Isabella Carter
The Northwest Ordinance, passed on 13 July 1787, was a plan for governing the territory north and west of the Ohio River. It established clear processes for acquiring, settling and organising western lands, while legitimising the powers of the US government. The Ordinance solidified federal power early in the ratification era by establishing Congress as the only authority controlling territories held by the United States. It also banned slavery in the territory, asserting the supremacy of the new federal government to decide issues that generated sectional tensions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date passed | 13 July 1787 |
| Date affirmed by U.S. Congress | 7 August 1789 |
| Territory covered | North and west of the Ohio River |
| Established | Freedom of religion, right to trial by jury, public education |
| Banned | Slavery |
| Established Congress as | The only authority controlling territories held by the United States |
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What You'll Learn
- The Northwest Ordinance was passed by the Congress of the Articles of Confederation on July 13, 1787, and affirmed by the U.S. Congress on August 7, 1789
- The Ordinance created the Northwest Territory, which was the land north and west of the Ohio River
- The Ordinance banned slavery in the states to be formed out of the territories
- The Ordinance asserted the rights of the people, including freedom of religion, the right to trial by jury, and public education
- The Ordinance solidified federal power by establishing Congress as the only authority controlling territories held by the United States
The Northwest Ordinance was passed by the Congress of the Articles of Confederation on July 13, 1787, and affirmed by the U.S. Congress on August 7, 1789
The Ordinance was passed during a period of significant change in the United States. In 1783, the United States and Great Britain signed the Treaty of Paris, officially ending the War of Independence and establishing the boundaries of the new nation. The same year, all thirteen states of the United States ratified the Articles of Confederation, the country's first constitution.
The Northwest Ordinance presaged several provisions of the Constitution and the First Amendment. Notably, it announced a prohibition of slavery in the states to be formed out of the territories, although this was accompanied by a fugitive slave clause. This prohibition, combined with the ratification of the Constitution, helped to suppress conflict over western expansion and the place of slavery in the territories.
The Ordinance also solidified federal power early in the ratification era by establishing Congress as the only authority controlling territories held by the United States. This assertion of federal supremacy was significant in addressing issues that generated sectional tensions, such as the place of slavery in the territories.
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The Ordinance created the Northwest Territory, which was the land north and west of the Ohio River
The Northwest Ordinance (formally the Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North West of the River Ohio) created the Northwest Territory, which was the land north and west of the Ohio River. The ordinance was passed by the Congress of the Articles of Confederation on July 13, 1787, and affirmed, with slight modifications, by the U.S. bicameral Congress on August 7, 1789.
The Northwest Ordinance established clear processes for acquiring, settling and organizing western lands, while legitimizing the powers of the United States government. It solidified federal power early in the ratification era by establishing Congress as the only authority controlling territories held by the United States. The Ordinance also banned slavery in the territory, asserting the supremacy of the new federal government to decide issues that generated sectional tensions.
The prohibition of slavery in the territory, combined with ratification of the Constitution, effectively set up the conditions to suppress conflict over western expansion and the place of slavery in the territories until Missouri, the first state carved out of the Louisiana Purchase, applied for statehood. The Northwest Ordinance also asserted the rights of the people to freedom of religion, the right to trial by jury, and public education.
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The Ordinance banned slavery in the states to be formed out of the territories
The Northwest Ordinance, passed by the Congress of the Articles of Confederation on 13 July 1787, banned slavery in the states to be formed out of the territories. It was affirmed, with slight modifications, by the U.S. bicameral Congress on 7 August 1789. The Ordinance was a plan for governing the territory north and west of the Ohio River. It established clear processes for acquiring, settling and organising western lands, while legitimising the powers of the U.S. government. The Ordinance also asserted the rights of the people to freedom of religion, the right to trial by jury, and public education.
The Ordinance's prohibition of slavery in the territory, combined with the ratification of the Constitution, effectively set up the conditions to suppress conflict over western expansion and the place of slavery in the territories until Missouri applied for statehood. The Ordinance's ban on slavery in the states to be formed out of the territories was an important step in the history of the United States, as it asserted the supremacy of the new federal government to decide issues that generated sectional tensions.
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The Ordinance asserted the rights of the people, including freedom of religion, the right to trial by jury, and public education
The Northwest Ordinance, passed on July 13, 1787, asserted the rights of the people, including freedom of religion, the right to trial by jury, and public education. The Ordinance was passed by the Congress of the Articles of Confederation and affirmed, with slight modifications, by the U.S. Congress on August 7, 1789.
The Ordinance established clear processes for acquiring, settling, and organizing western lands, while also legitimizing the powers of the United States government. It solidified federal power by establishing Congress as the only authority controlling territories held by the United States.
The Ordinance primarily created the Northwest Territory, which consisted of lands stretching from the Ohio River west to the Mississippi and north to the Great Lakes. The Ordinance banned slavery in these territories, asserting the supremacy of the new federal government to decide issues that generated sectional tensions.
The Northwest Ordinance presaged several provisions of the Constitution and the First Amendment. It was an important step in the ratification process, as it established the rights and freedoms that would be guaranteed to the people of the United States. By asserting these rights, the Ordinance helped to shape the future of the nation and ensure that the government would be accountable to its citizens.
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The Ordinance solidified federal power by establishing Congress as the only authority controlling territories held by the United States
The Northwest Ordinance, passed by the Congress of the Articles of Confederation on July 13, 1787, and affirmed by the U.S. Congress on August 7, 1789, was a plan for governing the territory north and west of the Ohio River. The Ordinance solidified federal power by establishing Congress as the only authority controlling territories held by the United States.
The Ordinance created the Northwest Territory, which was formed from the lands stretching from the Ohio River west to the Mississippi and north to the Great Lakes, claimed by the United States after the Revolutionary War ended in 1783. The Ordinance established clear processes for acquiring, settling, and organizing these western lands, while legitimizing the powers of the U.S. government.
The Ordinance also banned slavery in the territory, asserting the supremacy of the new federal government to decide issues that generated sectional tensions. This prohibition of slavery, combined with the ratification of the Constitution, helped to suppress conflict over western expansion and the place of slavery in the territories until Missouri applied for statehood.
Additionally, the Ordinance asserted the rights of the people in the territory, including freedom of religion, the right to trial by jury, and public education. These provisions presaged several provisions of the Constitution and the First Amendment, demonstrating the Ordinance's role in solidifying federal power and establishing Congress's authority over U.S. territories.
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Frequently asked questions
The Northwest Ordinance was a plan for governing the territory north and west of the Ohio River. It was passed by the Congress of the Articles of Confederation on July 13, 1787, and affirmed by the U.S. bicameral Congress on August 7, 1789.
The Northwest Ordinance established clear processes for acquiring, settling and organizing western lands, while legitimizing the powers of the United States government. It also banned slavery in the territory, asserting the supremacy of the new federal government to decide issues that generated sectional tensions.
The Northwest Ordinance solidified federal power early in the ratification era by establishing Congress as the only authority controlling territories held by the United States. The prohibition of slavery in the territory, combined with ratification of the Constitution, effectively set up the conditions to suppress conflict over western expansion and the place of slavery in the territories.
The Northwest Ordinance asserted freedom of religion, the right to trial by jury, and public education as rights of the people.
The Northwest Ordinance was passed by the Congress of the Articles of Confederation, and affirmed with slight modifications by the U.S. Congress. The Articles of Confederation were the first constitution of the United States, ratified by all thirteen states on September 3, 1783.
