The New Nation Geographical Conundrums 1780s – 1820s (more or less) Chapter 7 (sort of)

Sequence of Topics Background – 1763 –1763: Treaty of Paris (Proclamation Line) –1783: Treaty of Paris (Trans-Appalachia) Land Ownership –Claims in the West –Public Domain and survey system –Indian Lands ( a minor inconvenience) Growing Population Infrastructure –Roads and canals –Topography and geography Admission of States

Map_pre1763

French and Indian War

1770 – Colonial settlement

1770 – colonial economy

1783 – Peace conference Territorial Implications – USA and the three Euro powers all maneuvering: 1)US and Spain both desired Trans-appalachia country 2)French came in with no claims – just wanted to pound on the Brits! 3)Critical – 25,000 American settlers in the “West” (Kentucky) – not to be overlooked. 4)E.g. – three/way split

Mitchell Maps

Northern Boundary

Boundaries

Mississippi River

So – now what? Nation covers half the continent Good time for a mid-term exam 25,000+ settlers in Kentucky The rest? - empty Native Americans – an inconvenience

Need policies to: –settle –develop –secure and protect

Northwest Ordinance of 1787 Public Domain – much bigger story today in the American West Greatest legacy of Continental Congress –1) system of government in the territories, and process to become states –2) validated the system for syrveying and selling the land –(Note: in colonies – disposal of land before or after survey) Applied initially to area north of Ohio River Result today “Patterns on the Land” Statement of Indian Policy (Warm Springs)Warm Springs

Background Demands of Revolutionary War veterans National indebtedness – 67% of federal income to service the debt Revision of earlier versions – quite a sequence of proposals actually E.g……..

Colonies of John Wright

Proposed states

Jefferson Plan

French Long Lots

…same

Metes & Bounds

Rectangular Survey System Ordinary “miles” Township and Range system ( 6 mi. X 6 mi.) 36 sections in each township Surveyed according to “magnetic” north (laer revised by Congress) Surveyed prior to sale!! First application – Ohio River country: prepare a wilderness for sale to American citizens – Wow!

Ohio Surveys

Ohio N/S Lines not true See county lines now Indian troubles –Shawnee, degeated by Gen. Mad Anthony Wayne at Battle of the Fallen Timbers –Convergence problem

Great American Checkerboard

Survey - East

NW Ordinance (again) Confirmed this survey system Territorial administration Creating states –3 to 5 states in “Old” Northwest –60,000 population to apply for statehood By 1804 – all trans-mountain area to the Mississippi was laid out as states or territories

State/Territory Growth

Indian Land Cessions Congress sole authority to make deals 100’s of treaties See figure 7.3 in your text