Which ordinance, passed in 1784, established the principle that territories could become states as their population grew?

The Land Ordinance of 1784 is the correct choice because it was the first significant piece of legislation that articulated a process for territories to achieve statehood in the United States. Proposed by Thomas Jefferson, the ordinance established that once a territory reached a specific population threshold, it could draft a constitution and apply for statehood. This framework laid the groundwork for the orderly expansion of the United States and the eventual admission of new states into the Union.

The Land Ordinance of 1784 also set a precedent for how future territories would be managed and integrated into the country, emphasizing the principle of equal admission and governance. The ordinance contributed to the organization of western lands and clarified the system by which territories could become states, which was further elaborated in later legislation, such as the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.

While the Northwest Ordinance built upon this idea and provided a more detailed system for governance and rights within the territories, it came after the foundational principles established by the Land Ordinance of 1784. Other options, such as Shay's Rebellion Act and the Connecticut Compromise, do not pertain directly to the method of transitioning territories to statehood. Shay's Rebellion was primarily an uprising against economic injustices, while the