The Great PA-Connecticut War

Officially, it is known as the The Pennamite-Yankee Wars. What happened was that way, way back King Charles II gave the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania to two separate groups. First he gave it to Connecticut in 1663. Later, in 1681, he gave it to William Penn. Connecticut actually had the better claim and sent settlers to the valley several times. They were the ones who founded the town of Wilkes-Barre.

Each time they came, the hometown crowd chased them off or fought with them. Sometimes Connecticut won; sometimes PA did. The fighting went on for thirty years between 1769 and 1799. Some of the fighting was pretty mild. In one "war," only three people were killed.

The King of England tried to settle the dispute by ruling that the land belonged to Connecticut, but then the American Revolution happened, and the Continental Congress sided with Pennsylvania's claim. So the war dragged on with no end in sight. At one point, Vermont sent men to help Connecticut.

It ended in 1799 when it was agreed that the Wyoming Valley belonged to Pennsylvania, but that the Connecticut settlers could retain their lands.

And now everybody is happy. Yay!!!
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