Final answer:
When the population of a territory exceeded 60,000 according to the Northwest Ordinance, there were three things that would happen: a legislature could be elected, the territory could adopt a constitution that forbade slavery and protected religious freedom, and the territory could apply for statehood.
Step-by-step explanation:
The 3rd step of the Northwest Ordinance, when 60,000 people lived in the territory, then:
- A legislature could be elected by all white males
- The territory could adopt a constitution which must forbid slavery and protect religious freedom
- The territory could apply for statehood, which would be granted by Congress
These were the three things that would happen when the population of a territory exceeded 60,000 according to the Northwest Ordinance.