Founding Fathers working to overcome the problems of peaceful expansion of territories toward westward expansion. The Northwest Ordinance of 1785 and 1787 is also addressing for the first time the problem of slavery in the new territories and eventual states.

1. Moving West
The Land Ordinance of 1785
&
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787

2. New Land Policies
• Beginning of the Revolution
– Only a few thousand lived
west of the Appalachian
Mountains
– Treaty of Paris of 1763
• Proclamation Line of 1763
• Forbid moving West
• By 1790’s
– Treaty of Paris of 1783
allowed Americans to move
west
– Around 120,000
• Settlers wanted to organize
their lands and join the
Union

3. States Relinquish Territories
• All states relinquished
land claims in the new
territory and gave it to
the congress

5. Congress in Debt
• Congress had no power
to tax the inhabitants of
the United States
– Goal of the Land
Ordinance of 1785
• To raise money through
the sale of land
• Pay off war debts
• Organize new territories
gained under the Treaty
of Paris of 1783

6. Dividing and Selling Land
• Congress surveyed and
Divided the land in
order to sell it to people
moving west.
• They passed the “Land
Ordinance of 1785” to
divide the land.

8. Dividing the Land
• Divided into Townships
– 6 Miles Long
• Townships divided into
36 Sections
– 640 Acres
– Sold at public auctions
for at least $1

9. Land Speculations
• Speculators viewed the law as an opportunity
to accumulate land cheaply
– Concerned with the lawlessness in the West,
Richard Henry Lee urged, “the rights of property
be clearly defined”
– Congress solved this problem by setting up a new
Ordinance called “The Northwest Ordinance of
1787”

10. The Northwest Ordinance
Setting up government in the
Northwest Territory

11. The Northwest Ordinance

12. The Northwest Ordinance
• Passed in 1787
• Created the Northwest
Territory
• Would divide the lands
into 3-5 smaller
territories

13. Setting Up Boundaries
• Northwest Territory
– First Organized Territory
of the United States
• Boundaries
– South of the Great Lakes
– North and West of the
Ohio River
– East of the Mississippi

14. Abolition of State Claims
• The new territory was
to be controlled by the
central government
• States had to give up
their land claims in the
West
• Congress would be the
legislative body of the
new territories

15. Reaching Statehood
• When the territory
reached a population of
5,000 “free male
inhabitants of full age”
they could form a
legislature.
• Once the Territory
reached a population of
60,000 it could apply for
statehood
– These states would be
admitted to the Union with
equal rights of the original
13 states.

16. Establishing Civil Rights
• Property Rights were
Promised
• Religious Tolerance was
proclaimed
• Free Public Education
• No Cruel or Unusual
Punishment
• Trial By Jury

17. The Prohibition of Slavery
• Slavery and Involuntary
Servitude was illegal

18. Rights of the Native Americans
• “The utmost good faith
shall always be
observed towards the
Indians; their land and
property shall never be
taken without their
consent; and , in their
property, rights, and
liberty, they shall never
be invaded or
disturbed.”