With the American Revolution over and the Proclamation Line of 1763 now removed, Americans wish to begin encroaching upon the western lands that belong to First Nations' people. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 set up a number of guidelines for territories to have in place before they can qualify as actual states. Look at those requirements mentioned in our readings and respond to this prompt in the comments section. If our notes missed this, feel free to look back at the textbook itself:
Which requirement to become a state that was placed upon a territory do you see as important, maybe even the most important?
Tell us why you think that requirement mattered.
As is our practice, we will reply to the comments of two others.
I think the most important requirement to become a state was that they had to have freedom of speech. I think this was the one of the most important because it showed that America was committed to the idea of everyone being able to express your opinions.
ReplyDeleteYeah I have to agree, freedom of speech is an important necessity to actually function as a state.
DeleteAgreed, as America has values like freedom of speech set in stone, if anything more back then than now.
DeleteFor sure. Even all of these years that's one of our most important rights.
Delete*years later
DeleteI agree because freedom of speech allowed everyone to be able to voice their opinion without fear of the government.
DeleteThis is a valuable right to have, especially in a time where freedom of speech wasn't present in some places, so this is a good idea.
DeleteI think a requirement to become a state was to actually have the go-ahead by the legislature, to become a state, and follow the Constitution.
ReplyDeleteI agree, needing legislature approval is important.
DeleteI agree, following the constitution was essential.
DeleteWhy do you think this is the most important requirement placed on a state by the The Northwest Ordinance of 1787?
DeleteI agree, that was like a final defining step.
DeleteThat makes sense, without following proper proceedings, the whole idea of forming a state becomes somewhat pointless.
DeleteThe most important one was the establishment of natural rights. I think this was most important because it gave residents of these future states rights like religious tolerance and ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Many of the rights guaranteed under the The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 were written into the Bill of Rights and other legislature.
ReplyDeleteI agree. It gave everyone more freedom and made sure everyone no one was being left out.
DeleteI agree, the establishment of natural rights was important because it gave everyone more freedom.
DeleteYeah, this was essential.
DeleteI agree, and wrote something similar. Natural rights should be the basic principle for any land.
DeleteI agree. Natural rights are needed to create a stable country.
DeleteI agree because without their rights being clear there would be a lot of confusion and could cause conflict between people.
DeleteI agree, it ensures equal treatment and accountability.
DeleteI agree, this ensures that the ideals of the united states were upheld by the individual states
DeleteI agree, and I responded with something similar.
DeleteI agree. These rights were essential for establishing a more equal and fair nation for its citizens.
DeleteI think an important requirement for the states is to follow the constitution because it will show how all the states have to follow the same rules so there is no state that is an exception for. That. This is important because it will keep stability within the states and will show how all states ate equal an no one is exempt from the laws.
ReplyDeleteI also think this is important because it kept stability, helping to stop rebellions and other political unrest caused by people who believe they aren't being treated equally under the law.
DeleteI agree. This helps stop people from feeling like one state has it better than theirs.
DeleteI agree, it sets the precedent that they are all equal under the law, allowing for stability.
DeleteAgreed. It prevents the possibility of rebellion if one state sees that another appears to have "more rights."
DeleteI did not think of this when writing my response, but I agree
DeleteThe idea of unity is a great idea, there is a common set of laws they have to follow, the Constitution, and that everyone must follow it without any exceptions.
DeleteHave to agree as well, following the constitution is a necessity.
DeleteWhile all the requirements were important, I believe one of the more important ones was to qualify as a state you needed a population equal to or above the current least populated state. Otherwise, tiny little towns would declare themselves states just because they followed the Constitution. It was also with this how the expansion of states into the West was slowed and made more orderly.
ReplyDeleteI agree, imagine how many tiny states there would be if that restriction was not instituted.
DeleteDefinitely. Without this rule, we could have hundreds, maybe even thousands of states. That would make taxes, the census, and just about everything else a living nightmare.
DeleteThat's true, while the rights of the people who live in the states are very important, it would be a mess if small towns declared themselves states and kept making their own state governments all the time.
DeleteI feel the most important requirements for statehood were freedom of religion and the prohibition of slavery though the territory. Both of these requirements create a free and fair state, following the values of America's call of independence. By mandating these laws, the foundation of these states sets the stage for a more equal future for its citizens.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I thought that the prohibition of slavery was an important guideline, laying the groundwork for the union and the eventual abolition of slavery, however slow that was.
DeleteI agree, it can't be considered a free state if not everyone had the same freedoms.
DeleteI agree, this allowed for America's citizens to have true independence and freedom.
DeleteI agree. This is another example of the US putting the values of their revolution into practice.
DeleteI think the most important requirement for statehood was the right to trial by jury. This meant the government could not have complete control over legal proceedings, helping ensure that in the territories as well as the states the same anti-tyrannical guidelines were being followed. This helped make sure the government was in check, and could grow easily, which is why I think this was an important requirement.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really think of this, but it's super true! I think America is able to function as it does because the people have to power to keep it in check.
DeleteI think the most important requirements were the individual rights, like freedom of speech, religion, etc. These rights were then incorporated into the Constitution of the United States, and are some of the country's most cherished rights to date.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this since the country wanted to have freedom that England didn't give them.
