226k views
2 votes
How did the Northwest Ordinance influence the expansion of the United

States?
O A. It allowed American Indians to become full citizens of the United
States.
B. It made it clear that people living in U.S. territories had the same
rights as people living in established states.
C. It outlawed slavery in all future territories the United States might
claim.
D. It immediately added five new states to the country.

User Mnemosyne
by
6.0k points

1 Answer

6 votes

Final answer:

The Northwest Ordinance set up a system for territories to become states, prohibited slavery in new territories, and assured basic freedoms, playing a key role in the organized expansion of the United States.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Northwest Ordinance influenced the expansion of the United States by establishing a system for the admission of new states into the Union, setting a precedent for organized territorial government and the orderly expansion of the United States. It also barred slavery in the new territories, except as a criminal punishment, and established a Bill of Rights that guaranteed fundamental freedoms such as representative government, religious freedom, and trial by jury. Through the Northwest Ordinance, territories with a sufficient population could draft a constitution that forbade slavery and seek admission to the Union as new states, thereby providing a framework for future expansion that aligned with American ideals of freedom and self-governance.

User Sajjad Murtaza
by
5.8k points