Vermont Probate Records, 1770-1790 http://www.emory.edu/HISTORY/BELLESILES/new.Vermont.html This region was known by several names, and was claimed by New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and itself. It became an independent republic in 1777, holding that status in opposition to its neighboring states, the United States, and Great Britain until 1791, when it joined the United States as the fourteenth state.