Romans Map of Vermont, 1780

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VT State Maps Covens & Mortier Map of Vermont 1780 The first use of "Vermont" on a map.* Shows towns, includes part of New York
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Click on the map above to see a more detailed copy. Original size: 23" x 27"	The images above show the level of detail on this map



*This is a copy of the true "first map to use Vermont," which is the 1778 Map of Vermont by Bernard Romans. We do not have the 1778 Romans Map available for sale at this time.

"Chorographical Map of the Northern Department of North America" Published in 1780 by Covens & Mortier/After Bernard Romans There is not a state that exists today that had more obvious physical boundaries than Vermont and whose eventual shape as a state was pre-determined by them. With the Connecticut River to the east and to the west, 110 mile long Lake Champlain running nearly half the length of the state, no state was so clearly defined early on. Indeed, when Bernard Romans published his "Chorographical Map of the Northern Department of North America" in 1778, in which Vermont is named as a state for the first time, he laid the state out in an almost perfect rendition of Vermont as the state exists today, using the two bodies of water as the east and west boundaries. There is no mistaking Romans' allegiance to the citizens of the newly established Republic of Vermont, who were involved in a bitter struggle to free themselves from New York's aggressive attempt to retain control over the region. He labels the New York land grants as "spurious" and as being "issued to these Princes of Land Jobbers, Moore, Dunmore, Colden and Tryon". The settlers, on the other hand, are recognized as "The inhabitants of the State of Vermont" that now hold their grants "by the triple title of honest purchase, industry of labor and, lately, that of conquest". Romans' exceedingly rare map, of which only 2 copies are known to exist, is renowned for his very odd orientation of the region. Covens and Mortier, A Dutch cartography firm, re-published Romans map in 1780 with no acknowledgement of Romans as the surveyor and publisher of the original map. Such infringement, especially with maps, was common before the U. S. Congress finally passed copyright protection legislation in 1790. Thomas Hasson/Owner - Gulf Brook Fine Art & Antiques, 2014
Origins of the Name “Vermont” Joseph-Andre Senecal, a retired professor at the University of Vermont holds the opinion that the name “Vermont” was coined by one Thomas Young, in an article written in Philadelphia on April 11th, 1777. The term “Green Mountains” had been in use for about five years at that time, and Senecal believes that “Vermont” was Young’s translation of that phrase into French. (vert monts = green mountains) Many New England scholars have postulated that “Vermont” was simply left over from the considerable French presence in the Champlain Valley prior to 1760. This idea has been widely accepted, but there is no tangible connection. Senecal reports not finding “Vermont” in any French documents from that time. Senecal also suggests that Young was honoring Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain boys with the translation, as the term “Green Mountains” had been popularized by that organization.	“Romans” Map of Vermont 1778 The map's author was Bernard Romans, a British naval officer, who was sympathetic to the American cause - and also to Vermont’s desire for independence from New York. On the map he describes the New York land grants as “spurious” and as being “issued to these Princes of Land Jobbers, Moore, Dunmore, Colden, and Tyron”. The Vermont settlers, on the other hand, are recognized as “The inhabitants of the State of Vermont” that now hold their grants “by the triple title of honest purchase, industry of labor and, lately, that of conquest”. Mr. Romans' map was copied and re-issued in 1780 by Covens, Mortier & Covens. Their version is not so rare.