What was the purpose of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?

The questions about how the western territories of North America would be handled were answered by the Confederation Congress when it wrote

and passed the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. In this document, Congress provided the procedures for dividing lands into territories and also set the requirements for the admission of new states to the union.

The Northwest Ordinance overlooked the fact that these lands were already inhabited by native Americans.

According to the Northwest Ordinance, how did a territory become a state?

This was how a territory could become a state: 1. Congress would appoint a governor and judges, 2. When the territory had 5,000 voting residents, the settlers could write a

temporary constitution and elect their own government, 3. When the total population of a territory reached 60,000 free inhabitants, the settlers could write a state constitution,

which had to be approved by Congress before it could be granted statehood.

What was important about the Northwest Ordinance?

This Ordinance helped establish a blueprint for future growth of the nation.The Northwest Ordinance was also land-breaking legislation because it banned slavery in the Northwest Territory. The Northwest Ordinance is also known as the first instance of federal aid for public education. It provided that a

portion of the revenue generated by the sale of townships would be set aside for funding public education. 

How did the French regain control of the territory in the central part of North America?

In 1800, in a secret negation, Napoleon regained control of the Louisiana Territory from Spain (Spain had gotten this territory towards the end of the French and Indian War).

How did President Jefferson feel about this and what did he want to do?

Jefferson was alarmed that Napoleon would want to establish a strong French presence in North America again and this would be detrimental to westward

expansion. Jefferson wanted to purchase the city of New Orleans and western Florida from Napoleon to allow trade to continue down the Mississippi River

into the port city.

What action did Jefferson take regarding the territories?

In 1803, He sent James Monroe to Paris to join the American ambassador, Robert Livingston, to discuss this possibility with Napoleon. But Napoleon had already

decided against building a new empire in the western hemisphere and offered to sell the entire Louisiana Territory to the Americans . With no time to consult with

Jefferson, Monroe and Livingstone agreed to the purchase for $15 million.

Why was this purchase a problem for Jefferson?

Jefferson had a strict constructionist view of the Constitution – meaning the U.S. government only had the powers explicitly listed in the Constitution – and did not think this move was constitutional, since nowhere in the Constitution did it say that the government had the power to acquire new territory. He did agree to the purchase though because he

knew it was in the best interest of the country to be able to expand westward.

How did we learn about the Louisiana Purchase and the richness of the land there?

Before the purchase was finalized, Jefferson was eager to explore the new territory. So in 1803 he appointed Meriwether Lewis to lead the Corps of Discovery from St. Louis to the Pacific

coast. They were to collect scientific information about plants and animals and learn as much about the native Americans as possible. William Clark was the second in command with some

50 soldiers. They added a native woman, Sacajawea, who served as their interpreter and guide. The expedition lasted 2 years and 4 months.

Why did the Americans fight the British in 1812?

The War of 1812 was fought between the U.S. and the British. The key issues that brought the conflict about included, 1) the British “impressing” (forcing

them) American sailors into the British Navy when they were captured at sea; British violation of the neutral rights and territorial waters of the U.S., a British

blockade of U.S. ports.

Describe the War of 1812.

. The war was mostly a stalemate, neither side had true military victory. The end result was that the British burned down the

White House, the U.S. Capitol building. The Treaty of Ghent was signed on December 25, 1814 to end the fighting.

Did the War of 1812 solve our problems with the British?

The treaty did not address any of the issues that brought the war about.

How did Americans feel and think about the War of 1812?

The U.S. felt “victorious” because the far superior British fighting forces did not demolish them! Americans felt united for a brief period before they fell

to squabbling with each other again. The British and the U.S. from this point forward, had a mostly friendly relationship with each other.

What was Henry Clay’s American System?

In the early 19th century, Henry Clay proposed the “American System” to unite the nation with a system of transportation

and other internal improvements.

Describe the Erie Canal and its importance in US economic history.

The Erie Canal was the most impressive project undertaken. The Canal was built by 1825 and stretched 363 miles. It took 8 years to build and linked the Hudson River to Lake Erie, or in effect, the Atlantic Ocean to the

Great Lakes. New York had already become the most dominant port in the country. The Erie Canal made it even more successful. The Erie Canal was paid for entirely by “tolls” that were charged to those that used the canal. Other states wanted to experience this same type of success and they built over 3,000 miles of canals by 1837

to make similar profits.

What was the Monroe Doctrine?

The Monroe Doctrine was a statement made by President James Monroe in 1823 where he warned all outside powers to not interfere in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere. He said,

they should not attempt to create new colonies or try to overthrow any of the newly independent nations in the western hemisphere. He warned that the U.S. would consider these actions

dangerous to our peace and safety. At the same time, the U.S would not involve itself in European affairs or interfere with any existing colonies in the western hemisphere.

What was the importance of the Monroe Doctrine?

The Monroe Doctrine basically made the western hemisphere off limits to everyone but the U.S. and it demonstrated that the U.S. now thought of itself as a world power and the rest of the world did too.