11/3/2015
The Land Ordinance of 1785 and the
Northwest Territory
Settling the Public Domain
• The Articles of
Confederation did not give
congress the power to tax
• In order to get Articles of
Confed ratified, states that
claimed western lands
ceded them to the
government
• Allowed the National
Government sold public
lands in the west to raise
revenue
• One of the issues of the
Confederation Congress
was how to deal with the
sale and settlement of the
public lands
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11/3/2015
Land Ordinance of 1785
• Provided an orderly
procedure to sell lands
north of Ohio River
• Divided territory into
townships
 6 miles x 6 miles
square
• Opportunity to a lot of
land cheap
• Some land was reserved
for Revolutionary War
veterans
6
miles
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6 miles
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A
Land sold for
$1 per acre
C
B
D
D
A – Half-section = 320 acres
B – Quarter-section = 160 acres
C – Half-quarter section = 80 acres
D – Quarter-quarter section = 40 acres
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11/3/2015
Northwest Ordinance
A Process for National Expansion
•
Passed in 1787, it created a
government for the Northwest
Territory
– Land north of Ohio River &
west of Pennsylvania to the
Mississippi River
• Provided an organized method for
expanding the nation into new
territories and bringing those
territories into the union as new
states
• New States would come into
Union with all rights & privileges
of original 13 states
• Set a precedent that new
states would have equal
status to old states
Northwest Ordinance (1787)
Section 1
•
Northwest Territory was to be divided into at least 3 but no more than
5 states
Section 2
•
3-step process to achieve statehood Could petition for statehood
– At first territory would be ruled by a governor, secretary and 3 judges
appointed by Congress
– When adult male population reached 5,000 they elect territorial
legislature and a territorial delegate to Congress
– When TOTAL population reached 60,000 they could apply for statehood
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11/3/2015
Northwest Ordinance (1787)
Section 3
• Created a Bill of rights
for settlers
• Slavery would not be
allowed in the
Northwest territory
– Insured that northern
states would be free
territory
• Protected freedom of
religion
• Ensured trial by jury
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