The Northwest Territory, consisting of the area west of Pennsylvania, north of the Ohio River, and east of the Mississippi, came under the control of the Continental Congress by reason of the cessions made by Virginia in 1784, New York in 1782, Massachusetts in 1785 and Connecticut in 1786. In 1784 Jefferson brought forward an ordinance for the government of this territory. Its leading features were that it provided for its erection into States, and their entrance into the Union on equal terms with the rest. A clause which would have prohibited slavery after 1800 was voted down.
In 1787 a new ordinance was framed upon this and passed on September the 13th. The credit of its final form, including the forbidding of slavery, has been attributed to Nathan Dane member of the Continental Congress from Massachusetts, and, to Dr. Manasseh Cutler, of the same State, agent of the Ohio Company. The ordinance provided that no land was to be taken up until it had been purchased from the Indians and offered for sale by the United States; no property qualification was required of electors or elected; a temporary government, consisting of an appointed governor and law-making judges might be established until the adult male population of the territory increased to 5000; then a permanent and representative government would be permitted, with the right of sending a representative to Congress, who should debate, but not vote. When the number of inhabitants in any of the five divisions of the territory equalled 60,000, it should be admitted as a new State; the new States should remain forever a part of the United States; should bear the same relation to the Government as the original States; should pay their apportionment of the Federal debts; should in their governments uphold republican forms, and slavery should exist in none of them. It also provided for equal division of the property of intestates, and for the surrender of fugitive slaves from the States.
The Northwest Territory, consisting of the area west of Pennsylvania, north of the Ohio River, and east of the Mississippi, came under the control of the Continental Congress by reason of the cessions made by Virginia in 1784, New York in 1782, Massachusetts in 1785 and Connecticut in 1786. In 1784 Jefferson brought forward an ordinance for the government of this territory. Its leading features were that it provided for its erection into States, and their entrance into the Union on equal terms with the rest. A clause which would have prohibited slavery after 1800 was voted down.
In 1787 a new ordinance was framed upon this and passed on September the 13th. The credit of its final form, including the forbidding of slavery, has been attributed to Nathan Dane member of the Continental Congress from Massachusetts, and, to Dr. Manasseh Cutler, of the same State, agent of the Ohio Company. The ordinance provided that no land was to be taken up until it had been purchased from the Indians and offered for sale by the United States; no property qualification was required of electors or elected; a temporary government, consisting of an appointed governor and law-making judges might be established until the adult male population of the territory increased to 5000; then a permanent and representative government would be permitted, with the right of sending a representative to Congress, who should debate, but not vote. When the number of inhabitants in any of the five divisions of the territory equalled 60,000, it should be admitted as a new State; the new States should remain forever a part of the United States; should bear the same relation to the Government as the original States; should pay their apportionment of the Federal debts; should in their governments uphold republican forms, and slavery should exist in none of them. It also provided for equal division of the property of intestates, and for the surrender of fugitive slaves from the States.
Samuel H Parsons was an American politician. He was born in 1737 and died in 1789. He was a member of the Connecticut Assembly from 1762 to 1780. He planned the capture of Ticonderoga in 1775. He fought at Long Island in 1776, and commanded a brigade at White Plains and the troops at New YorkHighlands from 1778 until 1779. He succeeded General Israel Putnam in command of the Connecticut line in 1780. He had an important part in the forming of the Ohio Company, the securing of the Ordinance for the Government of the Northwest Territory and the early settlement of Ohio. Research Samuel Parsons
The Loyal Company was an American land company chartered on June the 12th, 1749, in opposition to the Ohio Company. Its patentees obtained a grant of 800,000 acres in the Northwest Territory, chiefly along the Ohio River. Research Loyal Company
The Ohio Company was an American colonial land company. In 1749 George II granted to a band of wealthy Virginians, calling themselves the Ohio Company, a tract of land containing 500,000 acres, and lying mostly to the west of the mountains and south of the Ohio River. Thomas Lee was the projector of this company, but it was later conducted by Lawrence Washington. The conditions of the grant were that 100 families should be established upon it, a fort should be built and a garrison maintained. Numerous store houses were also established.
A second Ohio Company was formed on March the 1st, 1786, on the suggestion and in the house of Rufus Putnam, of Rutland, Massachusetts. On March the 3rd, Putnam, Cutler, Brooks, Sargent and Cushing reported an association of 1000 shares, each of $1000 in Continental certificates, or $125 in gold. A year was allowed for subscription. Land was to be purchased from Congress, in tracts lying between the Ohio and Lake Erie. On May the 9th, 1787, Parsons, agent for the company, appeared before Congress and was well received. Congress granted certain lots free of charge, and an enormous tract was bought at about eight or nine cents per acre in specie. Colonization was immediately begun, and slavery was prohibited. The company had much influence in shaping the Ordinance for the Government of the Northwest Territory. Research Ohio Company
Ohio is a mid west state in the USA. Ohio was formed from the Northwest Territory. It was originally explored by the French, and at the time of the French and Indian War was claimed by both the English and French. The former's claim was made good by the treaty of 1763. In 1774 the Quebec Act joined Ohio and the whole Northwest to Canada, but this act was nullified by the treaty of 1783. South of 41 degrees north latitude Ohio formed a part of the cession of Virginia to the general government in 1783. The territory north of that line was claimed by Connecticut by virtue of the charter of Charles II which extended her territory to the South Sea. The jurisdiction over this part was ceded to the United States by Connecticut in 1786, but the ownership of the lands was retained by that State, which gave rise to the name, The Connecticut Reservation, or Western Reserve. In 1786 the Ohio Company, composed of Massachusetts people, obtained control of 1,500,000 acres through the agency of Manasseh Cutler. The following year Congress passed the Ordinance of 1787 for the government of the Northwest Territory. This provided for not more than five nor less than three States, forbade slavery and provided for the support of education.
In 1788 Marietta was founded by settlers under General Putnam. In 1791 St. Clair's army was surprised and cut to pieces by the Indians, who were finally defeated by General Wayne in 1794. In 1800 Ohio was set off from the Northwest under a separate government, and in 1803 was admitted as a State. A boundary dispute with Michigan, called the Toledo War, was settled in favour of Ohio by the act of Congress which provided for the admission of Michigan in 1836.
Abbreviations
Research Northwest Territory, and the Ordinance of 1787 for its government. 
