Vermont

Vermont is one of the original 13 Colonies that was not one of the original 13 Colonies (Maine is the other one of the Mark and Luke of states). Officially Vermont is the 14th state and if you go check out the reverse of the Vermont quarter issued in 2001 you will see a sugar maple being tapped. When you get to the first chapter in Ann Heinrichs' "Vermont" for the America the Beautiful series you will see pictures of a sugar maple and the tapping of maple trees to collect sap. So, this is the third volume in this series I have checked out and the streak of having the first color picture in these books show the same thing as the state's quarter is intact. What more proof would you need than that to prove that something was iconic? After the introduction the next three chapters are devoted to the history of Vermont. Chapter Two, "Out of the Wilderness" begins with the native of the Algonquin language group that settled the area and ends with Vermont becoming a state after the American Revolution. Chapter Three, "Growing Up," covers the 19th-century including native son Chester A. Arthur becoming the 21st President. Chapter Four, "Into the Modern Age," details the 20th century, when Calvin Coolidge became the 30th President. After the chapters on Vermont history the rest of the book covers the standard areas of a geography course. Chapter Five, "The Abundant Land" deals with geographical features, including the majestic old sugar maple in Dorset known as the Spirit of American that may be 400 years old, and Vermont's flora and fauna. Chapter Six, "Hills and Valleys, Villages and Towns," divides the state into the Northeast Kingdom, Central Vermont (home of the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe), the largest city of Burlington, Lake Champlain and the Lower Champlain Valley, the Western Slopes, and the Southeast. This is Heinrichs' best chapter, because you get a clear sense of how a state that is only 6,615 square miles in total area can have so many distinct geographical regions. Chapter Seven, "Democracy at Work," is about the state's politics, such as the Freeman's Oath that all Vermont voters have to make and including all of the State symbols, from the State bird (Hermit thrush) and State tree (Sugar maple) to the State beverage (Milk) and State mineral (Talc). You also get the words to "These Green Mountains," Vermont's State Song since 1999. Vermont's economy is covered in Chapter Eight, "Making a Living," where you can add Ben & Jerry's ice cream to maple syrup as the most important things sold. Plus, Vermont was the last state to let Wal-Mart build a store and it was on the state's terms: it had to be in a city shopping center. Chapter Nine, "People Who Built Vermont," looks at the state's population, while Chapter Ten, "Food for the Soul," covers the cultural aspects of the state, from the poetry of Robert Frost and the paintings of Norman Rockwell to all the fun things to do on snow. This look at "Vermont" is filled with f