Which 1787 law created a path to statehood for territories northwest of the Ohio River?

The Northwest Ordinance created a path to statehood for territories northwest of the Ohio River in 1787.

The Confederation Congress adopted the ordinance on July 13, 1787. It organized the Northwest Territory, a region that eventually contributed land to several Midwestern states. The measure established a territorial government, set population thresholds for representative institutions, and provided a process by which territories could become equal states.

The ordinance also protected certain civil rights, promoted public education, and prohibited slavery in the territory. Its slavery prohibition applied north of the Ohio River, although the ordinance did not end slavery elsewhere in the United States and included provisions affecting the status of people escaping enslavement.

The Northwest Ordinance is often confused with the Land Ordinance of 1785, which established a surveying system for western lands. The two measures were related, but the Northwest Ordinance dealt chiefly with territorial government and admission to the Union.