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Early notice on Gabriel's Rebellion... Creation of the Indiana Territory...
Early notice on Gabriel's Rebellion... Creation of the Indiana Territory...
Item # 702760
September 15, 1800
THE CONNECTICUT COURANT, Hartford, Sept. 15, 1800 Page 3 has a brief & early report on Gabriel's Rebellion,
It notes: "An insurrection was discovered on the 30th alt. among the negroes in the neighborhood of Richmond, Vir. and some of them are lodged in the gaol [jail] of that city...".
Gabriel's Rebellion was a planned slave rebellion in the Richmond, Virginia, area in the summer of 1800. Information regarding the revolt was leaked before its execution, and Gabriel, an enslaved blacksmith who planned the event, and twenty-five of his followers were hanged.
More notable is the back page Act of Congress: "...to divide the territory of the United States north-west of the Ohio, into two separate governments", signed in type by Th. Jefferson.
By this Act the Indiana Territory was created (see note below).
Four pages, some stray ink marks, good condition.
Note: The Act of May 7, 1800, formally titled “An Act to divide the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio, into two separate governments”, was a milestone in the westward expansion of the U.S. Its main significance was:
1. Creation of the Indiana Territory
• The law split the original Northwest Territory (established under the Northwest Ordinance of 1787) into two parts.
• The western portion became the Indiana Territory, with Vincennes as its capital. William Henry Harrison was appointed as the first governor.
• The eastern portion remained the Northwest Territory, governed from Chillicothe (in present-day Ohio).
2. Step toward Ohio Statehood
• By 1800, settlement had grown rapidly in the eastern part (future Ohio). Separating it from the more sparsely populated western lands made it easier to prepare Ohio for admission to the Union.
• Indeed, just three years later, in 1803, Ohio became the 17th state.
3. Administration & Expansion
• The act allowed more localized governance, since the original Northwest Territory was too large to manage effectively.
• It set the stage for further divisions as population spread westward — eventually leading to the creation of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota from these territories.
4. Political Significance
• Gave the Jeffersonian Republicans influence in the new Indiana Territory (through Harrison’s leadership).
• Helped accelerate the federal government’s ability to organize land sales, manage Native relations, and promote settlement.
Category: Pre-Civil War
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