Clark's Grant was a tract of land granted in 1781 to

George Rogers Clark George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was an American military officer and surveyor from Virginia who became the highest-ranking Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot military officer on the American frontier, nort ...

and the soldiers who fought with him during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

by the state of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

in honor of their service. The tract was and located in present-day

Clark County, Indiana Clark County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Indiana, located directly across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 121,093. The county seat is Jeffer ...

, and parts of the surrounding counties.

Grant

During the

led the militia of

in capturing a large part of the

Illinois Country The Illinois Country ( ; ; ), also referred to as Upper Louisiana ( ; ), was a vast region of New France claimed in the 1600s that later fell under Spanish and British control before becoming what is now part of the Midwestern United States. Whi ...

as part of the Illinois Campaign. Land was offered as an incentive to adventurers to sign up as soldiers and join the expedition. After the war ended, as a reward, Virginia granted the soldiers and officers land to make good their promise. The grant was made by the legislature of Virginia on January 2, 1781, offering them land on the northwest side of the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

. A commission of officers from the group was created and they were granted the right to choose any within the defined region. They chose a tract across the Ohio River opposite from

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

, a settlement Clark had founded during the war. Their land included all of present-day

, as well as part of the surrounding counties. The group took part in land speculation and they ultimately purchased the rights to a large part of southern Indiana. Early settlements in the grant included Clarksville and Jeffersonville. Clark himself was still owed a vast sum of money for helping to finance the campaigns which was never repaid to him during his life. Most of his land was taken from him by creditors, and he died nearly penniless and handicapped from injuries he sustained after the war. Virginia finally repaid most of his debt several years after his death.

Apportionment

Clark's Grant was the basis of the establishment of the first American settlements in the modern state of Indiana. The land was allotted during 1784. Clark himself received the largest tract, containing over . Officers were also granted large tracts, and the 236 privates each were given a tract. The

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

s were each given tracts of . Higher-ranking officers were given progressively larger tracts. Each person was given one or more large tracts in the countryside, and one smaller tract. The smaller tracts were grouped together around the entire grants and were intended to become settlements. It was hoped that the soldiers would build their homes on the small tracts that were near together, and sell or farm the larger tracts granted to them in the countryside. There was some controversy over the grant, because privates were promised at least tracts at the start of the war as reward.English, p. 855

Notes

Sources

External links

Clarks Grant
{{Indiana history Pre-statehood history of Indiana Clark County, Indiana Land grants 1781 establishments in North America

Grant

Apportionment

See also

Notes

Sources

External links