What act set the tone for the westward expansion of the United States of America by establishing that new states would be formed and admitted to the United States, instead of allowing existing states to expand their territory? A) the Compromise of 1850 B) the Northwest Ordinance C) the Missouri Compromise D) the Kansas-Nebraska Ordinance

The act that set the tone for the westward expansion of the United States of America by establishing that new states would be formed and admitted to the United States, instead of allowing existing states to expand their territory is B) the Northwest Ordinance.

Extra: The Northwest Ordinance, formally known as the Ordinance of 1787, established a government for the Northwest Territory, outlined the process for admitting a new state to the Union, and guaranteed that newly created states would be equal to the original thirteen states. The ordinance included a bill of rights guaranteeing trial by jury, freedom of religion, and freedom from excessive punishment. It also banned slavery in the Northwest Territory. The importance of the Northwest Ordinance lies in the fact that it established a precedent for the orderly expansion of the United States, providing a mechanism by which new states could be integrated as equals rather than being controlled by existing states. This was a foundational element in the country's westward growth and set a pattern that would be followed as the nation expanded across the continent.