There are 20 states that have townships as their form of general purpose local government. Townships first came into existence in Michigan through the Northwest Ordinance, passed by Congress in 1787. Under this ordinance, township boundaries were arbitrarily drawn on maps in order to facilitate the surveying and conveyance of land. Since 1787, township government has developed into a governmental structure that provides practically any type of governmental service that is desired by its citizens. Public Act 359 of 1947 permits a township with a population of 2,000 or more to incorporate as a charter township, allowing for additional authority to perform desired governmental functions. The charter is contained within the statute.