Solving The Problem Of Frontier Territories And State-Building In America(1779-1784)

As the peripheries of the British Empire,North American Colonies started the American Revolution.For the British Parliament disposed of these colonies in a wrong way.After several years in the Revolution War,the United States were confronted with the challenges from its own peripheries.To solve the problem of frontier territories is to solve the problem of state-building in North America which Britain had failed.Faced with the three main issues in frontier territories(the navigation of Mississippi,the indenpendence of Vermont and the cession of western territories),the Americans eventually empowered the confederation government to get the solid authority---the power to grant lands,and adjusted the framework of union---new states making principle established.There is a new way to build state in America between the empire and union.Merrill Jensen came to a conclusion that the dispute between landed states and landless states was rooted in the interests of land speculators.But it’s complicated between land speculation and land grants.There are deep political connotations behind ecnomic interests.By analysing the specific interaction between war situation and specific issues in the Continental Congress,it’s obvious that the reaction in war time is temporary and inconstant.The problem can be solved,only if the states involved change initiative.In the end,I turned to the initial point of solving the problem of frontier territories---the man who proposed cession of western territories by Virginia and came up with new states making principle---Joseph Jones,to comb how he propose the motion and to learn why he do so.