Editing Timeline of the Toledo Strip (section)

==Background history==

===1700s===

====1780s====
*'''1787:''' The [[Northwest Ordinance]], also known as the ''Ordinance of 1787'', established the boundary for possible future states in the [[Northwest Territory]] as "an east-west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan."

===1800s===

[[Image:Michigan-territory-1805-1818.png|thumb|120px|right|Map of Michigan Territory, established in 1805]]
*'''1802:''' Congress restated the Ordinance Line of 1787 as Ohio's northern boundary, in the [[Enabling Act of 1802]], which allowed Ohio to become a state. Ohio petitions to gain statehood, and the northern boundary is set by the Ohio constitution as the Ordinance Line of 1787 with one proviso: If the line intersected [[Lake Erie]] to the east of the mouth of the [[Maumee River]], then "with the assent of Congress of the United States, the northern boundary of this State shall be established by, and extended to a direct line running from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan to the most northerly cape of the Miami Bay." This laid the basis for the [[Toledo War]].
*'''1803:''' Ohio admitted into the Union with an enabling act authorizing the inhabitants to set up a state government.
*'''1805:''' Congress created the Michigan Territory with the Ordinance Line as Michigan's southern boundary.
*'''1809:''' Congress established the [[Illinois Territory]].

====1810s====
*'''1812:''' [[War of 1812]] delayed survey of the Ordinance Line.
*'''1816:''' [[Indiana]] admitted as a state, with a northern border {{convert|10|mi|km|spell=in}} north of the Ordinance Line, to allow the state some lakefront. Michigan Territorial Governor [[Lewis Cass]] renewed request for national survey. 
*'''1817:''' [[Edward Tiffin]], [[Surveyor General]] of the Northwest and former [[Governor of Ohio]], commissioned William Harris to rerun the line. Harris drew a line favoring Ohio's claim to the Toledo Strip.
*'''1818:''' The state of [[Illinois]] admitted into the Union. The Michigan Territory was enlarged to include [[Wisconsin]] and part of [[Minnesota]]. Michigan pressed her claim to the southern boundary. At Lewis Cass' urging, President [[James Monroe]] ordered a new survey. John A. Fulton plotted the Ordinance Line a few miles south of Toledo.
*The situation was now more confused than ever. The Harris Line agreed with the Ohio Constitution, and the Fulton Line agreed with the Northwest Ordinance. The difference between the two was a wedge-shaped strip of land, {{convert|5|mi|km|spell=in}} wide at the Indiana border, {{convert|8|mi|km|spell=in}} wide at [[Lake Erie]], and {{convert|70|mi|km}} from west to east, an area of about {{convert|450|sqmi|km2}} and including the mouth of the Maumee river. This was, in effect, a no-man's land between Michigan and Ohio, claimed by both.

====1820s====
*'''1827:''' The [[Michigan Territorial Council]] organized the wedge-shaped area into [[Port Lawrence Township]].
*'''1828:''' The [[U.S. House Committee on Territories]] in the [[United States House of Representatives]] reported that the framers of [[Northwest Ordinance of 1787]] intended to give every state created from the Northwest Territory equal accessibility to the [[Great Lakes]], thereby supporting Indiana's claim to a [[Lake Michigan]] outlet and Ohio's claim to [[Maumee Bay]]. Congress, however, took no definite action in resolving the dispute.

====early 1830s====
*'''1832:''' Michigan Territorial Council petitioned Congress for an enabling act which would permit Michigan to call a constitutional convention. Congress refused the request because of the unresolved boundary dispute between Michigan and Ohio. Congress passed a law providing for a third survey of the Ordinance Line to be completed December 31, 1835. [[Andrew Talcott]], captain of [[U.S. Army Engineers]] was commissioned to undertake the project, and the actual survey was made by Lieutenants [[Washington Hood]] and [[Robert E. Lee]].

Eastern capitalists had invested heavily in [[Port Lawrence]] real estate mistakenly guessing that the area would enjoy commercial success due to the construction of the [[Wabash and Erie Canal]] hoping that it would terminate in Toledo instead of Maumee thus keeping their holdings in wealthy and established Ohio.

Michigan capitalists wanted Port Lawrence in ''their'' state. Two sizeable railroad projects were being initiated in Michigan and due to terminate in the Toledo area.