Beschreibung:

"Articles agreed to & established at a meeting of the United Illinois & Ouabache Land Companies held at Ph.a 29th April 1780." [contemporary manuscript articles of union between the Illinois and Wabash Land Companies, titled at the head of the third page.
Philadelphia: c. 1780]. 4 pp., plus an additional blank leaf, bifolium sheet (327 x 205 mm). Written in ink in two unidentified hands, unsigned. The additional blank leaf docketed on verso “1780 / Articles of Agree.t / The United Illinois & Ouabache Com- / pany.” Unbound. Housed in a cloth chemise and morocco-backed slipcase. Condition : folds, some soiling and tears to the docketing leaf. [With:] Unsigned manuscript document, a power of attorney authorizing Robert Morris to vote on behalf of John Davidson (crossed out at a contemporary date and with the initials C.C.H. added) at all meetings of the Illinois & Ouabache Land Company. Annapolis [but Philadelphia?]: July 1780. 1 p., plus notary statement and docketing on verso, tall sheet (327 x 205 mm). Written in the same hand as above. Docketing on verso reads “1780 July 7 / Precedent of a power / of / attorney. Illinois & / Ouabache Company.” Condition : minor browning and separations at folds. The story of the Illinois and Ouabache [i.e. Wabash] Land Company begins with the end of the French & Indian War, when the French were displaced from the northwest. To preclude private land speculation and forestall indian conflicts, King George III issued a proclamation in 1763 declaring all land west of the Allegheny Mountains as belonging to Native Americans and stating that only the Crown could purchase land from them. The proclamation, however, was met with indignation by the colonists. Several trading firms, including David Franks and Company of Philadelphia, essentially ignored the royal edict and in 1773, using Pennsylvanian William Murrary as their agent, fraudulently purchased an enormous tract of land at the confluence of the Mississippi, Illinois and Ohio rivers from the Illinois tribes at Kaskaskia on behalf of their newly-formed Illinois Company. Two years later, the Wabash Company, which included many of the same shareholders as the Illinois Company, purchased another tract along the Wabash River from the Piankashaw Indians. “Assuming both titles held, Murray and his companies would control the transportation routes for the greater part of the northwestern fur trade” (Robertson). The Declaration of Independence, although seemingly annulling the Proclamation of 1763, did not pass clear title to the two companies. Virginia, citing their original ocean-to-ocean charter claimed the land as their own and as the area in question was part of the tract of western lands being ceded to the new Federal government, Virginia declared the two purchases void. Thus in 1780, the two companies, with both numerous shareholders (including notable Pennsylvanians Robert Morris James Wilson and William Smith and a common goal, decided to merge in order to more effectively petition the Continental Congress for title to the Indian purchases. The text of these articles of union is preceded by 2 pp. of resolutions drafted at five separate meetings dated 23 January, 13 March, 20 August, 8 November 1779 and 29 April 1780. On this final date, the shareholders of each company agreed to the Articles set forth in the document. The text begins with the following preamble: “ Whereas it is most expedient and for the better and easier management of the said Companies interest in the said lands that a certain constitution or Articles of agreement should be formed and drawn up to be for the future governance & direction of and obligatory upon all and singular the members of the said united Companies, their heirs, successors & assigns respectively .” Twelve articles follow which detail the format of meetings, the election of officers, voting procedures and the issuance and distribution of shares. The power of attorney document, an example of which is present here, is referred to in two of the articles. It is unclear if the present document was a draft of the original or a retained copy. Although ordered slightly differently, the text largely conforms to the text as printed in 1796. As Robertson clearly demo