Reverend Dr. Peters was the first to call Vermont the Green Mountain State during an address in 1761. While he is the established reason for Green Mountain State becoming the state’s nickname, the word Vermont actually comes from the French for “green mountain,” verd mont. This name was given to the state by Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer who visited Vermont in 1609. It appeared on a map in 1647, after Champlain’s death, which may have been the cause for Reverend Dr. Peters to use it during his famous address. Technically speaking, the name Green Mountain State really comes from the fact that the Green Mountains run down the entire length of the state.

Samuel de Champlain was born in France in 1567, and became an explorer in his later life. He is responsible for many of the French settlements in Canada, including Quebec. During his lifetime, the French were colonizing many areas in the New World and had started the process of mapping North America. Champlain discovered the area that would later comprise the state of Vermont around 1609. He named the region Verd Mont on his map because of its green mountains.

Over 100 years after the area was discovered by Champlain and named on his map as Verd Mont, or "Green Mountain," the clergyman Reverend Dr. Peters became the first person to call Vermont the Green Mountain State. Peters was the first clergyman to ever visit the state, and while there, gave an address on top of a mountain in October of 1761. He stood on a rock during the ceremony, and used the name Green Mountain State in front of several colonial leaders of the time.

The name Green Mountain State quickly gained popularity as a nickname for Vermont, and has remained so throughout the subsequent years. It has appeared on a wide variety of Vermont paraphernalia. In fact, the nickname is so well established that it has adorned many Vermont license plate designs.

While Samuel Champlain and Reverend Dr. Peters were responsible for the nickname Green Mountain State, they were inspired by the range of beautiful mountains in the area. The Green Mountains are a part of the Appalachian Mountains. They run down the length of Vermont, from the Canadian border down to Massachusetts, and are believed to be over 400 million years old. The beauty they bring to the region makes the nickname quite apt.