which Texas claimed when admitted to the Union. This land is now included in the States of Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. (See fig. 14.)

TERRITORY NORTHWEST OF THE OHIO RIVER

The territory north of the Ohio was bounded on the west by the Mississippi and a line running north from its source to the international boundary, on the north by the boundary line between the United States and the British possessions, on the east by the Pennsylvania and New York State lines, and on the south by the Ohio River. (See fig. 10.) It comprised an area of approximately 278,000 square miles. It was made up of claims of individual States as follows: 76 1. Virginia claims, which consisted of all the territory west of Pennsylvania and north of the Ohio to the 41st parallel of north latitude, and above that her claim by capture as far as the northern limits of the land under the Crown which had been subject to the jurisdiction of the Province of Quebec and as far as Lakes Michigan and Huron.

2. The claim of Connecticut, which extended from the 41st parallel northward to the parallel of 42° 2′ and from the west line of Pennsylvania to the Mississippi River.

3. The claim of Massachusetts, which extended from the north line of the Connecticut claim above noted to latitude 43° 43′ 12′′ N. and from the western boundary of New York to the Mississippi.

4. The belt or zone lying north of the Massachusetts claim, extending thence to the Canada line and west to the Mississippi River, obtained from Great Britain by the treaty of peace of September 3, 1783, became public domain after the Virginia cession.

5. At the time of the cession by the State of Virginia both Massachusetts and New York claimed the Erie triangle of about 324 square miles, which was subsequently bought by Pennsylvania and added to that State (p. 124).

From this territory were formed the States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, that part of Minnesota east of the Mississippi River, and the northwest corner of Pennsylvania.

On July 13, 1787, a bill for its provisional division into not less than three nor more than five States was passed by Congress. In this bill the limits of the proposed States were defined, corresponding in their north and south lines to the present boundaries of Ohio,

76 Donaldson, Thomas, op. cit., p. 161.

Illinois, and Indiana. The following extract gives the text of the ordinance defining these boundaries: 77

ARTICLE 5. There shall be formed in the said territory, not less than three nor more than five States; and the boundaries of the States, as soon as Virginia shall alter her act of cession, and consent to the same, shall become fixed and established as follows, to wit: the western State in said territory shall be bounded by the Mississippi, the Ohio, and the Wabash rivers; a direct line drawn from the Wabash and Post Vincents due north to the territorial line between the United States and Canada; and by the said territorial line to the Lake of the Woods and Mississippi. The middle State shall be bounded by the said direct line, the Wabash, from Post Vincents to the Ohio, by the Ohio, by a direct line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami to the said territorial line, and by the said territorial line. The eastern State shall be bounded by the last-mentioned direct line, the Ohio, Pennsylvania, and the said territorial line: Provided, however, And it is further understood and declared, that the boundaries of these three States shall be subject so far to be altered, that, if Congress shall hereafter find it expedient, they shall have authority to form one or two States in that part of the said territory which lies north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan.

Apparently this ordinance was not put in force until a provisional government was instituted by the appointment of a governor and secretary on February 1, 1788.

By act of May 7, 1800, Congress divided the "territory northwest of the Ohio " into two separate governments and ordered

that all that part of the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio river, which lies to the westward of a line beginning at the Ohio, opposite to the mouth of Kentucky river, and running thence to Fort Recovery, and thence north until it shall intersect the territorial line between the United States and Canada, shall, for the purposes of temporary government constitute a separate territory, and be called the Indiana Territory.

The eastern portion was called the "territory northwest of the River Ohio," and and a large part of it was admitted to the Union in 1802 78 as the State of Ohio. The remainder was added to Indiana Territory. (See fig. 16.)

In 1805 all that part of Indiana Territory lying north of a parallel drawn through the most southerly bend of Lake Michigan and east of a line drawn from the same point through the middle of Lake Michigan and north to the Canadian line became the Territory of Michigan. (See fig. 17.)

"Donaldson, Thomas, op. cit., p. 155. For a plan with maps, proposed by a committee of which Jefferson was chairman, for the subdivision of the territory northwest of the Ohio, which was practically adopted by Congress in 1784, see Wisconsin Hist. Coll., vol. 2, p. 452, Madison, 1888. See also Smith, W. H., The St. Clair papers, vol. 2, p. 603, Appendix 1 (Force, Peter, The ordinance of 1787 and its history). Cincinnati, 1882; for text of the ordinance, see Poore, Ben Perley, Federal and State constitutions, etc., pt. 1, p. 429, 1877.

There is some uncertainty regarding this date. See footnote 30, p. 187.

By act of February 3, 1809, Indiana Territory was again divided, and the Territory of Illinois was created from the part lying west of the Wabash River and a meridian running through the city of Vincennes, extending thence to the Canada line.

On December 11, 1816, Indiana was admitted to the Union as a State, with its boundaries defined as at present, and on December 3, 1818, Illinois was likewise admitted.

The act of June 28, 1834, added to the Territory of Michigan a portion of the Missouri River drainage basin as far west as the White Earth River and north to the 49th parallel and included for the first time a part of the drainage basin of the Red River, south of the 49th parallel, under a Territorial government. This addition to Michigan included also a small part of the Louisiana Purchase. (See p. 195 and fig. 17.)

Wisconsin Territory was formed in 1836 from the portion of the Territory of Michigan west of the present State of Michigan. On January 26, 1837, Michigan was admitted into the Union, with its present boundaries. On June 12, 1838, all that portion of Wisconsin Territory lying west of the Mississippi River and a line drawn. due north from its source to the international boundary was made into the Territory of Iowa, and in 1848 Wisconsin was admitted as a State, with its boundaries as at present defined.

