Townships: Townships are square areas of land that were created through the methodical process of surveying. They were used as a way to divide up western lands into manageable units for settlement and development.
Articles of Confederation: The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States. It established a weak central government but gave more power to individual states.
Land Ordinance of 1785: This legislation under the Articles of Confederation provided a systematic method for surveying and dividing western lands into townships. It helped facilitate westward expansion and organized land distribution.