Final answer:
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established a governance structure for territories and outlined how they could transition to statehood, including the banning of slavery and the provision for representative government and other rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787
During the first territorial stage of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, Congress established a structured process for the settlement and eventual statehood of the Northwest Territory, which comprises the modern states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This ordinance was instrumental in the expansion of the United States by detailing how the territories would be governed and how they could become states. It included provisions for a governor and a three-judge panel to rule until a population of 5,000 white adult males was reached, at which point a legislature would be elected. Additionally, it set a clear precedent for the treatment of new territories by banning slavery and ensuring representative government, religious freedom, and a Bill of Rights.
The ordinance also involved the division of land into townships and sections, a design that can still be seen in the American landscape's grid system today. This structured sale of land to settlers and the allowance for self-government were key elements in encouraging orderly development and the creation of future states within the Union.