Northwest Ordinance 2

For the ordinance see Dec 10.

A few months after the Northwest Ordinance, in the Constitutional Convention there was a hard fought compromise about slavery. Later the Civil War was fought, not over maintaining slavery in the 15 states where it existed, but over the right to extend slavery into the territories.


Two months before the Constitutional Convention that whole proposition was given away by the south when they agreed to no slavery in the Northwest territory. That passed the Confederation Congress. The amazing thing is that the votes in that congress were by states and unanimity was required!

Not a single southern state voted against the ordinance.

That is what seems to me to be really profound about the Northwest Ordinance. It was easily passed in July but slavery was a big deal just two months later in Philadelphia.

There is a story in here.
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