Final answer:
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 represented the principles of territorial expansion, popular sovereignty, and prohibition of slavery which would later be incorporated into the U.S. Constitution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The portion of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 being referred to in this highlights several principles of government that would become part of the U.S. Constitution. One significant principle it paved the way for was territorial expansion, as it gave the federal government the authority to create new states from territories.
Another integral principle demonstrated in the ordinance is popular sovereignty, the concept that the governing power resides with the people. This ordinance allowed territories to become full states once they reached a population of 60,000 settlers, and these states were given equal standing with the original states.
Finally, the Northwest Ordinance also embodied the principle of the prohibition of slavery in new territories, a contentious issue that would be addressed in the Constitution and become a flashpoint for future conflict in American history.
Learn more about Northwest Ordinance