Cession
The formal handing over of land, or of authority over it, from one government to another, usually by treaty, law or deed.
The formal handing over of land, or of authority over it, from one government to another, usually by treaty, law or deed.
Example: On March 1, 1784, Congress accepted Virginia’s deed of cession for its claims northwest of the Ohio River, land that became the Northwest Territory. The Constitution also provides that the national capital district would come “by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress.”
Common misconception: A cession is not the same as secession. A cession transfers territory by agreement; secession is a state’s attempt to leave a union.
Sources: National Archives, The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription (Article I, Section 8); Indiana State Library Digital Collections, Deed of Cession, Old Northwest Territory, March 1, 1784