CHAPTER VII—Significance of the Ordinance of 1787 75

Bibliography 85

School Contests 91

INTRODUCTION

The Northwest Territory Celebration Commission, created by Congress to design and execute plans for commemorating the passage of the Ordinance of 1787 and the establishment of the Northwest Territory, takes pleasure in presenting this brief outline of the history involved, to the public, and particularly to the schools, whose students of today will be our citizens almost before we realize it.

Through the study of the thinking and the deeds of ordinary American people during the formative—usually called “critical”—period of our nation’s history, even though not so exciting or colorful as were battles and heroes, we may find some understanding of how this nation attained greatness, and provide inspiration to our own and future generations.

Through the years vast amounts of material and substantiating evidence have come to light, and as historians have been able to view this formative period in perspective, it has assumed an ever-increasing importance in the foundation upon which our civilization rests.

As yet, that accumulating recognition is largely scattered through a vast number of specialized studies and books, as various authorities have unearthed important and vital related facts.

And so this commission has asked the state historians of the states of the Northwest Territory, with Dr. Harlow Lindley as chairman, and with such acceptable assistance as they might secure, to digest the available material into this brief but coordinated summary.

It is impracticable and unnecessary, for the purposes of this book, to go into further original research. There is ample accurate material now available for these pages, the prime purpose of which is to give a fundamental knowledge to all whom it may reach, and to inspire a further study by those so inclined, to the end that America may know why America is, and what it really rests upon, and what may be our surest and soundest path for progress to the continued betterment of mankind through government.

NORTHWEST TERRITORY CELEBRATION COMMISSION,

GEORGE WHITE, _Chairman_ E. M. HAWES, _Executive Director_

FOREWORD

This brief elementary textbook presenting the history of the Ordinance of 1787 and the establishment of civil government in the old Northwest Territory out of which was created later the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and part of Minnesota, has been prepared at the suggestion of the Northwest Territory Celebration Commission for supplementary study in the schools.

Under the instructions of the commission, and according to our own concepts of the purposes of this book, it has seemed impossible to attempt original research or study into less substantiated phases of the history covered. Rather, it has been our purpose to digest in correlated form, and briefly, the fund of material which already has been developed by countless individual studies and writings.

This available material, although now generous in amount and amply authenticated, requires some explanation. It is to be remembered that the people of our early westward movement and, to a great extent, of all our early history, were _makers_ of history, rather than _writers_ of it. There were settled communities of individuals who summarized the more humble events of life, even though these events might be more substantial and indicative than colorful armies and battles.

Resultantly, research into this history of necessity has been largely confined to the casual and incidental records of the time—letters, diaries, the meager public records and scarce newspapers and publications. This has so far resulted in many specialized studies which are available. The need now is that these be brought together into a correlated record of an epoch, which will fit itself into the fabric of our national history.

Hence this book.

Attention is called to the bibliography, which is included as an aid to further study. Even this list of published material is necessarily abridged from the more complete bibliography which is available.

Some repetition is experienced in the text, as is likely with subjects involving many ramifications and treated by different writers.

Those immediately in charge of this work have consulted with representatives of various historical agencies and a number of prominent educators in each of the states concerned.

Harlow Lindley, secretary, editor and librarian of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, as chairman of the committee appointed by the commission, has been responsible for collecting and organizing the material. The executive director of the Northwest Territory Celebration Commission prepared Chapter I and the latter part of Chapter V. Mr. Norris F. Schneider of the Zanesville (Ohio) High School, has written Chapter III. Dr. Milo M. Quaife, secretary and editor of the Burton Historical Collection in the Detroit Public Library, not only has represented the state of Michigan in making the plans for the book, but also has contributed Chapter VII.

One unique feature of the project is the fact that most of the illustrations are the work of students in the schools of the states which evolved from the old Northwest Territory. These were made possible as a result of an illustration contest sponsored by the commission.

The readers of this book are referred to the pictorial map of the Northwest Territory issued by the Northwest Territory Celebration Commission to which reference is made on page 4. This map tells the story of the evolution of the old Northwest Territory and also contains a copy of the Ordinance of 1787.

HARLOW LINDLEY, _Chairman_.

Columbus, Ohio

July 1, 1937