Despite its many weaknesses, the Confederation accomplished a mighty feat with the Northwest Ordinance. Passed July 13, 1787, this act both delineated a system of government for the Northwest Territory and established how states become a part of America. Previous legislation, the Territorial Ordinance of 1784 and the Land Ordinance of 1785, and attempts by Thomas Jefferson and Manasseh Cutler had gone awry in their attempts to take on this task of divvying up the land in this territory. However, at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, the Confederation finally passed the ordinance that would solve many of the problems these previous endeavors had faced. Firstly, instead of the rough crowd that was formerly allowed to hold public office in the regions of the Northwest Territory, a governor (who wielded considerable power), secretary, and three judges were assigned by Congress. Then, once the region's population reached five thousand, property-owning men could elect an assembly; however, the governor possessed absolute veto. Finally, at the population of sixty thousand, a region could apply for full statehood. The constitutions of the territory included a bill of rights and outlawed slavery, but they did not require state-funded public education.
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