“a hard book to put down and
when you do you keep on thinking…” - Melinda Moulton
“a rollicking political and social history of Vermont…”
- Sasha Abramsky
“…an engaging read that helps explain what makes Vermont Vermont.
- Seven Days
“an effective and invaluable learning tool…” - Jim DeFilippi
“A fascinating and energetic account of the history of Vermont…” - Susan DeMasi
“For readers new to Vermont history, this book will introduce key figures and important events that helped create the state they know today. For readers steeped in Vermont history, the book’s most rewarding parts will probably come in later chapters, where Guma draws from his decades of reporting to offer insights into some of the major political actors and movements from the late 1960s to the present.”
— Mark Bushnell, Vermont History
Available in bookstores and online
"Vermont has a rich history of humanity who have challenged the status quo and changed the course for the State and in many instances the entire country. If one wonders how Vermont became what it is today — a trailblazer for human rights, climate, income equality, women's reproductive freedom, racial and judicial justice, etc. — read Greg Guma's book. It is all there — with beautiful enticing words that weave together a picture of the Green Mountain State and the humans who scripted and sent forth the progressive movement. It's a hard book to put down and when you do you keep on thinking .....it's a great read and a true assessment of the who, what, when and how Vermont's legacy of social change came to be the blueprint for change admired around the World." — Melinda Moulton, co-founder and CEO of Main Street Landing in Burlington
“Greg Guma has written a rollicking political and social history of Vermont, one of the most fascinating, and least written-about, states in the union. He takes readers on a big journey from the pre-revolutionary years through to Bernie Sanders' runs for the presidency. In between, he introduces larger-than-life figures from the worlds of politics, religion, culture, journalism, industry and array of other areas. He brings to life great political battles in the early years of the Republic, including around Thomas Jefferson's agrarian vision of the country; struggles for regional dominance and relevance with neighboring states; union struggles; tussles between progressives and nativists over Vermont's identity; and the unique politics of a place that some have compared to the US's own version of Switzerland. The result is both a fun read and an authoritative read, delivered by a skilled writer who has immersed himself in Vermont life and politics for decades.” — Sasha Abramsky, journalist and author of The American Way of Poverty
“This book acts as an effective and invaluable learning tool for those of us who think we know the true history of the state of Vermont, as well as for those of us who know we don’t.” — Jim DeFilippi, author of Jesus Burned
Many episodes have also been released on other websites, as well as in live presentations. The project also includes rare photos, dramatic stories and an episode from The Vermont Movie. Latest — Culture War in Bennington; Birth of the NPAs 2017 additions -- Cleaning up the World: Vermont's First Earth Day, Earth Day 1990: Making Peace with the Planet and Dark Shadows in Vermont's Past. Also check out Class Struggle: From Socialism to the American Plan and How Traditions and Values Have Defined the Vermont Way (Green Mountain Noise, 2VR, Spring 2014) Publishing partners include VTDigger, Center for Global Research, Second Vermont Republic, ZNet, and Toward Freedom.
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| PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENTS Monograph available as PDF |
"Serenade in Green"
Green Mountain Politics describes the state’s delicate dance of sovereignty and solidarity, independence and mutual aid. The subtitle refers to the focus on political, economic and social events, trends and personalities. Covering centuries, this transmedia project features unique stories, sketches of key figures, and original analysis that explains how the Vermont Way evolved. The following installments are available:
How Vermont Was Born. ZNet version
Blaming Outiders: Matthew Lyon and the Election of 1800 CGR version
The Road Not Taken (UVM talk) on Video
The Trouble with Sprawl
Progressive Republicans:The Aiken-Gibson Wing
Defeating a Demagogue: How Flanders Took on McCarthy CGR
Waving the Flag in a Culture War
The First Earth Day
Making Peace with the Planet
Vermont's Decentralists: Questioning Authority...
Almost President: The Impossible Dream of Howard Dean
Burlington and Bernie: The Beginning
Birth of the NPAs
Another Realignment: How Progressives Lost City Hall
The Winding Road to Fusion
The Parkway That Never Was
From The Vermont Movie, directed by Nora Jacobson
An illustrated print edition will be released in November 2021, with new insights about influential Vermonters like revolutionary leaders Matthew Lyon and Ethan Allen, Anti-Mason Governor William Palmer and feminist Clarina Nichols; railroad and marble tycoons, anti-slavery activists, major strikes and labor protests; Vermont-born Presidents Chester Arthur and Calvin Coolidge and progressive politicians James Burke and Ernest Gibson; intimate portraits of Governors Phil Hoff, Tom Salmon, Richard Snelling, and Madeleine Kunin, as well as Bernie Sanders, James Jeffords, and Howard Dean. Plus, the Vermonter who rescued America from McCarthy.
See more excepts at VTDigger.org
Video: Vermont Pastoral
