Thomas and Andrews: Mississippi Territory
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Cartographer:
|
Thomas and Andrews
|
|
Title:
|
Mississippi Territory
|
|
Date:
|
1805
|
|
Published:
|
Boston
|
|
Width:
|
10 inches / 26 cm
|
|
Height:
|
8 inches / 21 cm
|
|
Map ref:
|
USA8361
|
|
Description:
|
|
| A very interesting feature of this early map of the Mississippi Territory is the identification of lands claimed by the Georgia Company, the Upper Mississippi Company and the Tennessee Company. These were three of the four corporations which took part in the notorious Yazoo Land Scandal, whereupon vast tracts of land in the Territory were sold to cronies of high level politicians in Georgia at very low prices. These lands were then sold on at a huge profit to outside investors. The sales were discovered despite an attempted cover up and the Georgia legislature then attempted to cancel them. Despite this, the innocent purchasers took the matter to court and in a landmark case, for the first time, the Supreme Court overturned state law, ruling that the purchases were legitimate. [USA8361] |