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Ohio ratified the US Constitution on 1 March 1803, becoming the 17th state to enter the Union. Since then, Ohio has had three constitutions, with the current one being adopted in 1851. Ohio also played a role in the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment (Prohibition) of the US Constitution, which was on the ballot as a veto referendum in 1919 but was defeated.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date Ohio ratified the US Constitution | 1 March 1803 |
| State number | 17 |
| Current Ohio State Constitution adopted | 1851 |
| Ohio Ratification of Eighteenth Amendment (Prohibition) of US Constitution Referendum | 4 November 1919 |
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What You'll Learn
- Ohio became the 17th state to ratify the US Constitution on 1 March 1803
- Ohio has had three constitutions since statehood was granted
- Ohio was created from the easternmost portion of the Northwest Territory
- The current Ohio State Constitution was adopted in 1851
- Ohio ratified the Eighteenth Amendment (Prohibition) of the US Constitution in 1919
Ohio became the 17th state to ratify the US Constitution on 1 March 1803
Ohio's first constitution was in place from 1803 until 1851, when the second constitution became effective. The current Ohio State Constitution was adopted in 1851. The study of state constitutions is perhaps the most important and yet neglected study that Americans can undertake. Understanding the constitution of the state within which one holds residence is important for two reasons.
Benjamin Franklin's Role in Ratifying the Constitution
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Ohio has had three constitutions since statehood was granted
Ohio became the 17th state on 1 March 1803, when it ratified the US Constitution. In 1787, the Congress of the Confederation of the United States passed the Northwest Ordinance, which established a territorial government and provided for the creation of between three and five states in the said territory. The Ordinance prohibited slavery and provided for freedom of worship, the right of habeas corpus and trial by jury, and the right to make bail except for capital offences.
In 1919, Ohio held a ballot on the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment (Prohibition) of the US Constitution. Voters rejected the legislature's ratification of the amendment, and the Ohio Supreme Court upheld the veto referendum, finding that the people could petition a referendum against the legislature's action on a federal constitutional amendment.
Compromise Impact: Constitution Ratification Explained
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Ohio was created from the easternmost portion of the Northwest Territory
Ohio ratified the U.S. Constitution on 1 March 1803, becoming the 17th state to join the Union. Ohio was created from the easternmost portion of the Northwest Territory.
The Northwest Territory was created by Congress in 1787 and included all the land west of Pennsylvania, northwest of the Ohio River, east of the Mississippi River, and south of the Great Lakes. The region was ceded to the United States in the Treaty of Paris of 1783. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established a territorial government and prohibited slavery. It also provided for freedom of worship, the right of habeas corpus and trial by jury, and the right to make bail except for capital offences.
In preparation for Ohio's statehood, Congress split the Northwest Territory into two sections in 1800. The Indiana Territory encompassed all land west of the present Indiana-Ohio border and its northward extension to Lake Superior, except for a wedge-shaped area of present-day Indiana in the southeast known as "the gore". The eastern portion of the Northwest Territory, which became Ohio, was authorised to form a state constitution and government and be admitted to the Union.
Ohio's first constitution was in use from 1803 until 1851, when the second constitution became effective. The current Ohio State Constitution was adopted in 1851.
The Long Road to Ratification: America's Constitution
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The current Ohio State Constitution was adopted in 1851
Ohio ratified the US Constitution on 1 March 1803, becoming the 17th state to enter the Union. The current Ohio State Constitution was adopted in 1851, replacing the first constitution which had been in place since Ohio became a state. The 1851 constitution was the second in Ohio's history and remains in use today.
Ohio was created from the easternmost portion of the Northwest Territory. In 1787, the Congress of the Confederation of the United States passed the Northwest Ordinance, establishing a territorial government and providing that "there shall be formed in the said territory, not less than three nor more than five states". The Ordinance prohibited slavery and provided for freedom of worship, the right of habeas corpus and trial by jury, and the right to make bail except for capital offences.
George Washington's Role in Ratifying the Constitution
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Ohio ratified the Eighteenth Amendment (Prohibition) of the US Constitution in 1919
Ohio was created from the easternmost portion of the Northwest Territory. In 1787, the Congress of the Confederation of the United States passed the Northwest Ordinance, establishing a territorial government and providing that " [t]here shall be formed in the said territory, not less than three nor more than five states." The Ordinance prohibited slavery and provided for freedom of worship, the right of habeas corpus and trial by jury, and the right to make bail except for capital offenses.
In 1919, Ohio held a ballot on the Eighteenth Amendment (Prohibition) of the US Constitution. Voters rejected the legislature's ratification of the amendment through a veto referendum on November 4, 1919. George Hawke filed litigation against Ohio Secretary of State Harvey Smith, arguing that a state veto referendum on a federal constitutional amendment conflicted with Article V of the US Constitution. The Ohio Supreme Court upheld the veto referendum, finding that the people could petition a referendum against the legislature's action on a federal constitutional amendment.
Compromise and the Constitution's Ratification
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Frequently asked questions
Ohio ratified the US Constitution on 1 March 1803.
Ohio became the 17th state to enter the Union.
The Constitution of the State of Ohio.
No, on 4 November 1919, Ohio voters rejected the legislature's ratification of the 18th Amendment (Prohibition) through a veto referendum.
