Which ordinance set rules for the admission of new states and prohibited slavery?

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 is widely recognized for establishing a framework for the admission of new states into the Union and for its explicit prohibition of slavery in the territories north of the Ohio River. This ordinance was significant because it outlined the process for territories to become states, ensuring that they would enter the Union as equals to the original states.

Additionally, the Northwest Ordinance included important provisions related to civil liberties and public education, establishing a model for future statehood processes. By prohibiting slavery in these new territories, the ordinance set a precedent that would influence the contentious debates over slavery in the years leading up to the Civil War and reflected the changing attitudes toward slavery in the newly formed United States.

In comparison, the Land Ordinance of 1785 focused primarily on the systematic surveying and sale of land in the Northwest Territory, not on the admission of states or slavery. The Articles of Confederation established the first governing framework of the United States but did not address slavery or state admission directly. The Fourteenth Amendment came much later, following the Civil War, and sought to address citizenship and equal protection under the law rather than set initial rules for statehood. Thus, the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 stands out as the correct answer