Episode # 25 – The Vermont Republic and Slavery – January, 1777

Constitutional scholar Craig Beles joins Vashon250 to discuss the emergence of the Vermont Republic and its constitution that prohibited slavery. The inherent contradictions of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution to address the issue of slavery during a struggle for independence and freedom is central to understanding America. Similar contradictions on Vashon about ethnic, social, and racial diversity have helped to define the emerging island community.