The First Federal Antislavery Law: The Legacy of The Northwest Ordinance of 1787

The Summer of 1787 was a busy one for the newly founded United States. While the Constitution was being written in Philadelphia, the third most important document in US history was being debated in New York.  The Northwest Ordinance created the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and part of Minnesota, and Article 5 outlawed slavery for the new territories, making it the first Federal Antislavery Law. The Northwest Ordinance also created the Ohio River as the boundary between slave and free states that would exist until the Civil War. Learn about the people behind this law, the effect on the Black population of Ohio, and the lasting legacy of the Northwest Ordinance. 

Our guest presenter is Lawrence Greene, who has dedicated himself to investigating Black history in our region. He is the founder of Ugata Drum and Dance.