Vermont Women, Native Americans & African Americans: Out of the Shadows of History

In the earliest days of America's founding, Vermont stands out: a consitution that banned slavery outright and allowed those without land the right to vote, created a fertile ground for those cast aside in neighboring states--women, native american and african american people--to thrive and to to lead.

Vermont's constitution, drafted in 1777, was one of the most enlightened documents of its time, but in contrast, the history of Vermont has largely been told through the stories of influential white men. This book takes a fresh look at Vermont's history, uncovering hidden stories, from the earliest inhabitants to present-day citizens striving to overcome adversity and be advocates for change. Native Americans struggled to maintain an identity in the state while their land and rights were disappearing. Lucy Terry Prince was the first female African American poet who rose above racism to argue her case before Vermont's governor and won. Educator and historian Cynthia Bittinger unearths these and other inspirational stories of the contributions of women, Native Americans and African Americans to Vermont's history.

About the Author
Bittinger, Cynthia D.: - Cynthia D. Bittinger is on the faculty at the Community College of Vermont, where she teaches Vermont history and previously taught a course on women in United States history. She gives lectures for Road Scholar and OSHER, the Lifelong Learning Institute of the University of Vermont. She was appointed to the Center for Research on Vermont at the University of Vermont. She is a founding member of the Vermont Women's History Project at the Vermont Historical Society. She is a commentator for Vermont Public Radio on Vermont history. Her commentaries on Grace Coolidge won the Edward R. Murrow Award. She was the executive director of the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation in Plymouth, Vermont, for eighteen years and wrote Grace Coolidge, Sudden Star, about Vermont-born Grace Goodhue Coolidge, the First Lady from 1923 to 1929. Bittinger is a graduate of Wheaton College (Massachusetts) and Teachers College, Columbia University.