The first few segments being posted recreate a political backdrop of the novel. The romance parts will follow.
To view previous segments click onto the category Carolyn’s Novel on the www.ProBlogs.com/beanerywriters blog.
Drawing on their resources, the men were raised $250,000 during the next year to purchase of some western lands. Then they appointed Manesseh to negotiate with Congress to buy as much land as this funding made possible. He approached Congress with the plan, convincing them of the value of selling large tracts of land rather than dealing with smaller parcels.
Benjamin updated the others while dining at the Bunch of Grapes Tavern on March 8, 1787.
“Not much is happening. Congress moves so slowly,” he told them. Just then he noticed William Duer enter the tavern and waved him an invitation to the table. The Secretary of the Board of Treasury was introduced around, and after some small talk, Benjamin continued.
“William contacted Manasseh with a new strategy,” Benjamin said.
William smiled as he motioned the group into a huddle.
“I heard what Manasseh was trying to do,” he said in a hushed tone so as not to be overheard. “I told him about the prominent men who see financial promise in speculating on the land west of the Appalacian Mountains.”
“Who are they,” Rufus asked.
“They want to be anonymous but I can tell you it’s a group of business and political leaders who are determined to be involved in settling the land west of the Appalachian Mountains. They heard about the Ohio Company and they want to share in the profits. They’re interested in the land in Ohio along the Scioto River. They even created a top-secret company in hopes of attaining it,” Duer explained. “But it’s absolutely top-secret! No one can know of this Scioto Company! All transactions with Congress must be done through the Ohio Company.”
“We’re still short funds to purchase the land, William,” noted Benjamin.
William sat back, rubbing his chin and taking a swill of ale.
“Perhaps there’s a way to ease the land sale through Congress, and everyone can profit,” he said. “Your Ohio Company needs to pay the treasure a down payment. Let me contribute one hundred thousand dollars toward this. It will help get the sale through. Then the Scioto lands will make us wealthy. Selling plots of land to settlers at the full value of their certificates, while purchasing the land at the depreciated amount of the certificates will certainly be profitable.”
On July 20, 1787, Colonel William Duer met with Manasseh and explained the need to extend the Ohio Land contract to include the Scioto Company, emphasizing to Manasseh the need to keep the deal a “profound secret.” The company was willing to purchase one and a half million acres at eight to nine cents an acre. In addition to offering Congress an immediate solution to their financial promises, William and his friends would help Mannasseh obtain the votes needed to pass the petition to purchase the entire Ohio Territory on the terms Mannasseh held dear: prohibition of slavery and the provision of land grants to establishment a university and to support the ministry.
Miraculously, Congress voted in favor of the Ohio Land Contract in July. Duer told his comrades how it was done.
“Congress didn’t approve of the deal that included our Scioto land acquisition,” he said. “On July 23 they approved a contract without the details Manasseh desired. He wrote a letter to the board of Treasury explaining the contract would have to be modified. He even threatened to leave New York and buy lands for his company of some of the States. On the 27th Congress accepted the modifications put forth by Manasseh, and at half-past three he was informed the ordinance passed Congress. Our land deal is set.”
On October 5 General Arthur St. Clair was elected governor. He immediately signed two land contracts, the Ohio Land Contract with its sub-grant for the Scioto Company, and the Ordinance of 1787.
The Scioto Company now needed to sell their land. It actively entered into land speculation both in America and across the ocean.
The saga will continue as plans are made to sell land to the French population and the inability of a French speculator to “play fair.”
