Acts of U.S. Congress that establish a United States territory and how it will be governed
Northwest Territory of the United States, 1787A map of Indiana TerritoryThis 1856 map shows slave states (gray), free states (pink),U.S. territories (green), and Kansas in center (white).
InUnited States law, anorganic act is anact of theUnited States Congress that establishes an administrative agency or local government,[1] for example, the laws that establishedterritory of the United States and specified how they are to be governed, or establishedagency to manage certain federal lands. In the absence of organic law, the body of laws that define and establish a government,[2] a territory is classified asunorganized.
The Organic Act for theTerritory of New Mexico was part of theCompromise of 1850, passed September 9, 1850. Primarily concerned withslavery, the act organized New Mexico as a territory, with boundaries including the areas now embraced in New Mexico, Arizona, and southern Colorado.
TheColorado Organic Act, 1861, created theTerritory of Colorado out of eastern Utah Territory, western Kansas Territory, southwestern Nebraska Territory, and a small portion of northeastern New Mexico Territory
TheDistrict of Columbia Organic Act of 1871, amalgamated Anacostia, Georgetown and Tenley Town to the City of Washington; and consolidated the County of Washington, City of Washington and District of Columbia into one governmental unit
TheGuam Organic Act of 1950, codifiedGuam as an unincorporated territory and established civilian government ending Guam's administration by the U.S. Navy.
