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settlements.
The War of 1812 temporarily slowed migration into the territory. Just prior to the War, the United States seized West Florida from the Pearl River to the Perdido River (Pensacola). During this period between the American Revolution and the War of 1812, settlers obtained land by various methods. Some were by grants from the French, English, or Spanish authorities, depending on which country had possession of the land at the time. Land was also obtained illegally from the Indians, by purchase from the Yazoo Land companies,and by squatter's rights. The National government made an effort to validate claims to land held prior to 1804. Two land commissions were set up — one for the territory west of the Pearl River which met at Washington near Natchez; one for the territory east of the Pearl River which met at St. Stephens.
A valuable source of information on these developments are the American State Papers, Class VIII, Public Lands, Volumes I-VIII. Volume I contains an account of the changing sovereignty over lands in the Mississippi Territory prior to 1804	(p.99). It also contains an alphabetical list of claimants
to land east of the Pearl River under British or Spanish grants,and of pre-emption claims from 1778 (pp.626-644). It is advisable to examine the other volumes because in some instances additional claims were filed. These claims, as published, list the names of the claimant, the source of the title, the date acquired, and the acreage claimed. If a name of an ancestor is found on such a list, the Guide to Genealogical Records in the National Archives should He read with care regarding "Private Land Claim Records,1789-June	30,1908," "Reports to Congress on
Private Land Claims," "Claims Relating to Mississippi Territory," "Records of the Board of Commissioners for the District East of Pearl River North of 31 degrees," and "Records of the Board of Commissioners for the District East of the Pearl River South of 31 degrees."
Not every one registered with one of the land commission offices. Some sent their claims to the General Land Office in Washington. The National Archives has an alphabetical file of claims filed with the General Land Office. The claims from every state are intermingled in the files, but it can be checked for a certain surname that might have filed a claim in Mississippi or Alabama.
Reference has been made to the land commission offices at Washington and St. Stephens. As other areas were opened for settlement by treaties with the Indians, additional land offices . were opened. An office was opened in Nashville from 1809 to 1811 when it was moved to Huntsville, Alabama. Another was opened in Milledgeville, Georgia from 1817 to 1818 when it was moved to Cahaba, Alabama in 1819, and then to Greenville in 1856. Other offices opened at Tuscaloosa in 1821, Sparta in 1822, Demopolis in 1833, Montgomery in 1834, and at Mordisville in 1834, which was moved to Lebanon in 1842.