When Was The US State Of Ohio Founded?
Ohio is US state located in the country's Midwest covering the land region between the Ohio River, the Appalachian Mountains, and Lake Erie. As of 2018, Ohio was the seventh most populous state in the US with an estimated population of 11.7 million. The capital city of the state is Columbus. Ohio State was founded on March 1, 1803, when it was admitted to the Union.
Native American Settlements
The first people to settle in Ohio were the Paleo-Indian people in about 13,000 BCE. Some of the Native American peoples that lived in Ohio at that time included the Shawnee and Siouan-language speaking tribes.
European Exploration and Colonization
The first European to have arrived in Ohio State in 1669 was a French man known as Robert de La Salle who was an explorer. At the time, Ohio was known as Ohio Country. Ohio was colonized by two European nations. The first colonialists were the French fur traders. However, after the French and Indian War of 1754, Ohio became a British colony.
American Settlement
American settlement in Ohio was influenced by the American Revolutionary War and the formation of the United States. When the US took over the British territories, it declared the end of slavery and Ohio was among the Free states. Following the Royal Proclamation of 1763, Ohio Country was closed to European settlement. The 1783 Treaty of Paris resulted in the British ceding control of the American lands to the US. Ohio was a highly desirable area for settlement. As a result, many claims arose related to its lands by neighboring territories such as Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. These claims were ceded to the US from 1780 to 1783 with Ohio incorporated into the Northwest Territory in 1787. Veterans of the American Revolution preferred having a residence in Ohio.
Gaining Statehood
The Ohio State Convention petitioned the US for admission into the Union on November 29, 1802. Although Congress approved their admission in February 1803, they were yet to complete the necessary processes for granting statehood. One important part of the process that was overlooked was the ratification of the state’s constitution. The ratification of the Ohio Constitution took place on May 19, 1953. Nonetheless, Ohio is still considered to have been admitted into the union in 1803; becoming the 17th state to have joined the union.
Capital of Ohio
The capital of Ohio is Columbus. The city was designated as the state capital as early as 1812 and incorporated in 1816. The location was chosen for its central location and proximity to water bodies that served as important means of transportation. The city grew quickly and was given city status in 1834. Today, Columbus remains the largest city in the state with a population of 860,090 as of 2016.
