| Ira Allen  Born: 21-Apr-1751
Birthplace: Cornwall, CT
Died: 4-Jan-1814
Location of death: Philadelphia, PA
Cause of death: unspecified
Remains: Buried, Wetherills Cemetery, Audubon, PA
Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Occupation: Military, Educator Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Founder of the University of Vermont Ethan Allen's youngest brother, Ira Allen was born on the 21st of April 1751 at Cornwall, Connecticut, also removed to the New Hampshire Grants, where he became one of the most influential political leaders. In 1775 he took part in the capture of Ticonderoga and the invasion of Canada. He was a member of the convention which met at Winchester, Vermont, and in January 1777 declared the independence of the New Hampshire Grants; served (1776-1786) as a member of the Vermont council of safety; conducted negotiations, on behalf of Vermont, for a truce with the British and for an exchange of prisoners, in 1781; served for eight terms in the general assembly, and was state treasurer from 1778 to 1786 and surveyor-general from 1778 to 1787. In 1789, by a gift of £4000, he made possible the establishment of the university of Vermont, of which institution, chartered in 1791 and built at Burlington in deference to his wishes, he was thus virtually the founder. In 1795, on behalf of the state, he purchased from the French government arms for the Vermont militia, of which he was then the ranking major-general, but he was captured by a British cruiser west of Ireland on his return journey, was charged with attempting to furnish insurrectionary Irish with arms, and after prolonged litigation in the British courts, the case not being finally decided until 1804, returned to Vermont in 1801. During his absence he had been dispossessed of his large holdings of land through the operation of tax laws, and to escape imprisonment for debt, he removed to Philadelphia, where on the 4th of January 1814 he died. He published a dull and biased, but useful Natural and Political History of Vermont (1798). Brother: Ethan Allen (Green Mountain Boys)
Administrator: Founder, University of Vermont
Treasurer of Vermont (1778-86)
Is the subject of books:
Ira Allen: Founder of Vermont, 1751-1814, 1928, BY: James Benjamin Wilbur, DETAILS: (2 vols.)
Author of books:
Natural and Political History of Vermont (1798, history)
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