The Northwest Ordinance was a law passed by Congress in 1787 to provide government for the Northwest Territory, located north of the Ohio River and west of Pennsylvania to the Mississippi River. Soon after its passage, settlers flocked westward and created new towns and farms throughout the territory.
This law divided the Northwest Territory into smaller territories, each governed by a territorial governor. As soon as a territory had 5,000 free adult males, it could elect its own legislature, or lawmaking body. When the population reached 60,000, a territory could apply to Congress to become a state.
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