Answer:
To stipulate how new states would be created.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Northwest Ordinance was an Act of Congress that created the Northwest Territory. This was a territory that was located beyond the Appalachian Mountains, between British North America and the Great Lakes to the north and the Ohio River to the south. The upper Mississippi River formed the territory's western boundary. The Ordinance was a blueprint for development of the region. It established the system by which the government would admit new states. It also established public domain lands. Finally, it prohibited slavery in the territory.