Territory natural resources and trading routes
Having more land will allow them to have more resources, larger territories, and create trade routes to places further away from them
The North West Ordiance primarily aimed to facillitate the creation of future states in the region.
It's called the reformatory movement...:)
For the answer to the question above,
Dear John,
Our journey from Vietnam has been very rough, with so many sick people on this ship, yet it would be better than the czar's army. I will write again when I am ready for a wife. The Americans here did not take to kindly to us immigrating. I hope this life works out.
Sincerely,
Miss Philadelphia