doi:10.7916/ypbv-9c52Document, 1780 February n.d.correspondencetextUnited States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783Jay, John, 1745-1829The territory claimed by the U.S. east of Mississippi is theirs by virtue of its being ceded to Britain in 1763. Spain can maintain that some of this territory is a legitimate object of conquest. But these territories are few in number, and Spain could also argue that any territory which in the future might fall into the hands of Britain could be land for conquest by Spain The Mississippi is a natural boundary. The territory in question has a number of U.S. citizens and the U.S. must protect them. The U.S. needs a port at the mouth for deposit. As the country expands, agriculture will expand and the river will be invaluable.