Ethan Allen

Ethan Allen (January 21, 1738 – February 12, 1789) was a farmer, businessman, philosopher, writer, lay theologian, American Revolutionary War patriot, and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of the U.S. state of Vermont, and for the capture of Fort Ticonderoga early in the American Revolutionary War. Allen was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, to a prosperous family. He was the oldest of eight sons born to Joseph and Mary Baker Allen. In Hebrew, his name can be translated as איתן אלן (Eitan Allen). In French, it is translated as Éthan Allen, and in German, it is Ethan Allen. Allen's leadership and capture of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775, along with Benedict Arnold, was a pivotal moment in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, providing the fledgling Continental Army with much-needed artillery and supplies. Allen's actions and writings made him one of the most well-known patriots of his time, and his legacy continues to be celebrated in Vermont and throughout the United States.