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Squatters, Speculators, and the Early American West

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Squatters, Speculators, and the Early American West “Landed Republick”: Squatters, Speculators, and the Early American West A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Arts & Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts Joseph T. Ross May 2018 ©2018 Joseph T. Ross. All Rights Reserved. 2 This thesis titled “Landed Republick”: Squatters, Speculators, and the Early American West” by JOSEPH T. ROSS has been approved for the Department of History and the College of Arts & Sciences by Brian Schoen Associate Professor Robert Frank Dean, College of Arts & Sciences 3 ABSTRACT ROSS, JOSEPH T., M.A., May 2018, History “Landed Republick”: Squatters, Speculators, and the Early American West Director of Thesis: Brian Schoen This thesis examines the role that federal land policy played in the settlement and political development of the Northwest Territory from 1780 to 1802. In the waning years of the American Revolution the United States sought to acquire and use the lands of the trans-Appalachian West as a fund for extinguishing its public debt. The claims of the individual states and of Native Americans would be transferred to the United States, which would then exchange those lands for Continental securities. By placing emphasis on public creditors, Congress deliberately ignored the interests of actual settlers, including many who were squatting on these federal lands. At first the Confederation Congress adopted a policy of uniform land sales overseen by the federal government, but with disappointing results. In 1787 Congress decided to privatize western settlement by selling large amounts of land to private companies at a discount, who would then resell the land to actual settlers for a profit. This was also a disappointment, as these land companies experienced a myriad of problems from Native American violence to legal disputes with settlers, all of which had to be solved by the federal government. Prompted by western settlers, including squatters, the federal government resumed the responsibility of western settlement. This thesis also shows how federal power was used to influence local politics. New laws allowed for squatters to negotiate with federal officials over the lands they wanted. One official, Thomas Worthington, used the 4 influence he had in these negotiations to incorporate the squatters into his own political interest. During the statehood movement of 1801-1802, Worthington was able to link this interest to the national Republican Party. The mobilization of his interest and the introduction of partisanship into the movement allowed Worthington to successfully accomplish statehood for Ohio. 5 DEDICATION For my grandfather 6 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Like many of the speculators in this story, I can never repay my debts for this project. Much of the research was conducted while I was an undergraduate at The Ohio State University. I would first like to thank the Ohio State Undergraduate Research Office for a 2014 URO Summer Research Fellowship that helped alleviate the expenses of conducting archival research at the Library of Congress. Numerous archivists at many institutions, too many to name here, have been crucial to providing me access to the sources needed for this work. This includes the staffs of the Library of Congress, the National Archives in Washington, D.C., Western Reserve Historical Society, the Ohio History Connection, and the William L. Clements Library. Pat Madert of the Ross County Historical Society and Linda Showalter at the Marietta College Library deserve special recognition for their enthusiasm for my research and the local knowledge they bestowed upon me. While at Ohio State I had many professors who took care to foster in me an appreciation for historical analysis and who pushed me to be a better historian. Without their care and mentorship, I would not be in the position that I am now. They are Michael Mangus, James Weeks, Nathaniel Swigger, Lucy Murphy, the late Andrew Cayton, and especially my adviser John Brooke. I have been fortunate to find similar professors at Ohio University. The second chapter of this thesis was the basis of a seminar paper I wrote for Chester Pach, whose comments and criticisms helped form it into an article manuscript. Likewise, Sarah Kinkel has been a wonderful teacher and confidant, and her ability to challenge my thoughts and ideas has strengthened my skills as a writer and as a 7 scholar. And of course, there is my current adviser and mentor Brian Schoen, whose attention and interest in my project—despite being so far removed from his own—has convinced me that federal land policy may not be as boring as even I thought. Through engaging conversations, thought-provoking readings, and difficult moments of revisions, Dr. Schoen has pushed me further than I thought I could