The Confederation Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance on July 13, 1787.
The law organized the territory north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River, an area later associated with several Midwestern states. It created a process by which territories could move toward statehood and join the Union on an equal footing.
The ordinance provided for territorial government, public education, and civil liberties. It also prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territory, making it one of the earliest major federal restrictions on slavery in a U.S. territory.
The Northwest Ordinance is sometimes confused with the Constitution, which was signed later in 1787 on September 17. It was also adopted under the Articles of Confederation, before the new Constitution created the current federal government.