b'Colonial Land Claims new states let go of their claims in theThe Treaty of Paris 1783 ended theNorthwest TerritoryNew York inwar and gave the new United States ter- 1781, Virginia in 1784, Massachusetts inritory to the Mississippi River. West of 1785, and Connecticut in 1786 and 1800the Mississippi, however, the land was [See Settling the Ohio Lands 1787-claimed by Spain. 1800, page 42].Before and after the war, four of The Northwest Territory[seethe new statesVirginia, Connecticut, graphic (MM) page 33] was the property ofMassachusetts, and New Yorkclaimed the new central government of theland in the Ohio Country and beyond. United States of America with someThat is because the land that had been special conditions. Virginia had given upgranted to them while they were still the most by ceding its claimsnearlyBritish colonies described their western two-thirds of the Ohio Valley. In return,boundaries to be as far west as land Virginia was allowed to keep about 4.2extends. million acres of Ohio land between theOne of the first problems the new Little Miami and Scioto Rivers. This landUnited States government had to solve was called the Virginia Military District,was to establish clear boundaries for because the land was to be given tothese new states.Virginia soldiers who fought in theA new way of thinking was needed: American Revolution. Connecticut wasto think of America as a nation instead also allowed to keep a tract of land inof thirteen separate state governments.northeastern Ohio. It was about 3 millionDuring the American Revolution, aacres and was called the Connecticutcongressional committee had come up Western Reserve. Today Case Westernwith the idea that the colonies all cede, Reserve University and Western Reserveor give up, their western lands to the Academy are named for this land grant.new Central Government. Eventually fourpage 32'