Northwest ordinance of 1787

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Northwest Ordinance in 1787 that created the Northwest Territory, enabling the U.S. to expand into the Great Lakes area. States that were gained from the Northwest Territory included Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Land gained from the Northwest Ordinance

The northwest Ordinance is important because if it didn't happen, the U.S. Would have just kept expanding existing states and not created new ones.