"There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes whereof the party shall have been duly convicted: Provided, always, That any person escaping into the same, from whom labor or service is lawfully claimed in any one of the original States, such fugitive may be lawfully reclaimed and conveyed to the person claiming his or her labor or service as aforesaid."
—Northwest Ordinance, Article VI, 1787
Which of the following best explains the historical significance of the excerpted clause?
- It established a precedent for the federal government to limit the expansion of slavery into new territories, which became a central point of sectional conflict in the nineteenth century.Answer
- BIt resolved the debate over how enslaved populations would be counted for representation and taxation in the federal government.
- CIt was championed by Hamilton's Federalist party to promote northern industrial interests over southern plantation agriculture.
- DIt immediately led to the repeal of British colonial taxation policies that restricted settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.
Answer
It established a precedent for the federal government to limit the expansion of slavery into new territories, which became a central point of sectional conflict in the nineteenth century.
The ban on slavery in the Northwest Territory under Article VI established the first major federal restriction on the expansion of slavery. This policy set a precedent that northern politicians would later attempt to apply to new lands (such as the Wilmot Proviso and the Free Soil platform), generating intense sectional friction between the North and South.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The Northwest Ordinance established political and social guidelines for western territories, including the prohibition of slavery, which served as a precedent for future territorial debates.