How did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 help the US Grow?

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 (or the Northwest Ordinance, as it is now referred) helped the US grow by creating the first organized territory of the United States, the Northwest Territory. This territory contained land from the Great Lakes to west of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River. The Ordinance also abolished slavery in the new territory, which helped lead the way for further growth as a slave-free nation. The ordinance also created Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan.