Connecticut Owned Land in Ohio?
Connecticut’s Western Reserve
The Charter of 1662 from King Charles II of England granted land to the founders of the Colony of Connecticut from “sea to sea” – even though no one knew where the second “sea” was. The Charter stated that Connecticut’s western boundary was “the South Sea on the West part.” Later English grants gave similar grants to other colonies, creating overlapping claims and uncertain boundaries.
By the 1780s, colonies had become States and relinquished their original charter claims. Connecticut, however, held out for many years, yielding its claim only after “reserving” a 3,366,921-acre tract. This became known as Connecticut’s Western Reserve.
In 1792, Connecticut allocated 500,000 acres of the Western Reserve – the Firelands – to settle claims of the Sufferers. In 1795, the Connecticut Land Company bought the eastern part of the Reserve for $1,200,000 – money that was the seed for Connecticut’s public school fund.
