Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance establishing government for the Northwest Territory in 1787.
Adopted on July 13, 1787, the ordinance organized land north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River. It provided a process by which territories could progress toward statehood and eventually join the Union on equal footing with existing states.
The ordinance divided the territory into stages of government. Congress initially appointed territorial officials, and the territory could later form a legislature and apply for statehood after reaching specified population thresholds. The law also protected certain civil rights, encouraged public education, and prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territory.
The Northwest Ordinance was one of the major achievements of the Confederation Congress. It helped establish a model for territorial expansion that influenced later U.S. governance. The territory eventually produced several states, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. It did not itself create a state immediately; instead, it supplied the framework for future admission.