Which 1787 law created a government for the Northwest Territory and a path to statehood?

The Northwest Ordinance created a government for the Northwest Territory and established a path to statehood.

The Confederation Congress adopted the Northwest Ordinance on July 13, 1787. It governed the territory north and west of the Ohio River, an area that later became the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota.

The ordinance established territorial government, described a process for territories to become states, protected certain civil liberties, and prohibited slavery in the territory. It also set aside land for public education. The measure was adopted under the Articles of Confederation, before the Constitution was ratified.

The Northwest Ordinance is sometimes confused with the Land Ordinance of 1785, which organized the surveying and sale of western lands. The two laws were related but served different purposes: the 1785 law focused on land surveys, while the 1787 ordinance dealt with political organization and statehood. Its framework influenced later American territorial policy and makes it an important part of the founding-era history revisited during America250.