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Slave Trade Act of 1800
This was among one several acts of Congress that eventually outlawed the importations of slaves to the U.S. -
Enabling Act
The Enabling Act set stage for Ohio to be admitted in to the union. Ohio celebrated statehood and adopted the constitution of the U.S. -
Statehood of Ohio
Ohio became a state exceeding the population of 60,000 people in February of 1803. At this Jefferson was President and he signed the Act of Congress that approved Ohio's boundaries and constitution. -
The War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict that lasted from June 1812 to February 1815, fought between the United States of America and the United Kingdom, its North American colonies, and its Native American allies. -
Land Act of 1820
The Relief Act permitted Ohioans to return land that they could not pay for back to the government, granting a credit towards their debt for the returned land. Additionally, Congress extended credit to the buyer for eight more years. The government hoped that with the time extension, the economy would improve. Farmers would then be able to sell their crops and make payments on their loans. -
Erie Canal of Ohio
On February 4, 1825, the Ohio Legislature passed "An Act to provide for the Internal Improvement of the State of Ohio by Navigable Canals". The Canal Commission was authorized to borrow $400,000 in 1825, and not more than $600,000 per year thereafter. The notes issued were to be redeemable between 1850 and 1875. -
Toledo War
The Toledo War was a border dispute between the State of Ohio and the Michigan Territory during the first several decades of the nineteenth century. -
Mexican War
The Mexican War was a major conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. In January 1846, President Polk ordered Taylor's army to advance to the Rio Grande. In April, Mexican forces attacked Taylor's army. Polk went before Congress and asked for a declaration of war for Mexico's unwarranted aggression. The Congress agreed and formally declared war on May 13, 1846. -
Ohio Constitution of 1851
The Ohio Constitution of 1851 gave Ohio voters the right to elect the governor, other high-ranking state officials, and judges. Rather than having only two levels of courts within the state, a third level of district courts was added between the Ohio Supreme Court and common pleas courts. An overwhelming majority of the delegates voted against extending suffrage to African-American men and women of all races. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
During the early 1850s, Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin. Stowe became an abolitionist during the 1830s when she lived in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati was located on the Ohio River, just north of Kentucky, a slave state. Thousands of fugitive slaves passed through Cincinnati as they traveled to freedom along the Underground Railroad. -
Ohio Statehouse
The Ohio Statehouse is the seat of Ohio’s government. It is located in Columbus, the state capital. Construction of Ohio’s current statehouse began in 1839 and was completed in 1861. Prison inmates provided much of the construction labor. The Statehouse is typical of Greek Revival architecture, which Ohioans selected because of its democratic symbolism. -
Surrendering of R.E. Lee to U.S. Grant
By early June 1864, Grant had surrounded Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Petersburg, Virginia, and a ten month siege ensued. The Northerners finally drove the Confederates from Petersburg in early April 1865, and The Army of Northern Virginia surrendered on April 9, 1865. -
Cincinnati Red Stockings
Professional baseball originated in Cincinnati, Ohio. The first game played by a team where all players were professionals and received pay for playing occurred on June 1, 1869, when the Cincinnati Red Stockings defeated the Mansfield Independents, an amateur club. The Red Stockings won by a score of forty-eight to fourteen. The salary for the entire Cincinnati team during the 1869 season was eleven thousand dollars. -
William McKinley becomes President
Ohioan William McKinley, Jr., was President of the United States of America from 1897 to 1901. McKinley was born on January 29, 1843, in Niles, Ohio. In 1852, the McKinley family moved to Poland, Ohio, where William attended the Poland Union Seminary, before enrolling in Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately for McKinley, he became ill and was forced to leave this institution before graduating. -
Flood of 1913
