Ordinance of 1787

The Ordinance of 1787, also known as the Northwest Ordinance, was a significant piece of legislation enacted by the U.S. Congress. It established a systematic process for the settlement and governance of the Northwest Territory, which encompasses much of the present-day American Midwest.1

Key provisions of the ordinance included:
* Governance: It outlined a path from territorial status to statehood, requiring a minimum population of 5,000 adult free males for a territory to form a representative legislature, and 60,000 for admission as a state.1
* Civil Liberties: The ordinance guaranteed religious freedom and other civil liberties to settlers.1
* Slavery: Crucially, it forever outlawed slavery within the Northwest Territory.1
* Native Americans: It pledged fair treatment of the Indigenous peoples residing in the territory.1

This ordinance was a landmark achievement under the Articles of Confederation and established the principle of equal status for new states joining the Union.1