HIST 190 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Daniel Shays, Northwest Ordinance
Fledgling America
- Founding a nation
Opening of the West
- As always, many colonists saw the west as an opportunity to better their lot
- No longer bound by the British restriction
- US felt that the natives had forfeited their rights by siding with the British and made little
distinctions for their allies
- Many colonies had laid claim to territory in the West and other land speculators claimed
ownership
- US government wanted to open the lands in the West but knew that it needed to be organized
- Government convinced many of the states to cede claims
- Government saw need for settlement and desired future profits, land speculators wanted access
to sell the land for themselves, and the settlers wanted new opportunities under their “liberty”
to improve their lots and felt that the land should go to actual settlers not companies
- There was also fear of constant conflict with the natives
Indians in the US
- Opinions on natives varied but the ideas surrounding their land did not
- Left the option of removal, assimilation, or disappearance
- Treaties- treaties recognized sovereignty but often included the transfer of land
- Treaty of Greenville (1795)- 12 ethnic groups ceded most of the land in Ohio and Indiana
- Annuity system
Land Ordinances
- Ordinance on 1784- established stages of self-government and divided the region into districts
under the control of congress. Opened door for potential statehood in the future. Prohibition of
slavery in the West missed by one vote
- Ordinance of 1785- Land was sold off in square mile increments at $1 an acre. One section in
each township was set aside to fund schools
- Northwest Ordinance 1787- eventual establishment of 3-5 states to allow for self-rule and avoid
establishing colonies of America
- Desire was to concentrate and regulate settlement, although many settlers began to move into
the region before the government had completed its surveys
- Jefferson desired an “Empire of Liberty”
Shays’s Rebellion
- A group of farmers riddled with debt revolted to prevent the seizure of their land in return for
non-payment
- Group called themselves the “regulators” and the revolt took on the name of Shays Rebellion
after Daniel Shays a leader and a Revolutionary Veteran
- Massachusetts did little to help the debtors
- Many saw this rebellion as a continuation of the Revolution and acted as such
Document Summary
As always, many colonists saw the west as an opportunity to better their lot. No longer bound by the british restriction. Us felt that the natives had forfeited their rights by siding with the british and made little distinctions for their allies. Many colonies had laid claim to territory in the west and other land speculators claimed ownership. Us government wanted to open the lands in the west but knew that it needed to be organized. Government convinced many of the states to cede claims. There was also fear of constant conflict with the natives. Opinions on natives varied but the ideas surrounding their land did not. Left the option of removal, assimilation, or disappearance. Treaties- treaties recognized sovereignty but often included the transfer of land. Treaty of greenville (1795)- 12 ethnic groups ceded most of the land in ohio and indiana. Ordinance on 1784- established stages of self-government and divided the region into districts under the control of congress.
