When did Ohio Become a State
Ohio is a state located in the Midwestern United States bordered by Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the Canadian province Ontario. It is a relatively small state in terms of area (34th largest state), but has a large population (7th largest) at more than 11.5 million people. The capital of Ohio is Columbus, which is also the largest city in the state. Let’s take a look at the history of Ohio and how it became a state.
A brief history of Ohio
Ohio was inhabited by Native Americans for many centuries and Europeans didn’t reach this region until the 17th century. The territory was claimed for France at this time and it remained a part of New France until the 1763 Treaty of Paris which gave control of the area to Britain. The British created an Indian Reserve in the region and did not allow white settlement in the area. The area changed control again after the Revolutionary War and the region was officially conceded to the United States in the Treaty of Paris in 1783.
When did Ohio become a state?
The Northwest Territory was created by the United States government in 1787 and this included all of Ohio and other future states. The areas of the Northwest Territory were not permitted to become a state until their population reached 60,000. However, the preparations for Ohio becoming a state began in 1801 when the population was just 45,000 because it was growing rapidly. On February 19, 1803, Ohio was officially admitted as the 17th state of the United States by President Jefferson.
Did you know?
The U.S. Congress never formally passed a resolution to admit Ohio as a state and, although this wasn’t required, the oversight was discovered in 1953. In the same year President Eisenhower signed an act to officially declare March 1, 1803 as the date that Ohio was made a state!
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