Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Before we had a Constitution, Americans had the Articles of Confederation and the most important piece of legislation of that era was the Northwest Ordinance. In 1785 and 1787 that government sold land in "the west" claimed as spoils of the war to investors (to pay for the war) on condition that certain rights and responsibilities be observed. It's the core of our Bill of Rights, and also the concept of local education, and the humanity and freedom of slaves and native Americans. Not all townships or states followed the rules--particularly on education and religion--because there's always graft and greed in government especially in collusion with capitalism, but when you read it, you see how far ahead the thinking was for any other existing government. 

https://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/primary-source-documents/northwest-ordinance/

The Bill of Rights and our precious freedoms

There is no right to abort (aka kill) another human being in our Constitution or Bill of Rights. SCOTUS "found" that right in the 14th amendment--made it up. Fragile as a spider's web. We ARE absolutely guaranteed that the government won't deny us our religious rights, our speech, our right to assemble peacefully, our right to a "free" press, and our right to petition the government. If you know anything about western civilization* (which probably isn't taught anymore, you know why these are treasured freedoms).

And there's that 2nd amendment, which comes 2nd because it defends the first. It's no accident that while liberals whine about the 2nd and try to undo it, a much larger group of them are organizing against the first, particularly religion.

I have no problem with more checks on potential gun buyers, but that isn't the goal--destroying the 2nd amendment is the prize. And then those pesky freedoms outlined in the 1st.

*1215 (England) Magna Carta, somewhat evolved, from the unwilling King John by his rebellious barons, is signed. It will later be regarded as the cornerstone of liberty in England even though it was not for common folk.

1689 (England) Bill of Rights grants 'freedom of speech in Parliament' after James II is overthrown and William and Mary installed as co-rulers.

1787 Northwest Ordinance for new states and territories guarantees  trial by jury, habeas corpus, due process, and religious freedom. Excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishments were banned. Slavery was also banned in new territories.

1791 The First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees five freedoms: of religion, speech, the press, right to assemble and right to petition the government.

Religious tolerance? Think again.

Back when Hillary Clinton was still blaming the internet for the Benghazi terrorist attack, she made this odd statement, "Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation." There was no religious tolerance at the beginning of our nation when we were English, French and Spanish colonies, nor is it a Biblical value or ethic. True, Catholics and Protestants weren't slaughtering each other like they did in Europe, but those who came here for religious freedom really didn't want other groups, or the STATE, telling them how to worship or act.

One of the geniuses of our Bill of Rights is that our Founders were able to get all these disparate groups to actually agree that religious freedom was primary to all other freedoms. The Northwest Ordinance (1787) preceded the Bill of Rights, and also enshrined the idea the state couldn't decide your religious beliefs and behavior.

And now with 70% of the world without religious freedom, and even outright religious oppression and terrorism, our current President wants to diminish what centuries of Christians and Jews died for--not tolerance, not non-judgementalism, not political correctness--but religious freedom. The HHS Mandate is the camel's nose in the tent.

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.