United States History Student Edition

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Land Ordinance of 1785 In the Treaty of Paris, Britain ceded lands lying to the west of its former colonies to the new United States. The area to the north and west of the Ohio River was rich in forests, fertile land, and other resources. Congress passed the Land Ordinance of 1785 to set up a system for dividing and selling this land. This excerpt from the law explains how the government planned to reserve portions of the land and resources for specific uses. United States out of every township , the four lots, being numbered 8, 11, 26, 29, and out of every fractional part of a township, so many lots of the same numbers as shall be found thereon, for future sale. There shall be reserved the lot N 16, of every township, for the maintenance of public schools, within the said township; also one third part of all gold, silver, lead and copper mines, to be sold, or otherwise disposed of as Congress shall hereafter direct. ” — from Land Ordinance of 1785 , May 20, 1785 EXAMINE THE SOURCE 1. Explaining Besides the sales of land, how does this portion of the law provide for the public good? 2. Inferring What specific resources are discussed in the law? Why might those resources have been important during this period? PRIMARY SOURCE: LEGISLATION “ There shall be reserved for the township a division of a county

A Surveyor Describes the Northwest Territory After passing the Land Ordinance of 1785, Congress sent surveyors to inspect the Northwest Territory. A member of the team named Benjamin Tupper wrote to George Washington to describe his experiences in and thoughts about the region. PRIMARY SOURCE: LETTER “ We have just returned to this place from an unsucessful attempt to Survey the Western Territory. … I am greatly charmed with the Country, it exceeds any I ever saw, and I know of nothing that will prevent me Commenceing one of the first adventurers in that delightfull Country—I intend on my return to Consult with General Putnam and no doubt we shall fall upon some plan to engage a number of our friends to join in a scheme so interesting as that of settling in that Garden of America—One thing which will induce me to settle in that Country is, that your Excellency promise to honour us with a visit which I shall set more by than the Interest I possess in Massetchusetts. ” —from To George Washington From Benjamin Tupper, October 26, 1785 EXAMINE THE SOURCE 1. Explaining In his letter, Tupper refers to “an unsucessful attempt to Survey the Western Territory.” Tupper’s group was unsuccessful because it was driven back by Native Americans. Based on the excerpt, does the writer appear concerned about Native Americans in the new territory? What does this tell you about the relations between Native Americans and whites? 2. Analyzing How does the writer feel about the opportunities offered by the new territory? What language does he use to reveal his feelings? commence to begin induce to persuade

(l)Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789, ed. Worthington C. Ford et al. (Washington, D.C., 1904-37), 28:378; (r)“To George Washington from Benjamin Tupper, 26 October 1785,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives. gov/documents/Washington/04-03-02-0286. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Confederation Series, vol. 3, 19 May 1785–31 March 1786, ed. W. W. Abbot. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1994, pp. 323–324.]

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