Which ordinance provided a method for admitting new states to the Union from territory northwest of the Ohio River?

Which ordinance provided a method for admitting new states to the Union from territory northwest of the Ohio River?

• A. Establishing a federal court system
• B. Adopting independence
• C. Northwest Ordinance
• D. Drafting the Constitution

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is how new states could join the United States from lands north of the Ohio River. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 laid out a clear path for turning that territory into states. It established a three-stage process: the territory would be governed under appointed officials, then once the population reached about 5,000, residents could elect a territorial legislature; when the population grew to roughly 60,000 free inhabitants, the people could draft a state constitution and petition for statehood. This ordinance also guaranteed certain rights and set a precedent for admitting new states as equals to existing ones, including the important prohibition of slavery in that territory. The other options describe different historical actions and do not provide the method for admitting new states from that region.

The main idea here is how new states could join the United States from lands north of the Ohio River. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 laid out a clear path for turning that territory into states. It established a three-stage process: the territory would be governed under appointed officials, then once the population reached about 5,000, residents could elect a territorial legislature; when the population grew to roughly 60,000 free inhabitants, the people could draft a state constitution and petition for statehood. This ordinance also guaranteed certain rights and set a precedent for admitting new states as equals to existing ones, including the important prohibition of slavery in that territory. The other options describe different historical actions and do not provide the method for admitting new states from that region.