[Footnote: Kent's Commentary.]
As each State claimed to be sovereign in every interest not ceded to the
general government, each State claimed the territory covered by its
original charter. These charters, owing to great ignorance of geographical
limits, created claims that conflicted with each other. From this source
originated difficult questions about land titles and jurisdiction, between
the States of Connecticut and Pennsylvania,--Massachusetts and New York.
These difficulties which existed before, the greater question of the
Revolutionary war suspended for a time, but when peace was concluded, they
came up again for a consideration and settlement.
The way was in a measure prepared for this, by the relinquishment to the
general government, on the part of New York in 1781, and of Massachusetts
in 1785, of all their right to territory west of a meridian line drawn
south, from the western end of Lake Ontario.
In the adjustment of these difficulties, Connecticut relinquished her
claim to a tract of land on the Susquehanna in Pennsylvania, called the
Gore, and acquired that part of the State of Ohio called New Connecticut,
or Western Reserve. And Pennsylvania obtained a tract of land lying
immediately beyond the western boundary of the State of New York, and
north-east of her own, embracing the harbor of Presque Isle, on Lake Erie,
familiarly known as the Triangle, thus giving her access to the waters of
this Lake.
The question in controversy between the States of New York and
Massachusetts was more serious, owing to the large amount of territory
claimed by the latter in western New York.
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