Congress passes a law <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admission_to_the_Union" id="mwTg" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Admission to the Union">admitting</a> the state of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont" id="mwTw" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Vermont">Vermont</a> to the Union, effective 4 March, after that state had existed for 14 years as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont_Republic" id="mwUA" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Vermont Republic">a de facto independent largely unrecognized state</a>.