Newburgh Petition

General Rufus Putnam (1738-1824) created this map of Ohio in 1804, one year after Ohio became a state. He made the map, one of the first maps of the state, while serving as general surveyor of the United States. It shows the boundary between Ohio and American Indian lands, marking several forts in the Northwest Territory, including Fort Defiance, Fort Wayne, and Fort Recovery.

The Newburgh Petition was an effort by officers in the Continental Army to be paid in land rather than money in the closing years of the American Revolution.

By 1783, many soldiers and officers in the Continental Army had not been paid for several months. In some cases, these men had not been paid in years. General Rufus Putnam, a Continental Army officer, led a drive to convince the Confederation Congress to pay the men in land from the Ohio Country. The men would forego their pay in money in return for the land. They also would serve as protectors against Indian attacks. A total of 288 Continental Army officers signed a petition to the Confederation Congress. It became known as the Newburgh Petition. General George Washington, the Continental Army's commander, also endorsed the petition, but the Confederation Congress refused to act upon it. The officers threatened to rebel against their government, but Washington put down the Newburgh Conspiracy.

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