Question

Considered one of the most important legislative acts of the Confederation Congress, the Northwest Ordinance also protected civil liberties and outlawed slavery in the new territories.

Answer 1

In the first phase, a congressionally appointed governor, secretary, and three judges would rule; in the second phase, an elected assembly and one nonvoting delegate to Congress would be elected when the territory's population reached "five thousand free male inhabitants of full age." The law also promoted education and prohibited slavery.