Subseries III: Susquehanna Controversy, 1758- 1841

Sub-Series

Staff Only

Subseries III_ Susquehanna Controversy, 1758- 1841

Dates

1758- 1841

Access:

All series and subseries within this collection are open for research, with the exception of a few files within the Academia series that are restricted. The Academia series contains financial and sensitive institutional records from Wilkes College, and financial report records from Princeton University that will remain restricted for 80 years upon creation.

Extent

From the Collection: 17 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Subseries III: Susquehanna Controversy, 1758- 1841

Subseries III: Susquehanna Controversy, 1758- 1841, is arranged chronologically by date and contains correspondence, legal documents, lists, and booklets, written by various historical figures discussing the conflicts occurring within the Wyoming Valley during the 18th century. These conflicts were known as the Pennamite–Yankee Wars or Yankee–Pennamite Wars, or to be more specific, the First (1769-1770), Second (1775), and Third (1784) Pennamite Wars. These conflicts occurred due to the states of CT and PA both claiming to own the upper third of what is now northeastern Pennsylvania; however there is valid reasoning behind both claims. Connecticut had been granted a land claim to the area in 1662 by King Charles II, and in 1681 King Charles II granted the land again to William Penn on accident due to the local Iroquois reselling the land on account of, as historian Paul B. Moyer states, “ … their decentralized political systems, their own jurisdictional controversies, and their distinctive cultural definitions of property rights.” This subseries covers several different events in relation to the Susquehanna Claim. The bulk of items are from the period of the three Pennamite Wars (1770s- early 1780s), with the remainder of items highlighting the controversy’s legal aftermath (mid 1780s-1790s). This legal aftermath included the proposal, approval, and implementation of several bills which outline Pennsylvania’s ownership of the claim, as well as various other legal acts and decrees such as Item 14.29: “An Act for offering compensation to the Susquehanna claimants of certain Lands within the seventeen Townships in the County of Luzerne and for other purposes therein mentioned”, copied by unknown, no date., which provided financial support to those affected. Historical figures included in the second subseries are Eliphalet Dyer, Major John Durkee, Lord Butler, John Butler, Zebulon Butler, Moses Mather, Roger Sherman, Colonel Timothy Pickering, Benjamin Franklin, Jacob Shallus, David Brearley, George Clymer, William Rawle, Tench Coxe, Eleazer McComb, Matthias Hollenback, Samuel Wyllys, and Timothy Pitkin. Many of these individuals were part of the newly formed United States government and their letters provide researchers with a U.S. government officials' perspective on the conflicts through several legal documents relating to land ownership and the troubles between Pennsylvania and Connecticut. However, this subseries does not contain any items which reference the military aspects of this controversy. The items focus more on rising tensions between PA and CT as well as the legal aftermath which followed. The individual who collected these items, Gilbert Stuart McClintock, labeled these items as “The Susquehanna Controversy,” however the Library of Congress refers to the events as “The Susquehanna Claim.” Due to this in combination with the collection’s lack of reference to conflicts, the Wars shall be referred to as the Controversy, while everything else shall be referred to as the Claim. The second subseries is closely tied with Subseries III: Butler Correspondence 1759-1846, as it contains many letters related to Zebulon Butler and his role as the Director of the Susquehanna Company, a Connecticut based company founded in 1753 with the intention of settling what they considered to be their land in the northern portion of Pennsylvania. He was heavily involved in the American Revolution as well one of the bloodiest events in this region’s history: the Wyoming Massacre or The Battle of Wyoming, which was a military engagement during the American Revolutionary War between Patriot militia and a force of loyalist soldiers and Iroquois warriors. It took place on July 1778 in what is known now as Luzerne County.Along with Zebulon Butler’s involvement in the lead up to the battle, this series also includes documents such as Elisha Blackman’s letter to the publisher of the National Gazette, claiming that their narration of the Battle was incorrect and Eliphalet Follet’s (Jr.) writings to the Wyoming Claim Committee to tell the story of his father who died in battle and of his mothers journey taking care of him and his siblings while grieving the death. Another heavily referenced key figure within this subseries is Timothy Pickering, the third Secretary of State and Luzerne County resident. Within his correspondence, Pickering handled several legal matters in reference to the controversy. A few examples of topics which are mentioned within this subseries include the sale of land to both Connecticut and Pennsylvania settlers by their respective states, the imprisonment of Major John Durkee, the purchase of the claim from Native Americans, the formation of committees to deal with the claim, various court trials regarding land ownership and compensation for those involved with the controversy, and mostly unfavorable opinions of Connecticut settlers by Pennsylvanians.