Congress adopted the Northwest Ordinance in 1787. The law created a framework for governing the Northwest Territory, the region north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River.
The ordinance established a process by which territories could progress toward statehood. It provided for an appointed territorial government, later elected representation, and admission as states once population and constitutional requirements were met.
The law also prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territory, although it did not immediately end slavery elsewhere and did not resolve the status of every person already held in bondage. It protected certain civil liberties, encouraged public education, and recognized contractual rights.
The ordinance is sometimes confused with the Land Ordinance of 1785, which organized the surveying and sale of western lands. The Northwest Ordinance addressed territorial government and statehood, making it one of the most important laws passed under the Articles of Confederation.