Ohio State Guide

The state of Ohio takes its name from the Iroquois word for "beautiful river." Both the British and the French laid claim to this region during the 18th century, but control passed to Great Britain in 1763 following the French and Indian War. Just 20 years later, the British ceded the land to the U.S. in the aftermath of the American Revolution. Ohio was carved from the larger Northwest Territory, and in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson signed the act of Congress that approved Ohio's constitution and boundaries. However, Congress neglected to formerly pass the resolution that would make Ohio the 17th state of the U.S. The oversight wasn't caught until 1953, when Ohio congressman George H. Bender introduced the bill to make Ohio's statehood retroactive to 1803. Thus, President Dwight Eisenhower actually signed the act that admitted Ohio to the U.S.