Teacher Resources
Marietta
This lesson uses the founding of Marietta and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 to explore the mechanisms by which the United States expanded westward and the compromises embedded in that expansion. Students analyze the Ordinance's three key provisions — equal statehood, a bill of rights, and the anti-slavery clause — and examine how Manasseh Cutler's lobbying shaped legislation with century-long consequences. The lesson also confronts the gap between the Ordinance's "utmost good faith" language about Native nations and the actual dispossession that followed.
Grade Range
8-12
Duration
2 class periods
Included
3 Resources
What's Included
Everything
You Need
- 5 primary sources with analysis prompts
- Quiz with answer key (5 questions)
- 3 printable handouts
Lesson Overview
This lesson uses the founding of Marietta and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 to explore the mechanisms by which the United States expanded westward and the compromises embedded in that expansion. Students analyze the Ordinance's three key provisions — equal statehood, a bill of rights, and the anti-slavery clause — and examine how Manasseh Cutler's lobbying shaped legislation with century-long consequences. The lesson also confronts the gap between the Ordinance's "utmost good faith" language about Native nations and the actual dispossession that followed.
Essential Questions
- What makes a framework for expansion successful, and successful for whom?
- How did the Northwest Ordinance's anti-slavery clause shape American history beyond the Northwest Territory?
- Is it possible to create a new republic on land that belongs to someone else? What are the consequences of trying?
Primary Sources
5 Sources for Analysis
PRIMARY · TIER1
An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the River Ohio (Northwest Ordinance), July 13, 1787
National Archives
View SourcePRIMARY · TIER1
Ohio Company of Associates: Organizational Records and Land Grant Documents, 1786-1790
Ohio Historical Society (now Ohio History Connection)
PRIMARY · TIER1
General Rufus Putnam Papers, 1775-1824
Marietta College, Legacy Library
INSTITUTIONAL · TIER1
Hopewell Culture National Historical Park: Marietta Earthworks
National Park Service
View SourceSECONDARY · TIER1
Biographical and Historical Memoirs of the Early Pioneer Settlers of Ohio
H.W. Derby & Co. (Samuel P. Hildreth)
Lesson Plan
In the Classroom
Learning Objectives
- 1Students will explain the three main provisions of the Northwest Ordinance and why each was significant
- 2Students will analyze how the anti-slavery clause in the Ordinance shaped the political geography of the Midwest
- 3Students will evaluate the tension between the Ordinance's republican promises and the dispossession of Native peoples
- 4Students will trace the connection between the Revolutionary War veterans who founded Marietta and the governance framework they created
Assessment
Marietta in the American Revolution
Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.
What makes Marietta significant in Revolutionary history?
multiple choice
Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.
true false
Name one event that occurred in Marietta during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
short answer
+ 2 more questions in the full packet
Ready to Print?
The full teacher packet includes cover page, lesson plan, all primary source worksheets, quiz, answer key, and standards alignment — formatted for classroom printing.