Final answer:
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 banned slavery in the Northwest Territory, but allowed current slaveholders to keep their slaves.
Step-by-step explanation:
Article 6 of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 played a pivotal role in shaping the early stance of the newly formed United States on the issue of slavery in the Northwest Territory. This territory comprised present-day states such as Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Enacted by the Continental Congress, the ordinance aimed to establish a framework for the governance and expansion of the territory.
The significance of Article 6 lies in its explicit prohibition of slavery in the Northwest Territory. It stated that slaveholders were forbidden from introducing new slaves into the region, reflecting a strategic effort to curb the spread of slavery into the expanding territories of the young nation. While allowing those who already held slaves to retain ownership, the ordinance firmly drew a line against the extension of slavery into these new areas.
This legislative stance demonstrated a recognition by the Continental Congress of the moral and political implications of slavery. By restricting the introduction of new slaves, the ordinance reflected an early effort to contain and eventually eradicate the institution in territories where it had not yet taken root. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787, with its prohibition on slavery, established a precedent for subsequent legislation and underscored the evolving national perspective on the issue of slavery in the United States.