Record Display – OhioPix

item in cart

Maxwell's Code (Laws of the Territory of the United States North-west of the Ohio) Save

Description: The Continental Congress passed an ordinance in 1787 designating the land bounded by the Ohio River, Mississippi River, the Great Lakes, and Pennsylvania as the Northwest Territory. Eventually, the territory would be organized into five states: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The Northwest Ordinance established the basis for United States government and settlement in the region. Congress appointed General Arthur St. Clair governor of the territory. St. Clair shared control with three judges. The governor and judges did not have the power to create new laws, although they were authorized to adopt laws already established in the original states of the Union. In the summer of 1795, they published laws for the territory, borrowed mostly from Pennsylvania. These original laws were known as Maxwell's Code, the original civil and criminal code for the territory. The published version became known as Maxwell's Code because it was printed by William Maxwell. The document was printed in Cincinnati and is reported to be the first book published in what is now Ohio. The laws are described on 225 pages measuring 8 by 6 inches (20.32 by 15.24 cm). Maxwell's Code restructured the court system at the time. These laws protected residents against excessive taxes and declared that English common law would be the basis of legal decisions and laws of the Northwest Territory. The adoption of these laws promoted the movement from frontier society to a law and order based community, helping lay the foundation for statehood. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3437_5971305_001
Subjects: Ohio Government; Northwest Territory. Laws, etc. (Session laws); Law & legal affairs
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio); Northwest Territory

1. Choose a product option

Personal use ($25) Academic/Non-Profit, all media ($50) Commercial, all media ($150)

Thank you for visiting OhioPix. Please note that orders for high-resolution files will be filled within 5-10 business days of placing your order. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

2. Read and Agree

Ohio History Connection Use Agreement and Conditions of Reproduction

One-Time Use. The right to reproduce materials held in the collections of the Ohio History Connection is granted on a one-time basis only, and only for private study, scholarship or research. Any further reproduction of this material is prohibited without the express written permission of the Ohio History Connection.
Use Agreement. Materials are reproduced for research use only and may not be used for publication, exhibition, or any other public purpose without the express written permission of the Ohio History Connection.
Credit. Any publication, exhibition, or other public use of material owned by the Ohio History Connection must credit the Ohio History Connection. The credit line should read “Courtesy of the Ohio History Connection” and should include the image or call number. The Ohio History Connection appreciates receiving a copy or tearsheet of any publication/presentation containing material from the organization’s collections.
Indemnification. In requesting permission to reproduce materials from the collections of the Ohio History Connection as described, the requestor agrees to hold harmless the OHC and its Trustees, Officers, employees and agents either jointly or severally from any action involving infringement of the rights of any person or their heirs and descendants in common law or under statutory copyright.
Reproduction of Copyrighted Material. Permission to reproduce materials in which reproduction rights are reserved must be granted by signed written permission of the persons holding those rights.
Copyright. The Ohio History Connection provides permission to use materials based on the organization’s ownership of the collection. Consideration of the requirements of copyrights is the responsibility of the author, producer, and publisher. Applicants assume all responsibility for questions of copyright and invasion of privacy that may arise in copying and using the materials available through Ohio Memory.
Warning concerning copyright restriction: The copyright law of the U. S. (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to a photocopy or reproduction. One of the specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship or research.” If a user make a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.
Photographs of Objects. The Ohio History Connection retains rights to photographs taken of artifacts owned by the Ohio History Connection. The images may be used for research, but any publication or public display is subject to the above conditions of reproduction. A new use agreement and appropriate fees must be submitted for each use

Quality Disclaimer: To maintain the authenticity and preservation of historic artifacts, the Ohio History Connection will not alter or endanger items in the collection for the purposes of reproduction or digitization. By completing this order form, the signee acknowledges that any and all requests will be completed with conservation in mind and that the images produced will reflect the physical condition of the item which may exhibit dirt, scratches, stains, tears, fading, etc.

Thank you for visiting OhioPix. Please note that orders for high-resolution files will be filled within 5-10 business days of placing your order.

By clicking I Agree, I consent to the terms, and acknowledge that I am entering into a legally binding agreement.