DeleteI agree, part of the "American identity" is having the rights ensured by our constitution.
DeleteI agree, this requirement truly separated them from England.
DeleteI believe that the most important requirement was individual rights and the ban on slavery. These requirements show how the United States tried to be a country where everybody felt equal to each other.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this idea, it shows how they wanted people to have more freedom.
DeleteI agree, although there was definitely still great inequality, it demonstrated the want-to-be state making an attempt, a small one nonetheless, at some sort of equality.
DeleteThe most important requirement was the establishment of individual rights because it would make it clear to the people what they were able to do under the constitution and what they were not able to do and it would help avoid confusion on what their rights were under the new government.
ReplyDeleteI agree--the establishment of individual rights sets limits to the power of the government over the people which can prevent the abuse of authority.
DeleteThe most important requirement in the Northwest Ordinance was the requirement that basic human rights be respected. Ensuring that the residents had rights like freedom of religion and trial by jury a makes them part of the country and subject to the same rules and benefits.
ReplyDeleteThe most important requirement is the enforcement of freedom. The ordinance allowed freedom of religion, and the prohibition of slavery. The whole point of the Revolutionary war was to gain freedom from England, so it'd make no sense if the states didn't have any.
ReplyDeleteI think the most important requirement would be having rights such as the freedom of religion. Not only that, but the prohibition of slavery as well. Otherwise, it would not matter if people had certain freedoms while the enslaved had virtually none.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the most important requirement to become a state is freedom of speech. This is because without freedom of speech, citizens would be unable to safely voice their concerns to the state government. Without free speech, the government could legally punish anyone who disagreed with their laws, no matter how unfair they might be. This could lead to somewhat of a dictatorship within that state.
ReplyDeleteI agree--freedom of expression was particularly restricted during the time of England's rule. Because of that restriction, freedom of speech was a fundamental American value.
DeleteI think ensuring that personal freedoms are guaranteed within a state is the most important thing because that was a big part of what made America distinct. The reason personal liberty was so emphasized was because of England's past authoritarian rule. If a state ensured that its citizens were entitled to the same freedoms as all other states, such as freedom of speech and religion, it would truly become part of the United States (or at least, the how the United States appeared on paper)
ReplyDeleteYeah! I agree, because so much of Americas identity comes from the freedom of the individual to act and make change.
DeleteI agree, many of the ideas that were built when founding America as a new nation revolved around individual power and rights.
DeleteI think the most important requirement was for the state to enforce the right to a trial, since it's a key part of limiting oppression and government control.
ReplyDeleteI agree, as it helps lessen the fear people had of the government
DeleteI think that the most important requirement was the requirement of rights, such as freedom of speech and freedom of religion. This allowed the United States to truly separate themselves from England and what they wanted to avoid being.
ReplyDeleteThe most important state requirements would be the freedom of religion and prohibition of slavery. Not establishing these would go against the American values established by the revolution.
ReplyDeleteI agree because this was basic human rights and it must be given despite all.
DeleteI think the most important requirement of rights for each state was the freedom of speech and protest. America's identity is built on the power of the individual, and these rights ensure that the people don't feel oppressed as they did under the British rule.
ReplyDeleteI agree, this would ensure that the government would not become tyrannical and the people would always have some power.
DeleteHaving freedom of religion is important for states to have, this is debatable whether this is the most important, but I think that this is important because people had a hard time to be able to practice religion freely at the time, like the Huguenots coming from France to the Americas.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most important state requirements would have to be the right of the people to organize protest and rebel against the government. This is a big part of the foundation of the American government--it is how the colonies were able to create their own nation. It is a fundamental part of a democratic government.
ReplyDeleteI agree this helps the government and the nation grow
DeleteThe most important requirement would be ensuring personal freedoms and individual rights. Similarly to Noah and others in the class, I believe that this requirement truly encompasses what early citizens of the United States of America. This requirement, it could be argued, represents the idea of individual power and ability as opposed to Englands totalitarian and extremely powerful government way of society.
ReplyDeleteI agree, following the Constitution would ensure people had rights, which was the main goal of the U.S.
DeleteI think the most important thing is to have freedom of speech because that's what carries the country. The government can hear the citizens concerns and problems and they can improve. It will work with an actual government when the government is makin improvements for the working class based off what the working class wants fixed.
ReplyDeleteTo add, this way things are kept running smoothly and everyone or at least the majority are happy with the government.
DeleteThe most important requirement to become a state that was placed upon a territory was its ability to petition congress for statehood when its population equaled the free inhabitants of the smallest existing state, as it gave rise to the voices of a collective group of people instead of individuals taking advantage by claiming the powers of a sovereign state.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the absolutely most important requirement for a territory to become a state, was to follow the Constitution. That along with being allowed to become a state by Congress, would simultaneously give people their basic rights, while also submitting to the power of the Federal government. This is important because having all the states acknowledge the authority of the Federal government would help keep peace, and following the Constitution would make sure none of the governments would be able to abuse their powers and the people would remain free.
ReplyDelete