Final answer:
The Northwest Territory was made up of what would become the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 provided a framework for their admission to the Union and banned slavery in these territories.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Northwest Territory was a region of the United States that eventually became the full states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The passage of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787 laid the groundwork for the expansion and establishment of these states. It stipulated an orderly process for how territories could transition to statehood, instituted a ban on slavery within the territory, and laid out protections for individual freedoms such as religious liberty and the right to a trial by jury.
Ohio was the first state to be formed from the Northwest Territory, achieving statehood on March 1, 1803. The rest followed with Indiana on December 11, 1816, Illinois on December 3, 1818, Michigan on January 26, 1837, and Wisconsin on May 29, 1848. Additionally, while not a full state formed from the Northwest Territory, a portion of eastern Minnesota was also part of the territory before becoming a part of the Minnesota Territory.