The admission of Wisconsin appears to have left the area which is now the northeastern part of Minnesota, lying east of the Mississippi and a line drawn due north from its source, without any government until the formation of Minnesota Territory, in 1849.

TERRITORY SOUTH OF THE OHIO RIVER

The "territory south of the River Ohio," the government of which was provided for by act of Congress approved May 26, 1790, was bounded on the north by the present northern boundary of Tennessee, on the east by the States of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, and on the west by the Mississippi River. It included besides the Tennessee area nominal possessions to the 31st parallel. The cessions that made up this region are as follows:

1. The area ceded by North Carolina was described as extending from latitude 36° 30′ N. (since found to be 36° 33') southward to 35° and from the western boundary line of the present State to the Mississippi River. This is now the State of Tennessee.

2. The area ceded by South Carolina formed a belt 12 or 14 miles in width lying south of the 35th parallel and extending from her western boundary to the Mississippi River. It is doubtful whether under the terms of the original charters South Carolina possessed this strip or whether it was included in the possessions of Georgia. (See p. 153.)

3. The area ceded by Georgia comprised most of the territory of the present States of Alabama and Mississippi north of the 31st parallel.

Tennessee was admitted as a State in 1796. In 1798 Congress organized as the Territory of Mississippi a small rectangular area, bounded on the west by the Mississippi River, on the north by a parallel through the mouth of the Yazoo River, on the east by the Chattahoochee River, and on the south by the 31st parallel of north latitude. This area was subsequently enlarged so as to include the whole of what is now Mississippi and Alabama and a strip along the Gulf coast, which was at that time claimed by Spain. In 1817 the Territory was divided, and the eastern portion was made into Alabama Territory. Subsequently the two Territories were admitted as States.

LOUISIANA, THE AREAS FORMERLY BELONGING TO MEXICO,

AND THE OREGON REGION

The Louisiana Purchase was effected in 1803. In 1804 the region thus obtained was divided into two parts; the southern was organized as Orleans Territory, and the remainder was called the District of Louisiana. The State of Louisiana, comprising most of the Territory of Orleans, was admitted to the Union in 1812. In the same year it was enlarged by the addition of the area lying between the Mississippi and Pearl Rivers, in the southeastern part, and the name of the District of Louisiana was changed to the Territory of Missouri. (See fig. 18.) In 1819 Arkansaw Territory was created, and in 1836 it was admitted as a State. (The State name was spelled with an "s" in place of the final "w.")

In 1821 the State of Missouri was formed from another portion of the Territory of Missouri, and in 1836 the boundaries of the State were extended to their present limits. In 1834 that part of this Territory lying north of the State of Missouri and east of the Missouri and White Earth Rivers was attached to the Territory of Michigan. (See fig. 17.) In 1836 this portion became part of the Wisconsin Territory. In 1838 it became part of the Territory of Iowa. In 1846 the State of Iowa was created, and in 1849 the remainder of the Iowa Territory was organized as the Territory of Minnesota. Minnesota was admitted as a State on May 11, 1858, with its present boundaries.

Indian Territory (unorganized) was set apart by act of June 30, 1834, and described as follows 79 (see fig. 21):

all that part of the United States west of the Mississippi, and not within the States of Missouri and Louisiana, or the Territory of Arkansas

be taken and deemed to be Indian country.

79 4 Stat. L. 729, 733.

shall

Apparently this covered a large part of the area previously designated Territory of Missouri, but for judicial control the same act restricted the area to that commonly known as Indian Territory and bounded on the north by the north line of lands assigned to the Osage tribe of Indians, produced east to the State of Missouri; west by the Mexican possessions (100th meridian); south by the Red River; and east by the line of the Territory of Arkansas and the State of Missouri.80

While the cessions by the States and the Louisiana region were being subdivided Texas was admitted to the Union, and by the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo and the Gadsden Purchase the United States acquired from Mexico the area west of the northern part of Texas and south of the 42d parallel. In the same period the northern boundary had been established on the 49th parallel to the Pacific Ocean.

Out of the great western region thus acquired were carved the following Territories: 81

The Territory of Oregon, formed in 1848, extended from latitude 49° N., southward to latitude 42° and from the Pacific Ocean east to the summit of the Rocky Mountains. (See fig. 26.)

California was admitted as a State in 1850 with the same limits which it possesses at present.

The Territory of Utah, formed in 1850 (see fig. 24), extended from the 42d parallel southward to the 37th and from the California boundary line eastward to the Rocky Mountains.

The Territory of New Mexico comprised all the country lying south of Utah to the boundary lines of Texas and Mexico and from the California boundary eastward to the boundary of Texas. (See fig. 22.)

The Territory of Nebraska, formed from Missouri Territory in 1854, comprised the country from the 49th parallel to the 40th and from the Missouri and White Earth Rivers westward to the summit of the Rocky Mountains. (See fig. 20.)

The Territory of Kansas, formed by the same act as Nebraska, comprised the country extending from Missouri westward to the boundary of New Mexico and Utah and from the south boundary of Nebraska to the 37th parallel.

The Territory of Washington was formed in 1853 from a part of Oregon, its southern boundary being the Columbia River and the

80 Royce, C. C., Indian land cessions in the United States: Bur. Am. Ethnology Eighteenth Ann. Rept., pt. 2, 1899 (56th Cong., 1st sess., H. Doc. 736, 1899).

81 For an outline of historical events relating to the organization of States west of the Mississippi and settlement of their boundaries, see Higgins, R. L., The development of trans-Mississippi political geography: Iowa Jour. Hist. and Politics, vol. 21, pp. 397-455, 1923. For titles of manuscripts and published papers relating to the Territories, see Calendar of papers in Washington archives relating to the Territories of the United States, Carnegie Inst. Washington, 1911.