"The General Government only has the power, to treat with the one or the other, and the United States will exert this power for the benefit of both... No State, nor person, can purchase your lands, unless at some public treaty, held under the authority of the United States. This is the law of the land, and it will be observed."
— George Washington, Address to the Seneca Nation, 1790
Which of the following historical developments in the late eighteenth century best explains the federal government's policy outlined in the excerpt?
- The consolidation of treaty-making authority under the federal government to regulate land sales and manage relations on the western frontier.Answer
- BThe decision to allow individual states to negotiate independent land cessions to satisfy local agrarian demands.
- CThe inability of the national government under the Articles of Confederation to regulate western commerce and raise armies.
- DThe total reliance on state-level militias to enforce boundaries due to a lack of executive power in the new federal constitution.
Answer
The consolidation of treaty-making authority under the federal government to regulate land sales and manage relations on the western frontier.
The correct option is correct because the newly ratified U.S. Constitution centralized treaty-making and commerce power in the federal government. In the Nonintercourse Act of 1790 and direct addresses like this one to the Seneca Nation, the Washington administration asserted that only the federal government had the authority to negotiate land cessions and treaties, seeking to bring order to the frontier and prevent unauthorized conflicts sparked by state governments or private settlers.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Westward Migration, Frontier Conflicts, and Border Treaties
Estimated Time:1m 30s