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The Northwest Ordinance | Primary Source Essentials

Description

How did the Northwest Ordinance shape the expansion of the United States in the early republic? In this rapid-fire episode of BRI’s Primary Source Essentials, explore how the Confederation Congress established a process for admitting new states to the Union with the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. Learn about the three-step process for statehood, the protection of essential rights, the promotion of education, and the ban on slavery in the Northwest Territory. Discover how this critical ordinance laid the foundation for the creation of five states—Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota—and promoted republican principles of self-government and a healthy civil society.

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During the “critical period” after the American Revolution, many were concerned that the Articles of Confederation were inadequate for the states to grow commercially and economically. The Confederation Congress announced a meeting to revise the Articles of Confederation, but not everyone was convinced that the Articles needed revision—or even that the goals of the Convention were admirable. Divisions emerged among the delegates regarding centralized power, executive power, representation, and slavery.