Success – Articles of Confederation - Two Land Ordinances

Issue

· Land Gained in the Treaty of Paris (1783)

· Federal Government – Authority in new territories

Land Ordinance of 1785

· Thomas Jefferson – Ordinance of 1784

o 10 separate states

o Did not define how territories would be government or settled before they became states

· Significance: Mechanism for selling and settling land

o Revenue for the federal government

· Long Term Significance –

o foundations for land policy – future expansion

o Basis for Public Land Survey System

o Systematic Survey – townships (see Map)

· Shortcoming: Did not address political needs of population in territories, e.g. process of statehood

Northwest Land Ordinance (“Freedom Ordinance) 1787

· Same Territory

· Purpose: Political Organization of Territory

o Process for statehood

o Public Support - Land

§ Settlers – land for farming

§ Speculators – profits

· Issues

o No slavery

o Native Americans: labeled as “conquered people”. Therefore, lost land and put on reservations.

· Established the precedent by which the United States would expand westward across North America by the admission of new states, rather than by expansion of existing states

· Impact – Expanded democracy