in 1763 in the Seven Years War, France ceded its territory east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain. Thereafter, the nearby British Thirteen Colonies, especially the provinces of New Hampshire and New York, disputed the extent of the area called the New Hampshire Grants to the west of the Connecticut River, encompassing present-day Vermont. The provincial government of New York sold land grants to settlers in the region, which conflicted with earlier grants from the government of New Hampshire. The Green Mountain Boys militia protected the interests of the established New Hampshire land grant settlers against the newly arrived settlers with land titles from New York. Ultimately, a group of settlers with New Hampshire land grant titles established the Vermont Republic in 1777 as an independent state during the American Revolutionary War. Vermont was admitted to the newly established United States as the 14th stated in 1791. Vermont is one of 4 US states that were previously sovereign states (along with Texas, California, and Hawaii).
During the mid-19th century, Vermont was a strong source of abolitionist sentiment (the Vermont Republic abolished slavery before any of the other states), although it was also tied to "King Cotton" through the development of textile mills in the region, which relied on southern cotton. It sent a significant contingent of soldiers to participate in the American Civil War.
In 1960, Vermonters' politics started to shift from being reliably Republican toward favoring Democratic candidates. Starting in 1963, Vermont voters have alternated between electing Republican and Democratic governors. Since 2007, Vermont has elected only Democrats and Independents to Congress. In 2000, the state legislature was the first to recognize civil unions for same-sex couples. In 2001-2012, the state officially recognized 4 Abenaki tribes.
The top contributors to Vermont's economy are a mix of government, real estate, durable goods, finance, health services and technical services and agriculture. Vermont's largest foreign trade partners are Canada and Taiwan. Vermont's economic activity of $34 billion in 2018 ranked 52nd on the list of US states and territories by GDP (every state plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico were larger), but 34th in GDP per capital.
Geography
Vermont is bordered to the south by Massachusetts, the east by New Hampshire, New York to the west and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. Much of the eastern border with New Hampshire is defined by the Connecticut River. Vermont is the only New England state is landlocked as it does not touch the Atlantic Ocean.
The geography of Vermont is marked by the Green Mountains, which run north-south up the middle of the state, separating Lake Champlain and other valley terrain on the west from the Connecticut River valley that defines much of its eastern border. A majority of its terrain is forested with hardwoods and conifers, and a majority of its open land is devoted to agriculture. The state's climate is characterized by warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters.
Fun Facts
Vermont was the first state to produce an African-American university graduate, Alexander Twilight, in 1823.
With a population of less than nine thousand people, Montpelier is the smallest state capital in the US. It is also the only US state capital without a McDonalds.
Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the US, producing over 500,000 gallons a year. Something to consider the next time you eat pancakes – it takes about 40 years for a sugar maple to grow large enough (at least 10 inches in diameter) to tap. Then it takes some 40 gallons of sap to produce a single gallon of syrup!
Vermont is America's No. 1 producer of marble and No. 2 producer of talc.
Some people joke that Vermont has more dairy cows than people – not true. It has one cow for every 3.8 people, which is still the nation's highest ratio of cows to people. (Milk is Vermont's #1 farm product)
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream company gives their ice cream waste to the local Vermont farmers who use it to feed their hogs. The hogs seem to like all of the flavors except Mint Oreo.
Vermont does not sell alcohol to out of state licenses, you must have a liquor ID in order to purchase alcohol at liquor stores and grocery stores. This doesn't apply to bars but can affect those traveling through the state.
Rudyard Kipling, living in Vermont in the 1890s, invented the game of snow golf.
Lake Champlain, located primarily in Vermont with parts in New York and Quebec, isn't as big as the Great Lakes but – according to legend - it does have its own monster! Champ is said to be friendly, 20 to 80 feet long, and have a head like either a snake or a dog. The most famous photo of him was taken in 1977.
According to a 2013 Gallup Poll, Vermont is the least religious state in the US. Only 22% of the respondents said they consider religion important and regularly attend religious services.
Billboard advertising is illegal in Vermont.
The first Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream store opened in Burlington, VT in 1978.
In 2005, visitors made an estimated 13.4 million trips to the state, spending $1.57 billion. In 2012, fall accounted for $460 million of income, about one-quarter of all tourism.
