Skip to main content

Primary sourceDocument13 July 1787

Northwest Ordinance

Confederation Congress · 13 July 1787

A 1787 law setting up government for the Northwest Territory and a path to statehood; Monroe helped shape this policy as a Confederation Congress delegate.

Monroe, as a Confederation Congress delegate, helped shape the territorial policy behind this ordinance.

Ask James Monroe about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Printed broadside of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, titled 'An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the River Ohio.' Dense block of small black printed text in paragraphs on a light paper, with the heading in large capital letters at top.
An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States North-West of the River Ohio, 1787. U.S. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

About this source

What it is

This is a printed broadside of the Northwest Ordinance, officially titled "An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States North-West of the River Ohio." It was adopted by the Confederation Congress on 13 July 1787 and signed by Secretary Charles Thomson. The original is held by the U.S. National Archives.

Why it matters

The ordinance set up a government for the Northwest Territory, created a path for new states to join the Union, and listed rights guaranteed there. It built on ideas from Thomas Jefferson's earlier plan and was probably written by Nathan Dane and Rufus King. James Monroe, then a delegate to the Confederation Congress, was part of the debates that shaped this territorial policy, reflecting his early support for westward expansion.

Look closer

  • Why might Congress have wanted a clear, written plan for new territories before settlers arrived?
  • What does the choice to list a "bill of rights" for the territory tell you about the framers' priorities?
  • Whose voices are missing from a document about land that Native peoples already lived on?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of James Monroe, Patrick Henry and William Henry Harrison on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More James Monroe sources

Meet the AI James Monroe →
Handwritten manuscript page numbered 29 in brown ink on aged, yellowed paper, in cursive script. The text discusses events in Spain and Portugal, the independence of the Americas, and non-interference by European powers. A small signature 'Adams' appears at the bottom right.Speech

Primary source

Monroe Doctrine

James Monroe · 2 December 1823

Document

Primary source

Louisiana Purchase Treaty

30 April 1803

Handwritten manuscript page in brown ink on aged paper, the conference committee report on the Missouri Compromise. Text begins 'The committee of conference of the Senate and of the House of Representatives' and continues with resolutions about the Missouri bill and Maine statehood.Document

Primary source

Missouri Compromise Conference Committee Report

1 March 1820

Map titled 'The Adams-Onís Treaty', showing area claimed by the US before the treaty and results of the new agreement. Shaded regions mark US states, US territories, and Area Ceded by Spain; a red line marks the new boundary along 42 degrees north, the Arkansas and Red Rivers, and 32 degrees north. Labels include Oregon Country, Missouri Territory, and Viceroyalty of New Spain.Document

Primary source

Adams–Onís Treaty

1819 (effective 1821)

Oil portrait of a middle-aged man with gray hair, shown from the chest up in a dark coat and white cravat, turned slightly to his right against a dark background with a faint pillar on the left.Painting

Primary source

James Monroe

John Vanderlyn · 1816

Ready when you are

Start chatting with James Monroe now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions