NAME DATE CLASS netw rks
Geography and History Activity
A More Perfect Union
Lesson 1 The Articles of Confederation
Settlement of Northwest Territory
Until the 1800s, when people spoke of “the West” they meant lands between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. Lands beyond the Mississippi were still claimed by foreign powers. By the 1780s, 8 of the 13 original states had explored and laid claim to various territories east of the Mississippi River.
Disputed
Vt. Claimed
by N.Y., N.H. N.H.
and Mass.
CANADA
(Britain)
Th
eO
Conn.
Western
Reserve
ld
No
r th
es
R.
Spain Claimed
1795; Georgia
to 1802
NS
MT
AN
Virginia
Md.
N
E
W
N.J.
Del.
.
io
Oh
Georgia ceded
1802
A PP
ALA
C HI
Ky.
Tenn.
Conn.
t
ceded 1784
SC ceded 1787
Louisiana
(Spain)
Pa.
Ct ceded 1786
Virginia ceded 1792
NC ceded 1790
New
York
w
nia
pi
i s si p R .
rg i
M iss
Vi
Mass.
ceded 1785
Maine
(claimed by Mass.)
Mass.
R.I.
S
ATL AN T I C
O CE AN
N.C.
S.C.
Ga.
Original 13 states
Western land claims
Florida
(Spain)
RESG
and Landed States
ChapterLandless
7
Map Title:
Western
Land
Claims
of the Originial 13 States
The eight states claiming land in the West were called “landed” states. File Name: C7_GeogHist_L1_01A.ai
(The map does not show the claims of New York, which included parts Map Size:
39p6 wide x 20p0 deep
of present-day Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Date/Proof:
March 2, 2011 - 2nd Proof
Notes:
and Virginia.) Because the future sale of western lands made the landed states potentially rich, they had an advantage over the five “landless” states (those without land claims in the West). The landless states feared they would lose population to the landed states.
To make matters worse, individual claims to western lands were made according to the unclear wording in each state’s old colonial charter. Some land claims overlapped each other. Meanwhile, thousands of settlers were crossing the Appalachian Mountains into these areas. As their numbers increased, the potential for conflict over land grew.
Copyright by The McGraw-Hill Companies.
DOPA (Discovering our Past - American History)
NAME DATE Geography and History Activity Cont.
CLASS netw rks
A More Perfect Union
The Confederation government realized that the first step to solving the
land ownership problems was to persuade the landed states to give up
control of their western claims to the central government. Although it
took almost 20 years, the landed states agreed.
The Ordinances Ease the Way
When states gave up their claims to their western lands, it created the
need for an orderly, fair system to prepare territories for statehood.
Congress passed the Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. The Ordinance of 1785 required the government to survey and
evenly divide the western land north of the Ohio River before selling the
land. After being surveyed, the land was divided into townships; the
townships were divided into smaller parcels.
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 created a single Northwest Territory
out of the lands north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River.
The ordinance also laid out a system based on population for eventually
dividing the Northwest Territory into three to five states.
Understanding the Concept
Directions Answer the following questions in the spaces
provided.
Landed States
Landless States
2. Analyzing Visuals Which of the “landed” states laid claims to
western lands that extended from their own established borders?
Copyright by The McGraw-Hill Companies.
1. Identifying Which of the original states were “landed”
states? Landless states?
NAME DATE Geography and History Activity Cont.
CLASS netw rks
A More Perfect Union
Applying the Concept
3. Determining Cause and Effect Why would the states
dispute each others’ claims to western territories?
4. Drawing Conclusions Why was there a need for the
landed states to give up their claims?
5. Making Generalizations What did both the Ordinance of
1785 and the Northwest ordinance provide?
Copyright by The McGraw-Hill Companies.