1. THE NORTHWEST ORDINANCE of 1787

2. New Independence/ New Lands
The United States earned
their independence from
Britain during the American
Revolution. The two
countries signed the Treaty
of Paris 1783. A provision
of the treaty gave the United
States British land claims in
North America. See map

3. What to do with this new land?
A. Problem: Many states made claims to the
new western lands (Northwest Territory).
 Boundaries of the
Northwest
Territory: Great
Lakes (north),
Pennsylvania
(east), Ohio River
(south),
Mississippi River
(west)

4. See the confusion ?

5. Solution
B. Solution to the Problem: All states agreed to
cede (give) their claims to Congress , so
Congress can sell the land for the good of
the country.
NATIONAL DOMAIN – Public land

6. LAND ORDINANCE (Law)
II. LAND ORDINANCE
of 1785: Congress’s
plan to sell the land
of the Northwest
Territory.
A. Rectangular Survey
System – carefully
surveyed the land
into squares to be
sold.

7. LAND ORDINANCE
1. Township – the largest division of land.
It is thirty-six square miles.

9. LAND ORDINANCE
2. Section – 36 sections in a township. It is
one square mile or 640 acres.

10. LAND ORDINANCE
3. Acre – the smallest division of land.
It sold for $1 per acre.
The average size farm was 40 acre. So, it
sold for $40.

11. LAND ORDINANCE
B. Education – the sale from one section of each
township goes to start a school for that
township.
How much went for education?
Answer: $640

12. III.THE NORTHWEST
ORDINANCE of 1787 this
document establishes…
 the principles and procedures for the
orderly expansion of the United States.

13. THE NORTHWEST ORDINANCE of
1787
A. Statehood:
1. When the population reaches 5,000 adult
males the area can:
a. elect it’s own legislature.
b. send non-voting members to
Congress.

14. THE NORTHWEST ORDINANCE of
1787
2. When the population reaches 60,000
adult males the area can:
a. can write a state constitution and
apply for statehood.
b. If Congress approves the state
Constitution that area will become a
state.

15. THE NORTHWEST ORDINANCE of
1787
Five states join the
Union:
Ohio (1803)
Indiana (1816)
Illinois (1818)
Michigan (1837)
Wisconsin (1848)

16. THE NORTHWEST ORDINANCE of
1787
Rights Guaranteed:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Trial by jury
Public education
Freedom of religion
Prohibition of slavery