174.  Claims to Western Lands.—­The Confederation seemed to be falling to pieces.  That it did not actually fall to pieces was largely due to the fact that all the states were interested in the settlement of the region northwest of the Ohio River.  It will be well to stop a moment and see how this came about.  Under their old charters Massachusetts, Connecticut, Virginia, Carolina, and Georgia had claims to lands west of the Alleghanies.  Between 1763 and 1776 the British government had paid slight heed to these claims (pp. 75, 89).  But Daniel Boone and other colonists had settled west of the mountains in what are now the states of Kentucky and Tennessee.  When the Revolution began the states having claims to western lands at once put them forward, and New York also claimed a right to about one-half of the disputed territory.  Naturally, the states that had no claims to these lands had quite different views.  The Marylanders, for example, thought that the western lands should be regarded as national territory and used for the common benefit.  Maryland refused to join the Confederation until New York had ceded her claims to the United States, and Virginia had proposed a cession of the territory claimed by her.

[Sidenote:  The states cede their claims to the United States. McMaster, 159-160.]

175.  The Land Cessions.—­In 1784 Virginia gave up her claims to the land northwest of the Ohio River with the exception of certain large tracts which she reserved for her veteran soldiers.  Massachusetts ceded her claims in 1785.  The next year (1786) Connecticut gave up her claims.  But she reserved a large tract of land directly west of Pennsylvania.  This was called the Connecticut Reserve or, more often, the Western Reserve.  South Carolina and North Carolina ceded their lands in 1787 and 1790, and finally Georgia gave up her claims to western lands in 1802.

[Sidenote:  Reasons for the ordinance.]

[Sidenote:  Passage of Ordinance of 1787. McMaster, 160-162; Source-Book, 169-172.]

[Sidenote:  Passage of Ordinance of 1787. McMaster, 160-162; Source-Book, 169-172.]

176.  Passage of the Ordinance of 1787.—­What should be done with the lands which in this way had come into the possession of the people of all the states?  It was quite impossible to divide these lands among the people of the thirteen states.  They never could have agreed as to the amount due to each state.  In 1785 Congress took the first step.  It passed a law or an ordinance for the government of the Territory Northwest of the Ohio River.  This ordinance was imperfect, and few persons emigrated to the West.  There were many persons who wished to emigrate from the old states to the new region.  But they were unwilling to go unless they felt sure that they would not be treated by Congress as the British government had treated the people of the original states.  Dr. Cutler of Massachusetts laid these matters before Congress and did his work so well that Congress passed a new ordinance.  This was in 1787.  The ordinance is therefore called the Ordinance of 1787.  It was so well suited to its purpose that nearly all the territories of the United States have been settled and governed under its provisions.  It will be well to study this great document more at length.