Important+National+Legislation

Important National Legislation
The **Land Ordinance of 1785** and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 reflected the increasingly common belief that the purpose of school should be to educate children to become good citizens in support of the principles of our new democracy. The Land Ordinance of 1785 divided townships into thirty-six 640 acre sections. As part of the legislation, section 16 was set aside for public schools.
 * //"Following the American Revolution a number of states ceded to the federal government their claims to land lying west of the Appalachian Mountains. The cessions eased the worries of landless states, cooled tensions between states with overlapping land claims, and relieved the states of war debts. In turn, the federal government had to determine what to do with the ceded land. The Land Ordinance of 1785 laid the foundation for future American land policy. After the Indian title had been purchased, the ceded lands were to be systematically surveyed, prior to sale or settlement, into townships. **Of the thirty-six sections of 640 acres in each township, the sixteenth was reserved 'for the maintenance of public schools**.’'"//
 * //Source: []//

the said township;also one third part of all gold, silver, lead and copper mines,to be sold, or otherwise disposed of as Congress shall hereafter direct. ||
 * = [[image:LO_1785.gif width="284" height="168" align="center"]] ||  ||< There shall be reserved for the United States out of every township, the four lots, being numbered 8, 11, 26, 29, and out of every fractional part of a township, so many lots of the same numbers as shall be found thereon, for future sale. There shall be reserved the lot N 16, ofevery township, for the maintenance of public schools, within

The **Northwest Ordinance of 1787** made a plan for settlement of the new states west of the Appalachian Mountains. It also reinforced the concept that education is valuable to society. It said, "Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged." (Another important aspect of this legislation was to make slavery illegal in the new states.) [] (The Northwest Ordinance in its entirety.)

Map of the Northwest Territory and a Sample Plat []

The Story of the Northwest Territory Through the Eyes of Ohio []