Northwest Ordinance

Northwest

Ordinance

1785

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Background

The Northwest Ordinance was a foundational piece of legislation passed during the era when the Articles of Confederation served as the supreme law of the land. Although the Articles of Confederation had many weaknesses, this ordinance helped establish a structured process for the expansion of the United States into the Northwest Territory.

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Land Ordinance of 1785

New Land

This established a system for surveying and selling land in the Northwest Territory, dividing it into rectangular townships and sections, which would then be sold to settlers,

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Public Education

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1. New states were equal in status to existing
2. When the territory reached 5,000 voting residents (white, land owning men), settlers could write a temporary state constitution and elect their own government

Northwest Ordinance

This ordinance established the process for creating new states and outlined essential rights for settlers. In essence, the Founding Fathers sought to ensure that any new state admitted to the Union would enter on equal footing with the existing states..

3. When the population reached 60,000 free inhabitants, the settlers could write a state constitution 4. But that constitution had to be approved by Congress 5. Once Congress approved - the state would be granted statehood WITH NO slavery allowed

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heimler

Watch the video and take notes in the space provided on page 16 of your Study Guide