Download or read book The Northwest Ordinance written by Frederick D. Williams and published by MSU Press. This book was released on 2012-01-01 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adoption of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787 ended a long and sometimes acrimonious debate over the question of how to organize and govern the western territories of the United States. Many eastern leaders viewed the Northwest Territory as a colonial possession, while freedom-loving settlers demanded local self- government. These essays address the ambiguities of the Ordinance, balance of power politics in North America, missionary activity in the territory, slavery, and higher education in the Old Northwest.