Jefferson was critical in setting the manner of this expansion, and helped form a trio of laws passed in 1784, 1785, and 1787 and collectively known as the Northwest Ordinances. Along with the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution, these are among the most important documents in the founding of the United States – not because they contain impassioned cries for democracy, but because they describe, simply and plainly, how its land would be divided, sold, and governed.
