What territory did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 organize for the United States?

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 organized the Northwest Territory for the United States.

The territory covered lands north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River, including areas that later became Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota. Congress adopted the ordinance under the Articles of Confederation on July 13, 1787.

The law established a process for territorial government and eventual statehood. It provided that a territory could advance toward statehood as its population grew, making it an important early example of an orderly expansion system. The ordinance also protected certain civil liberties and encouraged public education.

The Northwest Ordinance prohibited slavery in the territory, although its enforcement and later regional history were complicated. It is often discussed alongside the Land Ordinance of 1785, which dealt mainly with surveying and selling western lands. The two laws addressed different parts of postwar expansion.