Northwest Ordinance--Happy Anniversary

July 13, 1787 is probably as important as July 4, 1776, and the adoption of the Constitution on September 17, 1787, and the later addition of the Bill of Rights (which appear in part in the NW Ordinance).  The Northwest Ordinance passed the Continental Congress on July 13, 1787 and with the Constitution which was ratified in 1788 was critical to the infant United States' form of government. By 1783, the colonies had achieved independence, but Continental Congress was broke and couldn't pay the soldiers--and it had no power to levy taxes. Land west of Pennsylvania had been promised to soldiers. Several ordinances and plans were floated and private investors (like the Ohio company) formed companies to buy and sell the land and bailed out the new federal government.

Interestingly, the Northwest Ordinance which was passed, contains much of what later became our Bill of Rights, and guaranteed the individual freedom of religion, right to a trial by jury, no cruel punishment, and claimed religion was necessary for good government and that slavery was not be a part of the territory or states to be formed.

Article 3: Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.

Article 6: There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted. . .

Five states were formed by the Ordinance--Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. Ohio's entry into the Union was a bit bumpy, but after that things went pretty smoothly, and most states that followed used the same procedures outlined in this important document.

Both liberals and conservatives can take pot shots at the NW Ordinance--it shows the federal government has a role in local education and also in providing land and homesteads for its citizens. They also argue over the separation of church and state and what the religion article meant. And for that, you can argue forever.