Northwest Ordinance
At a glance:
- Series: American Indians Ready Reference
- Categories: Land Acquisition and Expansion, Territory Redistribution, Law, Legal History, Courts
- Subcategories: Native Americans, American Indians, Laws, Acts, Legislation
- Curriculum: American Revolutionary History (1776-1788), American Indian History
- Geographical Location: Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois
- Date: July 13, 1787
Article abstract: Although it was considered the greatest achievement of the Confederation Congress because it provided terms for the creation of new states in the Old Northwest, the ordinance set a tragic precedent by denying Indian rights.
By the Peace of Paris with Britain (1783), the United States acquired a vast inland empire bounded by the Appalachians, the Mississippi River, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf of Mexico. The task of disposing of this territory fell to the government as it was organized under the Articles of Confederation (1781-1789)....
[The entire page is 510 words long]