Imagine you are giving a speech to your class about reasons why the United States rapidly formed over a dozen states in the West between 1850 and 1900. Which event would be best to use as supporting evidence in your speech?

Definitely the Land Ordinance of 1785. It was one of the only lasting accomplishments of the Confederation Congress, but allowed for the partitioning of territories into 6 mile x 6 mile townships. Eventually, those territories could apply for statehood. That, combined with the rich rice fields that spotted the plains, led to rapid population growth and statehood for many of those areas.