possibly go. Although there is no doubt that my knowledge and professionalization has benefitted from his guidance, my confidence to be an active and successful member of the academy is the greatest gift he has given me. There have also been many friends and family members outside of school who have helped me conduct my research and keep my sanity along the way. My good friends Megan Walton and Wayne Johnson, as well as my Aunt Patti provided me with room and board on multiple occasions while conducting research in Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Washington. I would also like to thank James O’Neil, Matt McClellan, Cristina Maze, and Devin Ricketson for their kindness and friendship over the years, especially these last two when I needed it the most. And last, I would like to thank my parents and my grandfather, whose continued love and support while I have been a student has kept me going in more ways than I can describe. 8 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………... 3 Dedication………………………………………………………………………………... 5 Acknowledgments………………………………………………………………………... 6 Abbreviations…………………………………………………………………………….. 9 A Note For Readers…………………………………………………………………….. 11 Introduction: The “Landed Republick”………………………………………………… 12 Chapter One: “Public Creditors who are Desirous of Satisfaction of Their Debts”……. 28 Chapter Two: “Strange Doings with Respect to Preemptions”………………………… 62 Epilogue………………………………………………………………………………… 94 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………. 99 9 ABBREVIATIONS Unpublished Sources Cutler Collection — Ephraim Cutler Family Collection, Marietta College Library, Marietta, OH ETSMC — Early Territorial and Statehood Manuscript Collection, Ross County Historical Society, Chillicothe, OH. “Langham’s Charges” — “Testimony relative to Elias Langham’s charges against Thomas Worthington, Supt. of Public Land Sales at Chillicothe,” August 21 to September 17, 1802, TWP, reel 15. May Papers — May Family Papers, MS 0401, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, OH. PTW — Papers of Thomas Worthington, MIC 35, Ohio History Connection, Columbus, OH. Putnam Papers — Rufus Putnam Papers, Marietta College Library, Marietta, OH. Register’s Ledger — Register’s Ledger (Credit System), 1801-1829, State Archives Series 391, GR1586, Ohio History Connection, Columbus, OH. TWP — Thomas Worthington Papers, MIC 96, Ohio History Connection, Columbus, OH. Published Sources Correspondence of Symmes — The Correspondence of John Cleves Symmes, ed. Beverley W. Bond, Jr. (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1926). JER — Journal of the Early Republic Journals of Congress — Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789, ed. Worthington C. Ford, et. al., 34 vols. (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1904-1937). Letters of Congress — Letters of Members of the Continental Congress, ed. Edmund C. Burnett, 7 vols. (Washington: Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1921-1936). Ohio in the Confederation — Ohio in the Time of the Confederation, ed. Archer Butler Hulbert (Marietta, OH: Marietta Historical Commission, 1918). Papers of Hamilton — The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, ed. Harold C. Syrett, 28 vols. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1961-1962). 10 Papers of Washington, CS — The Papers of George Washington: Confederation Series, eds. W. W. Abbot and Dorothy Twohig, 6 vols. (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1992-1997). Papers of Washington, PS — The Papers of George Washington: Presidential Series, eds. W. W. Abbot and Dorothy Twohig, 10 vols. (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1989-2005). Records of the Ohio Company — The Records of the Original Proceedings of the Ohio Company, ed. Archer Butler Hulbert, 2 vols. (Marietta, OH: Marietta Historical Commission, 1917). St. Clair Papers — The St. Clair Papers: The Life and Public Services of Arthur St. Clair…, ed. William Henry Smith, 2 vols. (Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & Co., 1882). Territorial Papers — The Territorial Papers of the United States, ed. Clarence E. Carter, et. al., 28 vols. (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1934-1975. 11 A Note For Readers Readers should note that I have retained original spellings and grammar constructions when quoting from original sources and manuscripts. 12 INTRODUCTION: THE “LANDED REPUBLIC” In 1784 George Washington received an anonymous letter claiming that in America “the true Center of Dominion ought and must be Land.” The previous year Great Britain had ceded its claims to the trans-Appalachian West to the United States, which the writer considered a “Circumstance most interesting to every Friend of Liberty.” Ignoring the land claims and residency of thousands of Native Americans in the region, the writer agreed with the Confederation Congress’s policy of using the territory
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