NORTHWEST TERRITORY

The A of C

Despite weaknesses, the A of C government accomplished important tasks

Greatest achievement was establishing a fair land policy for lands west of App. Mtns

NORTHWEST TERRITORY

The NW Territory was a huge area of land west of the App. Mtns. The NW Territory was given up to the U.S. by England in 1783 as part of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War.

NORTHWEST TERRITORY

The NW Territory was important because it was the first territory that the new U.S. gov organized for settlement. It developed the pattern for how future states would be added to the Union. The A of C contained no provision for adding states and congress knew it had to extend its authority over the area.

NORTHWEST TERRITORY

Since the A of C government did not have the power to collect taxes, they passed two laws in 1785 and 1787, establishing a system for dividing and selling govt land

LAND ORDINANCE of 1785

With this law, regions were surveyed and divided into squares, called townships, which measured six miles on each side. Each township was subdivided into sections of 640 acres, each to be sold at auction for $1/acre

EDUCATION

The Land Ordinance of 1785 also required that one 640-acre section in each township be used to support public schools in the region; Section 16 would be saved for schools.

LAND ORDINANCE of 1787

Better known as the NW Ordinance, this law created the NW Territory. It divided the territory into smaller districts and gave Congress the power to appoint a governor and judges in each one. When 5000 voters lived in a territory, it could elect a legislature and send a nonvoting delegate to Congress. When 60,000 free residents live in a territory, it could apply to Congress for statehood. This process for admitting states into the Union it still in effect today.

NORTHWEST TERRITORY

Each new state would come into the Union with the same rights and privileges as the original states:

Freedom of ReligionProperty RightsRight to trial by jury

In addition, there would be no slavery or involuntary servitude in the new territories.