Jonathan Carver's Footprints: The Carver Land Grant Case of 1825 and the Impact of American Indian Policy

Abstract

The case of the Jonathan Carver land grant has a long and complicated history. While most historians have covered the history of the Carver land grant they have failed to see the importance of how American Indian land policy influenced the dissolution of the Carver land grant case in 1825. The scope of the paper will cover Carver's history, his exploration of Wisconsin and Minnesota Territory from 1766 to 1768 and his reception of a land grant from a band of the Dakota Nation. The scope focuses on what happened with the deed after Carver's death, particularly focusing on Reverend Samuel Andrew Peters' involvement and attempts to get the Carver land grant ratified by Congress. More importantly the paper will draw focus to American Indian land policy and its important role in the Carver land grant case. In particular the paper will focus on what land policies the Committee on Private Land Claims used in the final ruling on the Carver claims case in addition to other laws prior to 1825 that would invalidate the Carver land grant.