Public Land Survey

Creating a Pattern on the surface of the earth in the Old Northwest Territories

through a new surveying Process

with a positive impact on the Government finances and Settlers

LAND ORDINANCE OF 1785 (related to the Northwest Ordinance)

-Following the end of the Revolution the new US faced a dilemma, the Northwest Territories

-In part provided by British as attempt to destabilize the new nation

-local State disputes over ownership -former British ally tribes in the area

A. Contributing factors for land ordinance and Public Land Survey System 1. Competition for control of continent -occupy (possession is 9/10ths of the law) 2. Need to raise funds through disposal of asset and pay-off Revolutionary War Debt -Land main one -Under Articles of Confederation Congress couldn't raise taxes 3. Establish title -- based on ideology -- life, liberty, & (land) 4. Want to do this cheaply, easily and quickly B. European British Precedent -All land belongs to Crown -Title granted to individuals or Charter Companies C. New United States -Land belongs to people D. Outcome -- Developed new method of surveying -- U.S. Public Land Survey To begin the process all land west of the Appalachians and north of the Ohio River was given to the US Government for eventual sale and settlement To then establish clear title -- the land had to be first surveyed This was done under the LAND ORDINANCE OF 1785 1. Policy of fixed price -price eventually lowered to increase sales 2. Sale of land to raise money, pay-off Revolutionary War debt 3. Creation of clear title -extinguish native claims -provide prior land survey -- generally followed 4. Old systems Abandoned -- Metes and Bounds (British system) -- Long Lots (French system) E. How the Public Land Survey System worked 1. In each state create a grid system anchored by: E-W Base Line

N-S Principle Meridian Line

From each Base Line count up or down (N or S) and call these Township

From each Principal Meridian Line court left or right (E or W) and call these Range

Where any two intersect create a box which is further divided in 36 smaller squares each called a Section

These sections were then divided into 1/4th to produce a 160 acre farm (theoretically the ideal size for a "yeoman" or free farmer -- not a slave owner).

Basically a giant checkerboard Fig 1: CALIFORNIA'S Principal Meridians and Base Lines

Fig. 2: USA All Lines Fig. 3: Where Township 23 North (T23N) and Range 1 East (R1E) 36 sections are shown.

Traditionally each of these were divided into quarters and sold as 160 acre farms.

Fig 4: ZOOMING in on Section 32 E. Summary Rapidly Guarantee Ownership Balance budget through sale of land Encourage investment by individuals -- try to avoid slave plantations (didn't work) Encourage long term habitation and possession of Continent by Americans Very simple and rapid system to use F. Criticism 1. Sale of land represents lottery -- unequal value or usefulness of land lack of foresight in utilizing resource (note swamp land in Fig. 4)

no urban centers chosen

maximized length of transportation systems

no reserves (save for schools) planned into system 2. Low price of land sent signal low value result waste on unprecedented scale 3. Speed and inflexibility lead to useless 160acre farms especially in high plains of Midwest 4. Made PLANNING a dirty word (no pun intended)