Celebrating The Northwest Ordinance Of 1787, 234 Years Later

MARIETTA, OH — Today city officials, citizens, and history buffs came to celebrate the 234th anniversary of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.

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Of course, the signing of this document set the stage for expanding beyond the original 13 states and established a government for the Northwest Territory. This was important because it included Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and part of Minneapolis. The original 13 states voted for the Northwest Ordinance which prohibited slavery in an area larger than the first 13. This document not only protected civil liberties and prevented slavery within the borders, but it also recognized religion and morality as necessary for good government.

The celebration took place at the Start Westward Monument at Muskingum Park in Marietta, Ohio.Former Ohio Governor Nancy Hollister was the MC of the event. She spoke about the historic significance of Marietta as the first settlement in the Northwest Ordinance. Mayor Josh Schlicher gave a grand welcome to the guests and thanked them for coming. A number of awards were given out. It was pointed out by one of the speakers that there were up to 40% slaves or indentured servants in Parkersburg, Virginia right across the river. But there was no slavery allowed in the Northwest Territory, and it was because of this document.

The highlight of the day was the keynote speaker, Dr. John Fleming. He's from North Carolina and went to school in Kentucky. Fleming also attended Howard University and he earned his master's and doctorate in American History. He published The Lengthening Shadow of Slavery and The Case For Affirmative Action for Blacks in Higher Education. He also continues to dedicate his life to charities and working to right social wrongs.

Here are some of his comments from his presentation of America's Founding Documents and the Struggle for Equality.

"We're here to celebrate the 234th anniversary of the passage of the government of the Territory of the United States Northwest of the Ohio River, which was adopted by the Confederation Congress on July 13, 1787. Today marks the founding of Marietta by General Rufus Putnam, in the beginning of the westward expansion.

"Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough's new book describes the Northwest Ordinance as one of the great civil liberties documents including the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Independence. So we stand on hallowed ground here in the City of Marietta. This place provides us with a lens with which we can view the past and think about our long complex history, and the fight for liberty, equality, and justice.

"Before, during, and after the American Revolution, people of this nation have fought for basic human rights, including the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And work to secure the blessings of liberty among themselves and their descendants so aptly stated in the Declaration of Independence.

"The Confederation Congress had the great foresight to create a government for the Northwest Territory, to admit states to the Union with equal rights as the original 13 states and was a model for the U.S. Constitution with the Bill of Rights. The document guaranteed protection of civil liberties, prevented slavery, recognized religion and morality as necessary for good governance, and outlined that education should be forever encouraged in the new territories.

"The subsequent history of the United States with such outstanding founding documents is not however a consistent march of progress achieving these lofty goals. It is more of a complex history, full of both advances ad retreats that continue to reverberate throughout our society today."

"In conclusion, we've seen over the last 2 1/2 centuries the complexity of American history in extending the ideas regarded in our founding documents, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Northwest Ordinance for all Americans, especially African Americans. Our history has not been a straight course, but one that winds and meanders. We must be ever vigilant if we are to protect our basic freedoms for ourselves and future generations.

"Our history is riddled with both advances and retreats. It's never less than one aimed at all, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. How we respond to these challenges to our Democracy will determine how future generations will judge us as a people for our stewardship of our freedoms. Thank you."

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