Westmoreland County, Connecticut facts for kids
Westmoreland County, Connecticut was a special area set up by the state of Connecticut way back in October 1776. It covered the land we now call the Wyoming Valley in northeastern Pennsylvania.
This area was a bit confusing because both Connecticut and Pennsylvania thought it belonged to them! To make things even more complicated, the Six Nations (a group of Native American tribes) sold the land twice. They sold it to Connecticut in 1754 and then again to Pennsylvania in 1768. This led to some fights, known as the Yankee-Pennamite Wars, which happened from 1771 to 1775.
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How the Land Dispute Was Settled
In December 1782, a special group of people was chosen by the Continental Congress to help decide who owned the land. This group met in Trenton, New Jersey. They all agreed that the land should belong to Pennsylvania.
Connecticut Gets New Land
To make up for losing Westmoreland County, Connecticut received a large area of land in what would later become Ohio. This land was about 3,300,000 acres and was called the Western Reserve.
More Trouble for Settlers
After the decision, Pennsylvania did not want to confirm the land ownership papers for the people already living there. This caused more problems and led to the Second Yankee-Pennamite War. For a short time in 1784, the area even tried to become its own small country called the State of Westmoreland.
Westmoreland County Changes Name
Finally, in 1786, Connecticut officially gave the land to Pennsylvania. This happened after Pennsylvania agreed to confirm the land ownership papers for the settlers. Westmoreland County was then renamed to Luzerne County.
Not the Same Westmoreland County
It's important to know that this historical Westmoreland County has nothing to do with the Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania that exists today. The modern Westmoreland County is on the western side of Pennsylvania, far away from the original area.
