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• The Northwest Ordinance is proof that even after the Founding Fathers
wrote the Bill of Rights, religion’s importance still played a role in the laws they
passed. This Ordinance, which set forth the requirements for statehood, was
signed by President George Washington on August 7, 1789 and is considered one of the
four foundational laws.[36] Article III says, “Religion, morality, and knowledge,
being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and
the means of education shall forever be encouraged.”[37] The men who passed the Ordinance into law, who also
authored the Constitution, believed that “Religion, morality, and knowledge [should be
taught in schools because they are] necessary to good government and the happiness of
mankind.”[38] Religion was considered to be just as important as knowledge
and morality. It is essential to the well-being and growth of this country.
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