Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Ohio Company of Associates
References
Images
Ohio Company of Associates: land purchase Map illustrating the Northwest Territory as defined by the Northwest Ordinances of 1785 and 1787, covering present-day Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Insets show the Ohio Company's land purchases with numbered townships and sections, and a diagram explaining how land was divided into square-mile sections, with further subdivisions labeled by acreage. Section 16 in each township is marked as reserved for public schools. Current state boundaries and years of statehood are indica
Britannica AI Icon

Ohio Company of Associates

United States history
Also known as: Ohio Land Company
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Ohio Company of Associates: land purchase
Ohio Company of Associates: land purchase Map of the Ohio Company of Associates' purchase of land in the Ohio River valley (c. 1787), made possible by the Northwest Ordinances of 1784, 1785, and 1787.

The Ohio Company of Associates was established in 1786 by American Revolutionary War veterans, including Manasseh Cutler, to settle the Ohio Valley. This organization was distinct from an earlier group, the Ohio Company, founded in 1748 to promote trade and secure English control of the Ohio River valley, whose activities contributed to the French and Indian War.12

The Ohio Company of Associates aimed to purchase land using depreciated Continental certificates at par value. Cutler, acting as the company's agent, secured a contract with the Continental Congress for 1.5 million acres of public land. This led to the founding of Marietta in 1788, which became the first permanent settlement in present-day Ohio. Cutler is also credited with influencing the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, particularly its provisions against slavery and for public education.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
  1. Ohio Company
  2. Manasseh Cutler

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.