Southwest Territory : Ask Biography

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The Territory South of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Southwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1790, until June 1, 1796, when it was admitted to the United States as the State of Tennessee.

The Southwest Territory was created by the Southwest Ordinance enacted on May 26, 1790, out of land (the Washington District) that was ceded to the U.S. federal government by the State of North Carolina. The name "Territory South of the River Ohio" suggests a much larger territory than modern-day Tennessee. Even though Kentucky was south of the Ohio River, it was still a part of Virginia when the Southwest Territory was organized in 1790, and it would stay part of Virginia until it became a state in 1792. The land south of modern-day Tennessee was either still claimed by Georgia or disputed with Spain. Part of it would be organized as the Mississippi Territory in 1798, two years after the Southwest Territory had passed from existence.

The Southwest Territory should not be confused with the modern Southwestern United States.