The Northwest Ordinance was enacted by the Confederation Congress of the United States on 13 July 1787. It created the Northwest Territory – comprised of the modern-day states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota – and laid out the procedure whereby new states could be admitted into the Union.
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Timeline
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1775 - 1783The American Revolutionary War.
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4 Jul 1776The Second Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence; the United States of America is established.
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3 Sep 1783The Treaty of Paris ends the American Revolutionary War. The treaty acknowledges the United States as a sovereign and independent nation.
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13 Jul 1787The US Confederation Congress passes the Northwest Ordinance, creating a protocol for new states to be admitted into the Union and establishing the Northwest Territory.
