VIRGINIA-PENNSYLVANIA BOUND ARY DISPUTE. Several years before the American Revolution the rapid increase of set tlements in the transmontane region beyond the western limits of Maryland, and especially along the waters of the Monongahela, precipitated a bitter boundary dispute which threatened to result in open hostilities in the disputed ter ritory. Virginia — on the basis of certain words of an early charter—claimed territory at least as far north as the 40th parallel, which would have included the °key to the West* at Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh). Pennsylvania threat ened to renew her claim to the line of 39° as originally demanded by the Penns before the establishment of the hfason and Dixon line as the boundary between Maryland and Pennsyl vania. In 1773 Governor Dunmore of Virginia, determined to resist the claims of Pennsylvania jurisdiction recently exercised through courts established at Hatina's Town (now Greens burg), sent to Fort Pitt a trusted representa tive, Dr. John Connolly, who established a
rival court and rival magistrates, thus beginniug a struggle which was postponed only' by the Revolution.
From 1774 to 1780 Virginia courts continued to sit in western Pennsylvania on territory claimed by Pennsylvania. Finally, following negotiations of 1779 au agreement for a survey to establish the boundary was reached in June 1780. A temporary survey was completed in 1781 and a petmartent survey, under a joint boundary commission, completed the extension of the °Mason and Dixon* line to the south west corner of Pennsylvania in 1784, and es tablished the western boundaay line of Pennsyl vania in 1785-86.