Humans lived alongside the Vaud lakes in prehistoric times. Later, the
Celtic tribe of the
Helvetii inhabited the area.
Caesar's troops defeated the Helvetii in 58 BC and as a consequence the
Romans settled in the area. The many towns established by the Romans include
Vevey () and Lausanne (
Lausonium or
Lausonna). While the exact date of the founding of Aventicum is not exact, it was likely established during or shortly after Augustus' reign. There are still many Roman remains around the town today. Between the 2nd and the 4th centuries
Alemannic tribes repeatedly invaded the area, and in the 5th century the
Burgundians occupied the territory. The
Merovingian Franks later replaced the Burgundians. Their control did not last long either, and in 888 the area of the canton of Vaud became part of the
Carolingian Empire (the successor state to the Merovingians). In 1032 the
Zähringens of Germany defeated the Burgundians. The Zähringens themselves were succeeded in 1218 by the counts of
Savoy. It was only under the counts of Savoy that the area gained political unity as the
Barony of Vaud. A part stretching from
Attalens to the river
Sarine, in the north, was absorbed by the canton of Fribourg. during the 15th century,
Château Saint-Maire has been the seat of the cantonal government since 1803. As the power of the
House of Savoy declined at the beginning of the 15th century, troops from
Bern occupied the land. By 1536 Bern had completely annexed the area. Vaud's
Protestant Reformation started with co-workers of
John Calvin like
Pierre Viret (a famous debate took place at the cathedral of Lausanne), but it was only decisively implemented when Bern put its full force behind it. The Bernese occupiers were not popular amongst the population. In 1723 Major
Abraham Davel led a revolt against Bern, in protest at what he saw as the denial of political rights of the French-speaking Vaudois by the German-speaking Bernese; he was subsequently beheaded. Later, inspired by the
French Revolution of 1789–1799, the Vaudois drove out the Bernese governor in 1798 and declared the
Lemanic Republic. Vaud nationalists like
Frédéric-César de La Harpe, born in Rolle, had called for French intervention in liberating the area, and French Revolutionary troops moved in, taking over the whole of Switzerland itself in the process and setting up the
Helvetic Republic. Under
Napoleon I (Emperor 1804–1815), Vaud became (1798–1803) the
canton of Léman. Unrest about the abolition of
feudal rights and taxes led to increased discontent, which culminated in the revolt of the
Bourla-papey in spring 1802, closely followed by the
Stecklikrieg (August to October 1802) that brought the end of the entire Helvetic Republic in 1803. In 1803 Vaud joined the re-installed
Swiss Confederation. In spite of Bernese attempts to reclaim Vaud, it has remained a sovereign canton ever since. In the 19th century, the canton of Vaud was an outspoken opponent of the
Sonderbund Catholic separatist movement, which led to intervention by 99,000 Swiss Federal troops under General
Henri Dufour against 79,000 separatists, in the Sonderbund War (November 1847). Separation was prevented at the cost of very few lives. The current cantonal constitution dates from 14 April 2003, replacing the constitution of 1885. ==Geography==