Which group of states made no claims to western lands?
A.
Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Virginia
B.
Georgia, New York, South Carolina
C.
Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island
D.
New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia
C. Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island
Integrate Information Why do you think smaller states thought that larger states with western lands would become too powerful?
Smaller states may have had concerns that larger states with western lands would become too powerful due to several reasons:
1. Economic dominance: Larger states with access to abundant western lands would have the potential to cultivate large farms and establish prosperous agricultural economies. This economic advantage could lead to increased wealth, resources, and influence for these states. Smaller states may have feared being left behind in terms of economic development and becoming dependent on larger states for resources.
2. Population growth and representation: The population of the western territories was expanding rapidly, drawing people away from the eastern states. Smaller states may have worried that as larger states with western lands continued to grow in population, they would gain more seats in Congress and have larger representation in the federal government. This could potentially lead to a power imbalance and diminished influence for smaller states in decision-making processes.
3. Political competition: Competing with large western states for power and influence within the federal government could have been challenging for smaller states. They may have feared that these states would wield significant political clout and dominate discussions and decision-making on important national issues. This concern could have threatened the ability of smaller states to have their voices heard and their interests represented on a national level.
4. Balance of power: Smaller states may have believed that a fair balance of power among states was essential for the stability and functioning of the nascent United States. They may have viewed the acquisition of vast western lands by larger states as a potential threat to this delicate balance, with the potential for excessive concentration of power in the hands of a few states.
Overall, the fear of larger states becoming too powerful through their possession of western lands likely stemmed from concerns about economic dominance, political competition, population growth, and the maintenance of a balanced system of state power within the newly-formed United States.
The group of states that made no claims to western lands is C. Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island.
To determine which group of states made no claims to western lands, we need to identify the states that did not assert any territorial claims beyond their current boundaries during the early years of the United States. Let's analyze each option:
A. Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Virginia: Both Connecticut and Massachusetts made claims to parts of the western lands. North Carolina and Virginia, on the other hand, did not initially make any claims.
B. Georgia, New York, South Carolina: Georgia and South Carolina made claims to the western lands. However, New York did not assert any territorial claims beyond its current boundaries.
C. Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island: None of these states made claims to western lands.
D. New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia: As mentioned above, New York did not make any territorial claims beyond its current boundaries. However, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia did claim parts of the western lands.
Therefore, the group of states that made no claims to western lands is option C: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island.