Why is the northwest ordinance sometimes called the confederation congress's only success

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 considered the remarkable accomplishment of Congress under the Articles of Confederation in light of the fact that the Northwest Ordinance was essential in permitting the different conditions of the newborn child United States to proceed as one country. It additionally set the phase for further states to wind up parts of the Union. Both of these avoided things that could have been real issues for the youthful nation. 
Prior to the Ordinance, there were different contending claims by states on what was then called the northwest