History and management of land grants for education in the Northwest Territory (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin)

Front matter

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Prefatory Note

This paper was prepared when the writer was studying in the School of Political Science of the University of Michigan, and was presented to the Faculty of the Department of Literature, Science, and the Arts of that institution, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. In collecting material for the paper the writer visited Columbus, Indianapolis, Chicago, Lansing, and Madison, and in no case has information received at second-hand been used where original papers and documents were obtainable. All of the references given in the foot-notes, with a single exception, have been made after a personal examination of the passages referred to, and it is believed that the list of authorities given at the end of the paper embraces every book of importance bearing on the subject.

An abstract of the paper was read by Professor Charles Kendall Adams before the American Historical Association, at its first public meeting, in Saratoga, September i, 1884.

Part I. Federal Legislation

A. — Legislation Affecting the Entire Territory.

Early History of the Western Country 7

Movements toward a Territorial Government .... 8

First Organic Law 9

First Reservation of Lands by Congress for Common Schools , I2 Motives Leading to the Reservation . . . . . .13

The Ohio Company 15

Ordinance of 1787 16

First Grant for the Support of Higher Education, and the Reasons

for Making it 17

Second Special Grant for Higher Education .... 18

Reservation for Schools throughout the Entire Northwest Territory, and for Seminaries in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan . 18 Views Expressed in 1825 on the Relations of the National Government and Education ........ 19

Swamp Lands Granted to the States ...... 20

First Movements toward the Endowment of Agricultural Colleges . 22

Bill Making a Grant to each State for that Purpose ... 23

Debates on the Bill 24

The Bill Vetoed by President Buchanan 25

A Grant Finally Made in 1863 26

More Recent Projects for the Endowment of Common Schools . 26

B. — Legislation Affecting Individual States. {a) Ohio.

The Lands Already Reserved, Granted to the State at the Time of

her Admission, on Certain Conditions ..... 28

History and Meaning of the Conditions ..... 29

Modifications of the Grant Demanded by the State . . .31 First Constitutional Objection Raised to Grants by Congress for

Educational Purposes ........ 32

Subsequent Grants to the State 33 ii Contents,

{b) Indiana.

Similar Grants and Conditions Made when Indiana Becomes a State 35 A Few Differences • 35

(c) Illinois.

A Large Grant Made in Addition to the Usual Quota ... 36

{d) Michigan.

Peculiar Circumstances Attending her Admission . . . .37

Propositions of the State 38

The Usual Grants Made, but the Conditions Changed , , . 39,

(if) Wisconsin.

Obtains a Larger Grant than that of any other State Carved out of

the Northwest Territory 40.