Final answer:
The land ordinances should be ordered chronologically as the Land Ordinance of 1785, the Northwest Territory Ordinance (Ordinance of 1784), the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, and finally the Southwest Ordinance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct chronological order of the land ordinances after the Revolutionary War is as follows:
The Land Ordinance of 1785 was the initial step towards organizing the Northwest Territory. The ordinance created a system for surveying and selling land in the newly acquired territories. Under this ordinance, land was divided into townships and further subdivided into sections of 640 acres each, to be sold at a minimum of one dollar per acre. The Northwest Territory Ordinance likely refers to the Ordinance of 1784, which was the precursor to the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 is a significant piece of legislation that outlined the process by which new states could be added to the Union, prohibited slavery, and guaranteed basic rights for settlers. It also continued the division of land into townships, now with consideration for civic purposes like schools. The Southwest Ordinance is not as commonly referenced and came later, addressing territories in the southern regions.