Final answer:
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established a three-step process for a territory in the Northwest Territory to become a state: starting with a governor-appointed government, moving to elected legislature with population growth, and culminating in the drafting of a constitution and application for statehood with sufficient population.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 outlined a three-step process for a territory to become a state within the Northwest Territory. This process was significant not only for the organization of territorial government but also for its societal impacts, including the prohibition of slavery.
- When a territory had fewer than 5,000 white adult males, it would be run by a governor and three-judge panel appointed by the Confederation Congress.
- Once a territory reached a population of 5,000 to 60,000 white male inhabitants, a legislature could be elected by those white male citizens, though the governor would still be appointed by Congress.
- When the population exceeded 60,000, the territory could draft a constitution that barred slavery and protected religious freedom, and then apply for statehood, which Congress had the authority to grant.