The Twenty Townships are an area in central

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

that now is largely a part of

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and Chenango counties. The area was also known as Clinton's Purchase, for the sale by the

Oneida Nation The Oneida Nation is a federally recognized tribe of Oneida people in Wisconsin. The tribe's reservation spans parts of two counties west of the Green Bay metropolitan area. The reservation was established by treaty in 1838, and was allotted to ...

to New York in 1788 was made under Governor George Clinton. In the late twentieth century, the

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ruled the sale had been unconstitutional, as the state had no authority to deal directly with the Native Americans, and never had its treaty ratified by the US Senate.

Background

This area had been part of the

Oneida people The Oneida people (autonym: Onʌyoteˀa·ká·, Onyota'a:ka, ''the People of the Upright Stone, or standing stone'', ''Thwahrù·nęʼ'' in Tuscarora) are a Native American tribe and First Nations band. They are one of the five founding nat ...

's homeland since their emergence as a culture in the fourteenth century. After the

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, the United States government allocated a reservation in this area for the

, who had been allies of the Patriots. But land pressure continued as European-American settlers poured into central and western New York seeking land to purchase and develop for farming. The state wanted more land available for sale. On September 22, 1788 at Fort Schuyler, a treaty between Governor George Clinton and the

Oneida Oneida may refer to: Native American/First Nations * Oneida people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy * Oneida language * Oneida Indian Nation, based in New York * Oneida Na ...

Indians ceded this land from the tribe to the state of New York. The southern part of the Twenty Townships became a part of Chenango and the northern part was included in Madison County when it was created from Chenango County in 1806. The northern townships that became a part of

Madison County, New York Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 68,016. Its county seat is Wampsville. The county is named after James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, and was fir ...

were: *1.

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*2. Eaton *3.

*4.

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

*5.

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*6. Georgetown *18. south part of Brookfield *19. north part of Brookfield In 1829, the southern townships that became a part of

Chenango County, New York Chenango County is a County (United States), county located in the south-central section U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 47,220. Its county seat is Norwich, New York ...

were: *7. Otselic *8.

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...

*9. Sherburne *10. north part of

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*11.

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*12.

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*13.

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*14. Preston *15. south part of

*16. New Berlin (also includes parts of 10 and 15) *17.

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Township 20 became the Town of Sangerfield and the western part of Bridgewater in Oneida County. In the late twentieth century, the Oneida Nation pursued a land claim against New York State to recover its lands or compensation. The

ruled that, as this treaty and sale were never ratified by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

, it was unconstitutional. After the Revolution and the formation of the United States under a written constitution, New York State had no legal authority to negotiate separately with American Indian tribes.

Sources

*''Child's Gazetteer and Directory''
Map of the County of Chenango by David H. Burr, 1829. David Rumsey Map Collection; shows towns and lot numbers

J. H. French, ''Gazetteer of the State of New York: Embracing a Comprehensive View of the State, and a Complete History and Description of Every County, City, Town, Village, and Locality with Full Tables of Statistics''
1860, p. 224 History of New York (state) Geography of Madison County, New York Geography of Chenango County, New York Geography of Oneida County, New York