Question

How was the northwest territory initially governed under the northwest ordinance of 1787?

Answer 1

"The 1784 ordinance divided the Northwest Territory into districts that were initially governed by Congress and eventually admitted to the Union as member states.

Answer 2

The Northwest Ordinance (July 13, 1787) created a government for the Northwest Territory. It also provided a method for admitting new states to the Union from the territory and gave it a bill of rights.

The document gave the territory a congressionally appointed governor, a secretary and three judges. When the population reached five thousand free male inhabitants of age, the ordinance promised an elected assembly and one nonvoting delegate to Congress. Finally, when the population reached 60,000 a constitution was to be drafted and membership to the Union to be requested.