Connecticut Cession of Western Land Claims, 1786


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[LC:CC Papers, West. Land Cessions:DS 59]

[September 13, 1786]

To all who shall see these presents—

We William Samuel Johnson and Jonathan Sturges, the underwritten Delegates for the State of Connecticut in the Congress of theUnited States send Greeting—

Whereas the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut on the second Thursday of May, in the Year of our Lord One thousand sevenhundred and eighty six, passed an Act in the words following60—viz: "Be it enacted by the Governor, Council and Representatives in General Court Assembled and by the authority of the same, That the Delegates of this State or any two of them who shall be attending the Congress of the United States be and they are hereby directed, authorized and fully empowered in the name and behalf of this State, to make, execute and deliver under their Hands and Seals an ample Deed of Release and Cession of all the Right, Title, Interest, Jurisdiction and Claim of the State of Connecticut to certain Western Lands beginning at the Completion of the forty first degree of North Latitude One hundred and twenty Miles West of the Western boundary Line of the Commonwealth of Pensylvania as now claimed by said Commonwealth, and from thence by a line to be drawn North parallel to and one hundred and twenty Miles West of the said West line of Pensylvania, and to continue North until it comes to forty two degrees and two Minutes North Latitude.61 Whereby all the Right, Title, Interest, Jurisdiction and Claim of the State of Connecticut to the Lands lying West of said line to be drawn as aforementioned One hundred and twenty Miles West of the Western boundary line of the Commonwealth of Pensylvania as now claimed by said Commonwealth shall be included released and Ceded to the United States in Congress Assembled for the common use and benefit of the said States, Connecticut inclusive"

And Whereas, the said William Samuel Johnson and Jonathan Sturges were, on the second Thursday of May A. D. one thousand seven hundred and eighty five elected Delegates to represent the State of Connecticut according to the Law of Said state in the Congress of the United States for the term of one Year from the first Monday of November in the said Year one thousand seven hundred and eighty five, which Election remains in force and the said William Samuel Johnson and Jonathan Sturges are the lawful Delegates of said State in the Congress of the United States—

Now therefore Know Ye that We the said William Samuel Johnson and Jonathan Sturges by Virtue of the Power and Authority to us committed by the said Act of the General Assembly of Connecticut before recited in the Name and for and on behalf of the said State ofConnecticut;do by these presents, assign, transfer quit-claim, cede and convey to the United States of America for their benefit Connecticut inclusive all the Right, Title, Interest, Jurisdiction and Claim which the said State of Connecticut hath in and to the beforementioned and described Territory or Tract of Country as the same is bounded and described in said Act of Assembly for the uses in the said recited Act of Assembly declared—

In Witness whereof We have hereunto set our Hands and Seals this thirteenth day of September in the Year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and Eighty six and of the Sovereignty & Independence of the United States of America the Eleventh62

Signed, Sealed & deliver'd in presence of

Cha Thomson
Roger Alden
James Mathers
Wm Saml Johnson [l. s.]
Jonth Sturges [l. s.]

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59The original version presented herewith differs from the copy in the Journals of the Continental Congress with respect to punctuation and paragraphing.
60CC Papers, Western Lands. For earlier phases see Journals Cont. Cong. (LC ed.), XX, 704, xxi, 784, 1076, 1098, 1113, xxII, 191-194, 240-241, 423, XXIV, 104-105, xxvm, 432 n.;Journals Amer. Cong., IV, 697-698.
61The so-called Connecticut Western Reserve tract. For subsequent cession of the tract to the United States, see deed of cession, Dec. 31, 1798, post, p. 657, and the act of Apr. 28, 1800, post, III, 84.
62The deed was accepted Sept. 14, 1786 (Journals Amer. Cong., IV, 697-698). See St. Clair to Parsons with reference to the survey, Sept. 14, 1788, Journal Exec. Procs., post, III, 289.

 
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