Question

What did Congress do in 1787 to settle land disputes among the settlers?

They divided up the Northwest Territory into acre squares and sold them.

They named the states.

They closed the Cumberland Gap so no more settlers could move west.

They created a map with boundary lines drawn as the settlers described them.

Answer 1

Congress settled land disputes in 1787 with the Northwest Ordinance, which organized the Northwest Territory and established a system for surveying, dividing, and selling land. The correct answer is option 1.

Step-by-step explanation:

In 1787, to settle land disputes among settlers, Congress passed legislation in the form of the Northwest Ordinance. This ordinance organized the Northwest Territory, which included land north of the Ohio River and west of the Appalachians, and laid out a systematic way to survey, divide, and sell the land. Specifically, the Land Ordinance of 1785 created a grid system of townships, each consisting of thirty-six sections of 640 acres, with one section reserved for the establishment of schools. This system allowed for an organized approach to selling the land, with land designated for public education, which indicated a commitment by Congress to both order and community welfare in the newly acquired territories.