Table of Contents
What was the problem with the Western lands?
The primary sticking point concerned disagreements about how to deal with the western lands claimed by several states. The states without such claims argued that the western lands should be owned by the national government. The states with land claims were reluctant to give up their claims.
Why was the Land Ordinance of 1785 important?
The Land Ordinance of 1785 was, therefore, passed to enable the government to sell land west of the Appalachian Mountains, north of the Ohio River, and east of the Mississippi River. This Ordinance, unlike the one of 1784, also laid out how the land would be first sold, then settled and governed.
How did the Confederation government deal with the problem of Western lands?
Once Congress was in control of the Western lands they passed a set of laws to divide and govern the region. The Land Ordinance called for surveyors to divide the region into six mile square plots called townships. The Northwest Ordinance established procedures for establishing government in the Western Lands.
For what purpose is Congress securing Western lands?
Congress hoped to sell the Northwest Territory in order to raise revenue and extend America’s republican society westward.
Why did the nation need a land ordinance for the Northwest Territory?
Northwest Ordinances, also called Ordinances of 1784, 1785, and 1787, several ordinances enacted by the U.S. Congress for the purpose of establishing orderly and equitable procedures for the settlement and political incorporation of the Northwest Territory—i.e., that part of the American frontier lying west of …
What was the purpose of the Northwest Ordinance?
Also known as the Ordinance of 1787, the Northwest Ordinance established a government for the Northwest Territory, outlined the process for admitting a new state to the Union, and guaranteed that newly created states would be equal to the original thirteen states.
How did the United States acquire the Western lands?
In the 1800s many Americans looked toward the Pacific world rather than the Atlantic. In 1846 the country declared war with Mexico to acquire western land. Declaring victory in 1848, the United States gained territory from Kansas to California.
What allowed Western territories to organize their own government?
The prospect of earning real revenue for the western territories inspired Congress to resolve the long debate over the west; the Northwest Ordinance, passed on July 13, 1787, provided for a government in the western territories, created a procedure for the formation of states, established a formal method for the new …