The Northwest Ordinance was enacted by the Confederation Congress in 1787.
Formally titled An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the River Ohio, it was enacted on July 13, 1787. The law created the Northwest Territory, covering lands north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River.
The ordinance established a process for governing territories and admitting new states on an equal footing with the original states. It provided for territorial government, eventual statehood and a population threshold of 60,000 for admission. Ohio became the first state formed from the territory in 1803, followed by Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.
The ordinance also prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territory, although its enforcement and treatment of Native nations were deeply contested. It guaranteed certain legal rights, including jury trials and religious freedom, and encouraged education. The First Congress reaffirmed the measure, with modifications, in 1789.