Final answer:
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 encouraged orderly settlement and state formation in the Northwest Territory, introduced a system for state admission, and set forth rights for settlers, including the abolition of slavery in the territories.
Step-by-step explanation:
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
The ordinance meant to encourage orderly settlement and the formation of new states was the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. This pivotal legislation laid out a structured process for how the Northwest Territory—which constituted lands that are now Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, and Wisconsin—was to be governed. It introduced a system for the creation of new states, the banning of slavery, and established important rights for settlers, thus setting a democratic model for future territorial expansion.
Under the ordinances, surveyed territories could become states once they achieved a certain population threshold. For instance, when a territory reached a population of sixty thousand, it could draft a state constitution and request to join the Union as a state. The land ordinances also included the division of land into townships and sections for sale, which was a major economic strategy for the fledgling United States.
The Confederation Congress also appointed governors to these territories and provided a process whereby a territory with five thousand free adult settlers could create its own legislature. The geometric grid pattern established for dividing the land persists to this day, showcasing the lasting impact of the ordinances on the American landscape.