Northwest Ordinance Establishes Northwest Territory

Adopted July 13, 1787, by the Confederation Congress, this legislation organized the territory northwest of the Ohio River, encompassing present-day Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota. It established a three-stage process for territorial governance culminating in statehood once population reached 60,000. Article VI prohibited slavery throughout the territory. The ordinance set the precedent for orderly westward expansion through the creation and admission of new states rather than extension of existing state boundaries.