Student Reading 10.1: The Story of Ohio s Constitution and Statehood The land that would eventually become Ohio began to grow in the late 1700s. Colonists were encouraged to move and settle in different territories at this time (after the Revolutionary War) for several reasons. First, the colonies were becoming overcrowded with people arriving from other countries like England who wanted to start a new life in the newly formed country. As the population flourished and grew, it became difficult for people to find enough land to farm. (Map of Great Britain s 13 Colonies. Courtesy of the Ohio History Connection.) 1
Second, the United States government was searching for a way to pay its debts after the war. It didn t want to raise taxes, so it decided to encourage people to purchase large pieces of land in areas not yet settled by Europeans. As these areas, or territories, began to grow, they could apply for statehood and officially become a part of the United States of America. In order for a territory to become a state, they needed to follow several (This map shows the Northwest Territory which is made up of present-day Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and the eastern part of Minnesota. The Ohio Historical Society (2001). The Northwest Territory, 1787 H_5C. On Mapping Ohio: An Educational Guide to Ohio Through 200 Themed Maps CD. Columbus: The Reinberger Foundation.) steps as outlined by the Northwest Ordinance. 2
Step 1: Congress would chose a governor, a secretary, and three judges from the territory. Step 2: Once 5,000 free, white men lived in the territory they could elect a legislature and a delegate to Congress. A legislature is a group of people that make laws for the area. Step 3: Once 60,000 free people lived in the territory, they could apply for statehood. Once a territory applied for statehood, they could begin writing a state constitution. In order to write a constitution for an area wishing to become a state, a group of delegates had to meet. These delegates were selected to help establish what the government would look like and how it would work, but delegates often disagreed with each other on important issues. For example, when 35 delegates met in November 1802 to begin writing the constitution for 3
Ohio, not all of the delegates wanted Ohio to become a state. The majority of men who did want Ohio to become a state were called Democratic Republicans. Another smaller group of delegates, called Federalists and led by Governor St. Clair, were against statehood. Governor St. Clair and the Federalists wanted to (Ohio Constitution signing table. Guthrie, W. (1802). Constitution Table. Chillicothe: Ross County Historical Society.) remain in control of the government in the Northwest Territory. If Ohio was made a state they would no longer be in charge. They wanted Ohio s boundaries changed so the area would remain small and could not reach a population of 60,000 people which was required for Ohio to become a state. The Democratic Republicans asked the federal government for help. The federal government drafted the Enabling Act of 4
1802 which defined Ohio s boundaries. With these boundaries the federal government said that by the time Ohio wrote a state constitution, it would have 60,000 people and could become a state. The Enabling Act of 1802 also set a date for a constitutional convention, where the Ohio Constitution would be drafted. The Ohio constitution granted all white men over the age of 21 who had lived in Ohio for a least one year the right to vote if they paid taxes. Slavery was not allowed, but African American men could not vote. The governor s term would be two years and the position held little power, as the delegates distrusted a strong governor. The legislature was named the General Assembly and made most of the decisions in the state. Thomas Worthington carried the document to Washington D.C. in December and Ohio entered the United States as the seventeenth state. 5
Reading Comprehension Questions 1. Which of the following is NOT a step needed for a territory to apply for statehood? a. The territory had to reach a population of 60,000 people. b. A state convention had to be organized to write a state constitution. c. The President had to come visit the territory. d. 5,000 free, white men lived in the territory. 2. Fill in the blanks: Ohio s newly formed constitution was signed on. It would not allow, but African Americans could not vote. Most of the decisions in the state were made by the. Ohio became the state of the Union. 6