The boundary between Massachusetts and Rhode Island was a subject for dispute for more than 200 years and twice was before the Supreme Court. As early as 1642 the line was marked in part and in 1710-11 commis sioners from both colonies agreed upon the north line of Rhode Island, their report being approved by the respective legislative bodies. In 1719 this line was surveyed, but subsequent investigations showed numerous irregularities. In 1741 the line between Massachusetts and the eastern part of Rhode Island was fixed by com missioners but Rhode Island was dissatisfied and appealed to the King who, on 28 May 1746, affirmed the report of the commissioners. Under this decree the line was run to the sup posed southern boundary of Massachusetts and in 1748 the Rhode Island legislature appointed commissioners to continue the line to the Con necticut corner. Various ineffectual attempts were made to secure an agreement, and in 1832, all other measures having failed, Rhode Island by a bill in equity brought the matter before the Supreme Court, which in 1846 decided in favor of Massachusetts. Meanwhile in 1844 commissioners were appointed by both States to mark the boundary, part of the line as marked being accepted by both States and monuments erected thereon; but Massachu setts would not ratify the agreement regard ing the other part and therefore brought suit in the Supreme Court for an adjudication. In 1860, however, both States agreed upon a con ventional line which was confirmed by a decree of the Supreme Court in 1861. Further dis cussion regarding the matter occurred, but it was finally settled in 1880-81 when both States decided to erect monuments on the conventional line.
Massachusetts entered also into contro versies with Connecticut and New York re garding boundaries. In 1713 commissioners from Massachusetts and Connecticut agreed upon a line which gave to Massachusetts cer tain northern frontier towns (Woodstock, Suf Enfield and Somers), but in 1749 Con necticut asserted that the colonies had no legal right to transfer territory without the King's approval, and as the line had not been approved by the King, the towns were again under her jurisdiction. Massachusetts appealed to the King but he sustained Connecticut. In 1791 a fruitless attempt was made to settle the line but not until 1803 was it surveyed and marked. In 1826 the line between Connecticut and Massachusetts east of the Connecticut River was surveyed and marked by commis sioners from both States. New York claimed that her charters of 1664 and 1674 extended her territory to the west bank of the Connecticut River while Massachusetts claimed to the South Sea. Many attempts at adjustment were made and finally in 1787 commissioners appointed by Congress ran the line as follows: °Beginning at a monument erected in 1731 by commission ers from Connecticut and New York, distant from the Hudson 20 miles and running north 15° 12' 9", east 50 miles 41 chains and 79 links to a red or black oak tree marked by said com missioners, which said line was run as the magnetic needle pointed in 1787.* On 16 Dec. 1786 a joint commission from the two States settled the Massachusetts claims to western lands, that State relinquishing the territory to New York and receiving in return the right of soil and pre-emption right of Indian purchase west of the meridian passing through the 82d milestone of the Pennsylvania line, excepting certain reservations on Niagara River. The
title to a tract known as The Boston Ten Towns* lying east of this meridian, previously granted by Massachusetts, was confirmed. In 1853 a small tract of land in the southwest corner of Massachusetts known as °Boston Corner* was ceded to New York, Congress con firming the cession two years later.
In 1703 Rhode Island's western boundary was settled by commissioners from that colony and Connecticut, but when the line was run Rhode Island refused to accept it and ap pealed to the King, who in 1726 confirmed the agreement of 1703. Two years later the line was run as agreed. In 1839 the two States appointed commissioners to survey the line and erect monuments and their report was ratified in 1846.
A dispute arose between Connecticut and New York over their boundary line New York claiming as far east as Connecticut'River under the Duke of York's charter of 1664. Commis sioners appointed by the King determined that Connecticut's southern boundary was Long Island Sound, and its western boundary Ma maroneck River and a line drawn north-north west from the head of salt water in it to Massachusetts. In effect this was a line 20 miles east of the Hudson with a starting point at a place on Mamaroneck River. Neither party being satisfied, joint commissions were appointed several times to fix the line but no action was taken until a question of jurisdiction arose which Connecticut in 1855 proposed to settle by a new survey. Several sets of com missioners were appointed and finally in 1860 the line was run by New York commissioners alone, following a survey made in 1731. In 1880 both States appointed commissioners who ratified the line surveyed in 1860 and this agreement was confirmed by Congress 26 Feb. 1881.
The Duke of York's grant to Sir George Carteret in 1664 plainly defined the boundary line between New York and New Jersey, but the line remained unsettled until 1769 when commissioners appointed by the King fixed it substantially where it is to-day. On the south the only thing to do was to find the beginning of 43° north latitude where the Delaware crossed it and then run a line westward. In 1774 New York and Pennsylvania appointed commissioners for this purpose; the work was finished in 1787 and ratified in 1789. In 1781 New York surrendered all her claims to lands west of her present western boundaries, and in 1792, in order to get an outlet on Lake Erie, Pennsylvania purchased from the United States the triangle bordering on that lake. Connecti cut also disputed with Pennsylvania the posses sion of the so-called Wyoming Valley in the latter colony, but when the Articles of Confed eration went into effect Congress decided the dispute against Connecticut. There were also disputes between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware (particularly regard ing jurisdiction over Pea Patch Island), Mary land and Delaware, and Delaware and Pennsyl vania, all of which were settled without great difficulty, but the details cannot be given here.