The Flood of 1913 is known as the greatest natural disaster in Ohio history. Although rivers in Ohio tended to flood every spring, heavy rains in March 1913 exacerbated the flood conditions. Most communities located along rivers in the state experienced flooding, even those that had not had problems in the past. The most severe flooding occurred along the Great Miami River, and the conditions in Dayton were particularly bad. -
World War I
World War I began in Europe in August 1914. The origins of the war went back to the late nineteenth century, when European countries competed against each other to gain colonies and trade advantages in Africa and Asia. Many people believed at this time that a country's wealth determined how much power and prestige it had within the world. They viewed colonies as a way of increasing a country's wealth. -
Warren G. Harding becomes President
Warren G. Harding was the 29th President of the United States. Warren Gamaliel Harding was born on November 2, 1865, in Blooming Grove, Ohio. He spent most of his youth in the Marion County village of Caledonia, Ohio. Beginning in 1879, Harding attended Ohio Central College in Iberia, Ohio. At age 19, he and two friends purchased The Marion Daily Star, a newspaper in Marion, Ohio. Within a short time, he was the sole owner, acting as publisher and editor. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression began after the Stock Market Crash in October 1929. During the late 1920s, the stock market in the United States boomed. Many people in the U.S. began to purchase stock, and the value of stocks dramatically increased. In 1924, the New York Times index of the leading twenty-five industrial stocks topped the one hundred point mark. By the beginning of 1928, these same stocks had topped 245 points. The market continued to soar during 1928 and much of 1929. -
Ohio's Sale Tax Law of 1935
During the Great Depression, public schools in Ohio faced a financial crisis. Most schools received their funding through property taxes. Many Ohioans failed to pay their taxes because of the difficult economic times. As a result of people's failure to pay their taxes, schools had less money to pay educational expenses. Exacerbating the situation, Ohio voters limited taxes on real estate to ten mills, further reducing the funds available to public schools. -
Ohio Flood of 1937
In 1937, southern Ohio faced one of the worst floods in its history. The flood was particularly difficult for the city of Cincinnati, where flood levels reached almost eighty feet. Communities along the Ohio River in Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois also faced serious problems. Parts of Cincinnati remained under water for nineteen days, and electricity and fresh water were in short supply. Many people lost their homes as a result of the flood. -
World War II
Involved a vast majority of the world's countries. Forming two opposing military aliiances: the Allies and the Axis. This war contained 100 million people from 30 countries -
O.G.A. Created the Department of Natural Resources
To conserve and improve fish and wildlife resources and their habitats for sustainable use and appreciation by all. -
The Korean War
This conflict began on June 25, 1950, when North Korea, a communist nation, invaded South Korea. Prior to World War II's conclusion, North and South Korea had been a single country known as Korea. After the war, Korea became two countries. By invading South Korea, North Korea hoped to reunite the two nations as a single country under communism. -
Ohio Turnpike Complete
Construction began on October 27, 1952. At the peak of construction, more than ten thousand workers, using more than 2,300 construction vehicles, were building the roadway. The workers completed the Ohio Turnpike, later known as the James W. Shocknessey Turnpike, on October 1, 1955. The turnpike was 241 miles in length, and construction cost 325 million dollars. -
William O. Walker First African American Cabinet Member
Dr. William O. Walker was a prominent journalist, publisher and political leader in Cleveland. In 1963, Walker became the first African-American cabinet member in the history of Ohio when Governor James Rhodes selected him to be Director of the Ohio Department of Industrial Relations. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan considered appointing Walker as chairman of the U. S. Civil Rights Commission, but Walker died on October 29, 1981, before the nomination was made. -
The Pro Football Hall of Fame
On December 6, 1959, the Canton Repository, a newspaper in Canton, Ohio, called for city officials to lobby the National Football League (NFL) to create a football hall of fame in the community. The Pro Football Hall of Fame formally opened on September 7, 1963. Initially the museum consisted of two buildings, but in 1971, 1978, and 1995, the Pro Football Hall of Fame experienced several expansions. As of 2007, the museum consisted of five buildings, covering 83,000 square feet.