Notable Residents
US Presidents Chester A. Arthur and Calvin Coolidge were born in Vermont. Chester A. Arthur was an attorney and politician that served as the 21st president of the United States. Previously, the 20th vice president, he succeeded to the presidency upon the death of James A. Garfield in September 1881. Arthur served as President from September 20, 1881 to March 4, 1885. Calvin Coolidge was a politician and lawyer who served as the 30th president of the United States. Previously Governor of Vermont, Coolidge was elected as the 29th vice president and succeeded to the presidency upon the sudden death of Warren G. Harding in 1923. Elected in his own right in 1924, Coolidge serviced from August 2, 1923 to March 4, 1929. Calvin Coolidge was the only president born on the fourth of July. Born 7/4/1872.
Bernie Sanders, the junior Senator from Vermont, unsuccessfully sought the US Presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020. Sanders has been a US Senator for Vermont since 2007. Prior to that, he served as a US Representative from 1991 to 2007. Sanders is the longest serving Independent in US Congressional history.
Well-known people from Vermont include Authors: Chris Bohjalian, Pearl S. Buck, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, John Irving, and Sinclair Lewis; Actors: Tim Daly, Felicity Huffman, and Daphne Zuniga ; Athletes: Suzy "Suzy Chapstick" Chaffee (skier), Kelly Clark (2002 Olympic gold medalist, snowboarding), and Patty Sheehan (golfer, winner of 35 LPGA tournaments). Also from Vermont, Ted Bundy (serial killer), John Deere (inventor), Ida May Fuller (1st recipient of Social Security), and Brigham Young (2nd prophet and president of the Church of Latter Day Saints).
In honor of VERMONT, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:
• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Green," "Monster," "Mountain," or "Fall" in the title or has a cover that is more than 50% green;
• A Mystery/Suspense book which includes a same-sex couple or takes place is a sparsely populated area or the story takes place in the New England region of the United States;
• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's initials (BOTH the first AND last) can be found in VERMONT.
Happy Reading ❤
2bhabeck
Brenda's October 2020 Americana Challenge - Vermont
3 of 3 Complete
In honor of VERMONT, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:
• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Green," "Monster," "Mountain," or "Fall" in the title or has a cover that is more than 50% green;
hunter’s green by phyllis a. Whitney; 10/11/2020; 4 stars
• A Mystery/Suspense book which includes a same-sex couple or takes place is a sparsely populated area or the story takes place in the New England region of the United States;
one by one by ruth ware; takes place at an isolated ski chalet in the French Alps; 10/10/2020; 3 stars
• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's initials (BOTH the first AND last) can be found in VERMONT.
the neon lawyer by victor methos; 10/4/2020; 3.5 stars
3 of 3 Complete
In honor of VERMONT, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:
• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Green," "Monster," "Mountain," or "Fall" in the title or has a cover that is more than 50% green;
hunter’s green by phyllis a. Whitney; 10/11/2020; 4 stars
• A Mystery/Suspense book which includes a same-sex couple or takes place is a sparsely populated area or the story takes place in the New England region of the United States;
one by one by ruth ware; takes place at an isolated ski chalet in the French Alps; 10/10/2020; 3 stars
• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's initials (BOTH the first AND last) can be found in VERMONT.
the neon lawyer by victor methos; 10/4/2020; 3.5 stars
3Sergeirocks
Off to see what I can find for this month, 🙂...
7 October 2020 - The House on Half Moon Street - Alex Reeve 4★s (Cover over 50% green)
7 October 2020 - The House on Half Moon Street - Alex Reeve 4★s (Cover over 50% green)
4Carol420
📌 - ★
3/3
Carol Meets All Types of Cows in Vermont
📌1. A Mystery/Suspense book with "Green," "Monster," "Mountain," or "Fall" in the title or has a cover that is more than 50% green
That Darkness - Lisa Black - 4★
📌2. A Mystery/Suspense book which includes a same-sex couple or takes place is a sparsely populated area or the story takes place in the New England region of the United States;
The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks Josh Lanyon - 4.5★ This one actually met both criteria since the same sex couple lived in Vermont:) I only counted it for one.
📌3. A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's initials (BOTH the first AND last) can be found in VERMONT.
Ice Station - Matthew Reilly - 5★ (M & R)
5gaylebutz
I’m going to read The Second Mouse by Archer Mayor. It takes place in the New England area of the U.S.- Vermont.
6Carol420
Thanks Brenda. I love Vermont. We often vacation there. More cows than people but guess it's like pigs in Iowa:)
11gaylebutz
I finished this yesterday! The Second Mouse by Archer Mayor. It takes place in the New England area of the U.S.- Vermont.
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