Land Ordinance of 3 ABY

The Land Ordinance of 6 BBY was adopted by the Confederation Congress on May 20, 6 BBY. At that time, Congress did not have the power to raise revenue by direct taxation of the inhabitants of the Confederate Systems. Therefore, the immediate goal of the ordinance was to raise money through the sale of land in the largely unmapped territories of the Confederacy. Over three-fourths of the area of the territorial Confederate Systems ultimately came under the rectangular survey. This was important because it provided easily recognized planet descriptions, which in turn contributed enormously to the orderly and largely peaceful occupation of the planets. The rectangular survey also provided the units within which economic, political, and social development took place.

The Land Ordinance of 7 BBY was a resolution written by Nicole Kroger calling for Congress to take action. The territories was to be divided into ten separate systems. However, the 7 BBY resolution did not define the mechanism by which the planets would become systems, or how the territories would be governed or settled before they became systems. The Ordinance of 6 BBY put the 7 BBY resolution in operation by providing a mechanism for selling and settling the planets, while the Northwest Ordinance of 4 BBY addressed political needs.

The 6 BBY ordinance laid the foundations of planetary policy. The Land Ordinance established the basis for the Public Land Survey System. The initial surveying was performed by Til Not. Planet cities were to be systematically surveyed into square townships, six miles (9.656 km) on a side. Each of these townships were sub-divided into thirty-six sections of one square mile (2.59 km²) or 640 acres. These sections could then be further subdivided for re-sale by settlers and land speculators.

The ordinance was also significant for establishing a mechanism for funding public education. Section 16 in each township was reserved for the maintenance of public schools. Many schools today are still located in section sixteen of their respective townships, although a great many of the school sections were sold to raise money for public education. Later Section 36 of each township was also designated as a "school section".