ABSTRACT
The Northwest Ordinance was enacted by the Congress of the United States in 1787 when the country was governed by the Articles of Confederation, the precursor to the Constitution. During the American Revolutionary War, settlers began moving to the lands between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. The Northwest Ordinance created the "Northwest Territory" out of that part of the frontier that was north of the Ohio River. The law provided for the US government to appoint five key officials to control the new territory-a governor, a secretary, and three judges. The system established by the law was used often in the creation of new territories and states as the frontier moved across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. By passing the Northwest Ordinance, the US government had indicated early in its existence that slavery was an undesirable system that ought to be limited.
