418 Frank Carney 



Virginia, at the beginning of the war, had numerous citizens 

 living in Kentucky. One of these citizens, George Rodgers 

 Clark, petitioned Patrick Henry to be commissioned to look 

 after the region north of the Ohio; his wish was granted. This 

 area was inhabited by Indians who for some time had been living 

 peacefully, and by many quiet French settlers. Clark, with a 

 small body of volunteers, moved northward, and took possession 

 of the various forts which were in command of English officers; 

 he planned to proceed as far as Detroit, but was unable to muster 

 sufficient force. Clark held what he had gained, waiting the out- 

 come of the war. During this interval he maintained very 

 pleasant relations with both Indians and French. Virginia 

 exercised authority over the area, making it the county of Illi- 

 nois. The inhabitants "professed themselves subjects of Vir- 

 ginia," and "took the oath of fidelity."^ 



If conquest warrants possession, this whole region belonged to 

 Virginia, whose territory, therefore, was larger than the other 

 colonies combined; it included Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky 

 and West Virginia. 



Influence of Clark's campaign in Peace of Paris, 1783. The 

 real significance of Clark's work appeared in the peace negotia- 

 tions. If the Americans had not secured and held the scattered 

 British posts in the Northwest territory, their representatives at 

 Paris could not have insisted on its being included in the terms of 

 peace. France and Spain, as well as the American states, were 

 parties with England in these negotiations. Honesty and frank- 

 ness did not characterize all diplomatic relations of that century. 

 At this time the new RepubHc felt that France was her friend. 

 Our chief representative was Benjamin Franklin, a man of such 

 absolute honesty that he was slow to recognize the earmarks of 

 dishonesty. France admired those who quarreled with her own 

 enemies; largely for this reason did France, as a nation, aid the 

 American colonies. The French minister, however, did not hesi- 

 tate to open secret negotiations with the British, that he might 

 further the interests of Spain. Already Spain owned the region 

 west of the Mississippi and proposed in the sub rosa dealings to 

 extend her possessions to include the whole Mississippi basin from 

 the headwaters of that river eastward to the western end of 



' Judson Harmon, Ohio Centennial Anniversary Celebration, 1903, p. 63. 



