{\b The Northwest Ordinances}.

{\b General Outline}.

Ordinances were made in 1784, 1785 and 1787 for the Northwest Territory which 
allowed the settlement of the heart of the North American continent.

{\b Historical Background}.

The 'Territory Northwest of the River Ohio' was formerly called the 'Old 
Northwest', and commonly referred to as the Northwest Territory. The area was 
disputed by Great Britain and France until it was awarded to the United States 
through the Treaty of Rome in 1783. It was established as the first American 
territory by the United States Congress on July 13th, 1878.  

Before the Ordinances the western lands had been in great disorder due to the 
conflict between the Indians and the frontiersmen. The Ordinances established 
a framework for the area to be settled and to eventually become part of the 
United States.

{\b Basic Features}.

The Congressional Ordinance of 1784 was drafted by Thomas Jefferson and was 
concerned mainly with the survey and sale of the Northwest Territory. As part 
of an overall plan for the admission of the new states into the Union, the 
land to the west of the original states was divided into sixteen territories. 
Each would qualify for status as a state when it had reached a population of 
20,000. This Ordinance was repealed by the Ordinance of 1787.

The Ordinance of 1785 was mainly for the survey of land in the Northwest 
Territory. Land in the territory was divided into townships each six miles 
square. These were subdivided into 36 lots of 640 acres each, and sold in 
sections at $1 per acre. Until the Homestead Act was passed in 1862 this 
Ordinance was the basis for American public land policy.

The Ordinance of 1787 outlined the framework of government in the Northwest 
Territory. It was drafted by Rufus King (1755-1827) and Nathan Dane 
(1752-1835) who were both Massachusetts lawyers. This Ordinance was more 
comprehensive than the 1784 Ordinance which it replaced. It organised the 
territory and established the precedent for the admission of new states into 
the Union.

There was provision for limited self-government, with the appointment by 
Congress of a governor, a secretary and three judges for each district. The 
districts were eligible to become territories when they reached a population 
of 5,000 free males of voting age. Territories could become states after the 
population grew to 60,000 free male voters.

{\b Conclusion}.

The Northwest Ordinances are described as among the most important national 
acts as they allowed for the dramatic expansion into the American interior. 
New states were admitted to the Union with the same status as the original 
states. 

Human rights were also protected in the Northwest Territory as slavery was 
prohibited. This was the first Congressional legislation limiting the extent 
of slavery.