University of Central Florida (UCF) AMH2010 U.S. History: 1492-1877 Midterm Practice Exam

The Land Ordinance of 1785 is the legislation that allowed for the sale of land in the Old Northwest, which included parts of what would become Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. This ordinance established a structured process for surveying and selling the western lands, which was crucial for generating revenue to help pay off the national debt following the American Revolutionary War.

Under this ordinance, the land was divided into townships, which could then be sold to private individuals. The revenue generated from these land sales would be used to reduce the national debt, which was a pressing issue for the new nation at that time. The system put into place by the Land Ordinance aimed to promote orderly settlement and development in these territories, reflecting the need for a systematic approach to land management and economic recovery for the nation.

The other options, while significant, do not pertain directly to the sale of acreage for the purpose of paying off national debt. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 primarily dealt with the governance of the territories and provisions for the admission of new states into the Union. The Articles of Confederation served as the first governing document of the United States but did not specifically address land sales. Shay's Rebellion was an armed