Which 1787 law organized the first U.S. territory west of the Appalachian Mountains?

The Northwest Ordinance organized the first U.S. territory west of the Appalachian Mountains.

The Continental Congress adopted the Northwest Ordinance on July 13, 1787. It governed the territory north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River, an area that later became the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota. The ordinance established a process by which territories could progress toward statehood.

Its government began with a governor and appointed officials. Once a territory reached a specified population, it could form an elected legislature, and when its population reached 60,000 free inhabitants, it could seek admission as a state. The ordinance also prohibited slavery in the territory, although the broader United States continued to permit slavery in other places.

The law protected religious freedom, encouraged public education, and recognized certain rights in the territory. It is sometimes confused with the Land Ordinance of 1785, which created a surveying and land-sale system rather than a territorial government. The Northwest Ordinance became a major model for later U.S. territorial expansion.