Question

What was the purpose of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?

Answer 1

Hint: The Northwest Ordinances, also known as 1784, 1785, and 1787 Ordinances, were enacted by the United States Congress to provide orderly and equitable procedures for the settlement and political incorporation of the Northwest Territory—that part of the American frontier lying west of Pennsylvania, north of the Ohio River, east of the Mississippi River, and south of the Gettysburg Canal.

Complete answer:
The Northwest Ordinance, also known as the Ordinance of 1787, constituted a government for the Northwest Territory, defined the procedure for admitting a new state to the Union, and promised that newly formed states would be equal to the thirteen original states.

The purpose of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 -
- The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established procedures for admitting new states as one of its goals. By establishing a republic, Americans agreed to have a governor make their laws. The Northwest Ordinance ensured fundamental liberties.
- The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 was introduced to stop the spread of slavery.
- The land allotted in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 became the United States' first official territory. Guidelines for forming states out of the territory were created, including how aspiring states could claim/divide the land and how governments should be formed.
- The Northwest Ordinance also created certain natural rights protections that were later incorporated into the Bill of Rights. For the land decreed by the Northwest Ordinance, religious rights, habeas corpus, and only penalties were included.
- The Northwest Ordinance declared slavery illegal in the territory. This is significant because it abolished slavery in northern states, which exacerbated tensions between the north and south and contributed to the Civil War.

Note: The Northwest Ordinance was significant because it formed the pattern for settling the rest of the West. All other jurisdictions will be required to go through the same state-formation process. The Northwest Ordinance ensured the orderly settlement of the West.