The Northwest Territory |
The Land Won in the French and Indian WarIn the 1750's, both France and England made claims to the land now known as the Ohio River Valley. In 1754, hostilities over the ownership of this land resulted in the Seven Years War, also called the French and Indian War. Despite the name, the war lasted nine years and the British eventually defeated the French and their Indian allies. The French were subsequently forced to give up all of their land claims in North America, which included much of the land west of the 13 colonies east of the Mississippi River. Although the British crown attempted to restrict settlement on these lands as part of the Proclamation of 1763 (because of the vast Indian presence in those lands,) Virginia, Massachusetts, and other colonies claimed parts of these lands, known collectively as the Northwest Territory. Other colonies such as North Carolina and Georgia claimed lands south of the Northwest Territory. The Proclamation of 1763 was never enforced by the British crown and settlements in present-day Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois were erected causing hostilities between the settlers and local Indians to intensify. New States are CarvedFollowing the Revolutionary War, Great Britain ceded the lands to the United States (although they maintained a presence in the region until the War of 1812.) Power disputes between the former colonies escalated concerning the lands to the west, and some states refused to ratify the Articles of Confederation (the 1st American Constitution) if the land claims of Virginia, Massachusetts, and other states were recognized. The United States henceforth required those states to cede their lands before they could obtain ratification and the entirety of the land became public land owned by the U.S. Government. In 1792, Kentucky was admitted to the United States, followed by Tennessee four years later. In 1803, the state of Ohio was carved from the Northwest Territory, followed by the Indiana Territory, which would eventually be sub-divided into (or into parts of) the Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin Territories. The Land Won in the French and Indian WarIn the 1750s, France and England both claimed the Ohio River Valley. In 1754, this led to the French and Indian War, which ended with Britain defeating France and taking control of all French land in North America east of the Mississippi River. Although Britain tried to block settlement in these lands with the Proclamation of 1763 due to Native American presence, many colonies ignored it. Colonies like Virginia and Massachusetts claimed land in the Northwest Territory, and settlers began moving into areas like Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, leading to conflicts with Native tribes. New States are CarvedAfter the Revolutionary War, Britain gave the land to the United States, but tensions grew over which states owned it. To approve the Articles of Confederation, the U.S. required states to give up their western claims, making the land public property. Kentucky became a state in 1792, followed by Tennessee in 1796. In 1803, Ohio became the first state from the Northwest Territory, and later the Indiana Territory was divided to form parts of Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. |
