the Northwest Ordinance
/ðə ˌnɔːθwest ˈɔːdɪnəns/
/ðə ˌnɔːrθwest ˈɔːrdɪnəns/
- a US law, passed by Congress in 1787, which established the Northwest Territory, the area from the Great Lakes south to the Ohio River. It was the country's first official addition of western lands. The law said that the region could become a state when its population reached 60 000.
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the Northwest Ordinance