Vermont is an English form of the name that French explorer Samuel de Champlain gave to Vermont's Green Mountains on his 1647 map. He called them "Verd Mont" meaning green mountain.

If there is one word that describes Vermont and its inhabitants, it is "independent". Vermonters have retained that independence by fighting off claims to their territory by neighboring states. The heroics of Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys kept their neighbors at bay, and by 1777 Vermont had drawn up its own constitution as a free and independent state. Further asserting the independent thinking of the state, Vermont became the first state to outlaw slavery. The Georgia state legislature proclaimed that Vermont was so independent that "the whole state should be made into an island and towed out to sea." And even before the United States declared war on Germany, the Vermont legislature did so itself.

The tradition of independence carries on to the present day, as Vermonters continue to jealously guard every person's right to be free thinkers. Amidst the beautiful scenery of Vermont's hills and valleys, individualism and independence remain strong.