Northwest Territory

in American history, a region lying north of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi. It comprised territory ceded at different times to the general government by Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and Virginia, whose claims were based on conflicting charters granted by the king of England. On July 11, 1787, nearly two years before the United States Constitution went into effect, a committee of Congress, then in session in New York, reported an ordinance for the government of the territory of the United States northwest of Ohio. This famous act is known in history as the Ordinance of 1787. It is estimated that, in the year following the passage of the act, not less than 20,000 men, women, and children settled on the banks of the Ohio.

Three clauses of the bill have become famous. One declared for public education: "Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged." The second ran, "There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in said territory otherwise than in the punishment of crimes, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted." The third clause provided that the property of parties dying without wills shall be divided equally among the children. This clause was inserted to prevent the adoption of the English system (then still in force in some American states) of leaving the landed estate to the oldest son.

The present states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin have been organized out of the Northwest Territory. That part of Minnesota lying east of the Mississippi is also a portion of the Northwest Territory.