Celebrate Constitution Day With a Look at the Northwest Ordinance

If you live in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota, the date July 13, 1787 is very important to you.  If you are an American, that date is very important to you.  In fact, if you are a foreigner, thinking of creating a, “more perfect Union” that date is vital to you.  It was on this date, that the Congress of the Confederation of the United States signed the Northwest Ordinance.   Since today is Constitution Day, I thought I would use it to slide slightly off course to my second favorite federal document.  I love the Northwest Ordinance because it shows how our body of laws began early on to perfect this land.  Actually, since this country existed for 8 years under the Articles of Confederation, the Northwest Ordinance began its life before our Constitution did, but was quickly added with only minor adjustments. 

In 1787, for the first time since its creation, the United States was going to add territory to its map and the Ordinance gave structure to how this would happen both then and forever.  This amazing document is one of the monuments to American problem solving.  It outlawed slavery, insured legislative representation equal to that of the original thirteen colonies and required that the territory provide for a free and public education.  It would take Europe over 100 years to create what this country did when we were barely a decade old.

Our founding fathers were geniuses.  They were a gift from a generous God who smiled on this land for reasons we can marvel at but not comprehend.  Part of their genius was the decision that new land would be added as new states, not just ever larger expansions of the old ones.  Now think of that, the thirteen original colonies were not to become the royal line of America.  They were going to share power with a host of new states.  Anyone who studies politics knows that power is never relinquished.  It is seldom shared and only accidentally diluted.  Yet the Northwest Ordinance allowed this country to grow by sharing governance with newly created states!

The Ordinance also embodied natural rights (those that devolve upon a person simply by virtue of their humanity) which became part of both the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  Religious liberty was enshrined (which also means the freedom from religion and its intrusion into our private lives).  There is also this important phrase:  Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.

Putting their money where their mouth was, the framers of this law required that one section (a square mile of land) out of each 100 be set aside for the building and maintenance of a public school.  This was the world’s first codified attempt by an entire nation to provide a free public education to every citizen!  We were the first nation to believe that education belonged to every one, and we are still the leaders in that commitment.  We may not be leading in our results, but our intent is and was pure, good, and right.  Our execution has not always been what it should, but the intentions to do good have been there for over 200 years. 

Much of what our nation has become comes from the intelligence of the Northwest Ordinance.  Where are the people who could make such laws today? 

On Constitution Day let’s give thanks for those who kept the faith.

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