Vermont became the 14th U.S. state in 1791 and was the first state admitted after the original thirteen.
Vermont entered the Union on March 4, 1791, after Congress approved its admission. Before statehood, the area had been disputed by New York and New Hampshire and operated as the independent Vermont Republic from 1777 to 1791.
New York’s legislature agreed to Vermont’s admission after a boundary and land-claims settlement. Vermont paid New York $30,000 to resolve claims connected with competing land grants. A Vermont convention then voted 105–4 to petition Congress for admission.
Kentucky followed later in 1792 and is often confused with Vermont because Congress authorized Kentucky’s admission before Vermont’s. Vermont nevertheless became the 14th state first because its admission took effect on March 4, 1791, while Kentucky’s took effect on June 1, 1792.