the land ordinance of 1785 benefited congress in terms of land.
the land ordinance of 1785 benefited congress in terms of land.
who did the land ordinance of 1785 benefit in terms of land?
congress
land ordinance of 1785









































the land ordinance of 1785 was adopted by the united states congress of the confederation on may 20, 1785. it set up a standardized system whereby settlers could purchase title to farmland in the undeveloped west. congress at the time did not have the power to raise revenue by direct taxation, so land sales provided an important revenue stream. the ordinance set up a survey system that eventually covered over 3/4 of the area of the continental united states.
land ordinance of 1785
even though jefferson's committee had a southern majority, it recommended the new england survey system. the highly planned and surveyed western townships established in the land ordinance of 1785, were heavily influenced by the new england settlements of the colonial era, particularly the land grant provisions of the ordinances which dedicated land towards public education and other government uses. in colonial times, new england settlements contained dedicated public space for schools and churches, which often held a central role in the community. for instance, the 1751 royal charter for marlboro vermont provides: "one shear [share] for the first settled minister one shear for the benefit of the school forever." by the time the land ordinance of 1785 was enacted, the new england states had used land grants for over a century to support public education and build new schools. the clause in the land ordinance of 1785 which dedicated "lot number 16" of each western township for public education reflected this regional new england experience.
land ordinance of 1785