Final answer:
Under the Articles of Confederation, land beyond the original thirteen states' boundaries became public domain, managed by the national government, with provisions for systematic settlement and statehood transition in the Land Ordinance of 1785.
Step-by-step explanation:
Under the Articles of Confederation, land that was not included within the boundaries of the thirteen original states became part of the public domain and was managed by the national government. This included the Northwest Territory, which was ceded by Britain to the United States at the end of the Revolutionary War. The Confederation Congress, faced with numerous challenges, still managed to enact key pieces of legislation such as the Land Ordinance of 1785, which organized the settlement and division of these western lands.
The ordinance included a system that divided the Northwest Territory into townships and sections, with a portion of the land specifically allocated for the creation of schools. This systematic approach to land division facilitated the eventual admission of new states to the republic and the sell of land to raise revenue. Moreover, it set a precedent for the process by which territories could transition toward statehood when certain population thresholds were met.