The Historic Northwest Territory (U.S.): Location & Legacy

The U.S. Northwest Territory (1787–1803)

This was a federal territory of the early United States, not to be confused with today's Canadian Northwest Territories.

Geographic Extent

Encompassed the region:

• East: Appalachian Mountains / Pennsylvania border
• West: Mississippi River
• South: Ohio River
• North: Great Lakes (Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie) and the British Canadian border

Area: ~260,000 sq mi (673,000 km²).

States Carved from It

1. Ohio (1803)
2. Indiana (1816)
3. Illinois (1818)
4. Michigan (1837)
5. Wisconsin (1848)

Plus part of Minnesota (east of the Mississippi).

Significance

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established the template for territorial governance, public education, and the prohibition of slavery—shaping the political character of the Midwest.