Northwest Territory: Polity Style: 1788-1802

19 Feb 1780	the delegates of New York in the United States Congress are authorized to establish the western boundaries of the State and to transfer to the United States the lands lying beyond them, in accordance with an act passed by the Senate and Assembly of New York (Senate on 9 Feb 1780, Assembly on 12 Feb 1780 with amendment, Senate agreed to amendment on 14 Feb 1780) and approved by the Council of Revision on 19 Feb 1780 (New York Session Laws 1778-1787, pp. 38-39) [1]
29 Oct 1782	all right, title, interest, jurisdiction, and claim to the territory ceded by New York in the instrument executed on 1 Mar 1781 are accepted by a resolution of the Congress of the United States passed on 29 Oct 1782 (Continental Congress Journals, 23:694)
22 Dec 1783	the delegates of Virginia in the United States Congress are authorized to convey all right, title and claim to a territory northwestward of the river Ohio to the United States, in accordance with an act passed by the General Assembly of Virginia (House of Delegates on 19 Dec 1783, Senate concurred in on 20 Dec 1783) and signed into law on 22 Dec 1783 (Virginia Session Laws 1783, pp. 13-14) [2]
1 Mar 1784	all the right, title, interest, jurisdiction, and claim to the territory ceded by Virginia in the instrument executed on 1 Mar 1784 are accepted by a resolution of the Congress of the United States passed on 1 Mar 1784 (Continental Congress Journals, 26:112-117)
13 Nov 1784	the delegates of Massachusetts in the United States Congress are authorized to define the limits of territory between the rivers Hudson and Mississippi to be ceded to the United States and to proceed with the cession, in accordance with an act passed by the General Court of Massachusetts (Senate on 12 Nov 1784, House of Representatives on 13 Nov 1784) and signed into law on 13 Nov 1784 (Massachusetts Session Laws 1784, p. 111) [3]
19 Apr 1785	all right, title, estate and jurisdiction of the territory ceded by Massachusetts in the instrument executed on 19 Apr 1785 are accepted by a resolution of the Congress of the United States passed on 19 Apr 1785 (Continental Congress Journals, 28:280-284)
Jun 1786	the delegates of Connecticut in the United States Congress are authorized to execute a deed of cession of all right, title, interest, jurisdiction and claim of Connecticut to certain western lands to the United States, in accordance with an act passed by the General Assembly of Connecticut in June 1786 (Connecticut State Records, 6:171-172) [4]
14 Sep 1786	the deed of cession executed by the Connecticut delegates on 14 Sep 1786 is accepted by a resolution of the Congress of the United States passed on 14 Sep 1786 (Continental Congress Journals, 31:654-655)
13 Jul 1787	the form of government for the territory of the United States northwest of the river Ohio is approved in accordance with an ordinance passed by the Congress of the United States on 13 Jul 1787 (Continental Congress Journals, 32:334-343) [5]
15 Jul 1788	the territorial government is established with the reading of the ordinance and governor's commission at a public meeting in Marietta (Territorial Papers, 3:263)
15 Jul 1788 - 29 Nov 1802	Territory of the United States Northwest of the River Ohio
30 Apr 1802	the inhabitants of the eastern division of the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio are authorized to form a constitution and state government and to assume a name for the future State, to be admitted to the United States when formed, in accordance with an act passed by the Congress of the United States (House of Representatives on 9 Apr 1802; Senate on 28 Apr 1802 with amendments, House concurred in on 29 Apr 1802) and signed into law on 30 Apr 1802 (Statutes at Large, 2:173-175) [6]
29 Nov 1802	the Constitution of the State of Ohio is adopted and signed at a session of the Convention held at Chillicothe on 29 Nov 1802 (Ohio Constitutional Convention 1802, pp. 39-42) [7]

Full title: An Act to facilitate the Completion of the Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union among the United States of America.
Full title: An Act to authorize the delegates of this State in Congress to convey to the United States in Congress assembled, all the right of this commonwealth, to the territory northwestward of the river Ohio.
Full title: An Act empowering the Delegates of this Commonwealth, in the United States In Congress Assembled, to relinquish to the United States certain Lands, the Property of this Commonwealth.
The session of the General Assembly was held from 11 May to 9 Jun 1786. During that sitting, the Congress of the United States, meeting at New York, adopted a resolution on 26 May 1786 declaring its readiness to accept the cession "whenever the delegates of Connecticut shall be furnished with full powers, and shall execute a deed for that purpose." The distance between New York and Hartford, together with the time required for consideration of the congressional resolution, suggests that adoption of the cession act occurred in June.
Full title: An Ordinance for the government of the territory of the United States North West of the river Ohio.
Full title: An Act to enable the people of the Eastern division of the territory northwest of the river Ohio to form a constitution and state government and for the admission of such state into the Union, on an equal footing with the original States, and for other purposes.
Following the adoption of the Constitution of the State of Ohio, the governor, secretary, judges, and other officers of the territorial government were authorized by a provision of the Constitution to continue in office until superseded.