The following question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.

Question

Part A
What precedent for governing in the United States was established by the Northwest Ordinance?

Answer 1

The Northwest Ordinance established the precedent for the orderly expansion of the United States territory and the admission of new states into the Union. It set out a process for creating new states from the Northwest Territory, including the establishment of a system of government, the protection of individual rights, and the prohibition of slavery in the territory.

Part B
How did the principles outlined in the Northwest Ordinance influence the development of the United States as a nation?