Final answer:
Under the Articles of Confederation, states ceded their claims to western lands to the confederation government. These lands were distributed through the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
Step-by-step explanation:
Under the Articles of Confederation, individual states ceded their claims to western lands to the confederation government. These lands were then distributed through the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
The Land Ordinance of 1785 divided the area north of the Ohio River Valley and west of the Appalachians into townships and sections. Each section consisted of 640 acres, which were sold to settlers. One section in each township was set aside for schools.
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 was enacted to establish a process for the admission of new states to the Republic. It specified that territories could apply for statehood once their population reached a certain threshold.