“And, whenever any of the said States shall have sixty thousand free inhabitants therein, such State shall be admitted, by its delegates, into the Congress of the United States, on an equal footing with the original States in all respects whatever, and shall be at liberty to form a permanent constitution and State government: Provided, the constitution and government so to be formed, shall be republican, and in conformity to the principles contained in these articles...”
—Northwest Ordinance, 1787
The provision in the excerpt for admitting new states “on an equal footing with the original States” most directly helped to resolve which of the following political challenges under the Articles of Confederation?
- The integration of newly settled western territories into the nation as equal political partners.Answer
- BThe debate over whether congressional representation should be apportioned by population or equal state votes.
- CThe conflict between political parties over the strict versus loose construction of the federal government's domestic powers.
- DThe establishment of direct federal taxation procedures to retire national debts incurred during the French and Indian War.
Answer
The integration of newly settled western territories into the nation as equal political partners.
The provision in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 ensuring that new states would be admitted 'on an equal footing with the original States' directly resolved the challenge of how to integrate newly settled western lands. Rather than treating western territories as permanent colonies (similar to the British imperial model), it established a structured path to full, equal statehood, which promoted national unity and orderly expansion.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established the precedent by which the United States would expand westward through the admission of new, equal states rather than the expansion of existing states or the creation of permanent colonies.