Ohio Formation, State Government, Constitution, and Miscellaneous Facts

Formation of Ohio

Ohio was once a part of the Northwest Territory

The Land Ordinance of 1785  The ordinance discussed how the government would measure, divide, and distribute the land it had acquired from Great Britain at the end of the American Revolution.  The land was divided and put up for sale to settlers, because the government was having money problems due to the war.  Division of Land: divided into townships or city is 36 square miles, which were then divided into one- square mile.  Each section received a number, and Section 16 was reserved only for public schools.  This was right in the middle of the town, so that all children could go to school and make it required.

How It Looks!

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787

 This was a means of states joining the union through the admission process.  The government wanted to admit new states, instead of expanding the existing states.  It includes the land in Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Illinois.  Requirements  to have a population of at least 60,000  to have a governor, secretary, and three judges  To include a bill of rights  a drafted states constitution

Ohio’s Journey to Statehood

Becoming a State  On February 19, 1803 Congress passed an act stating that the citizens of Ohio had adopted a constitution in accordance with the 1802 enabling act and the said state had become one of the United States of America.  The Ohio General Assembly met for the first time in Chillicothe on March 1, 1803, the date Ohioans now celebrate as Statehood Day.

State Capitals  Chillicothe:  Zanesville:  Chillicothe:  Columbus: present

Ohio’s Constitutions *By law voters have the right to vote on whether or not to create a new constitution every 20 years

Constitution of 1802  Created in order for Ohio to become an official state in the U.S.  Known as a “weak” document giving much of the power to the General Assembly (Ohio’s congress) and little to the judicial and executive branch  Replaced in 1851 with a new constitution

Constitution of 1851  Original constitution led to much corruption throughout the state and through laws passed in the General Assembly  Convention to draft new constitution addressed the issue of checks and balances within the state government  New Constitution would evenly distribute power amongst the branches  Structure of the Ohio government currently follows this constitution

Constitution of 1912  Constitutional convention created a series of amendments that were progressively based (trying to rid the government of corruption)  Did not create a new constitution but added 33 new amendments to the Ohio constitution. *Amendments are not numerically labeled in the Ohio Constitution.

State Government State has 3 branches of government

The Executive Branch  Headed by Governor of Ohio  John Kasich  Lieutenant Governor (like the VP)  Mary Taylor  Secretary of State (elections, business in Ohio, all records)  Treasurer (in charge of the money)  Auditor (watchdog for the state)  Attorney General (state lawyer)  State Board of Education (torturers)

U.S. Presidents from Ohio  William Henry Harrison  Ulysses S. Grant  Rutherford B. Hayes  James A. Garfield  Benjamin Harrison  William McKinley  William H. Taft  Warren G. Harding

The Judicial Branch  Three Levels in Ohio  Court of Common Pleas  District Court System  Ohio Supreme Court  Supreme Court Justices  Must retire by age 70  Elected to 6-year terms on a non- partisan ballot

The Legislative Branch  Two House Congress— called the General Assembly (it’s the 131 st )  Senators: 33  Representatives: 99  Meet at the State House (Executive Branch offices are on the first floor)

Miscellaneous Facts about Ohio

The Beginnings  Name came from the Iroquois word ohi-yo  Means “great river” or “large creek”  Admitted in 1803  Considered a Midwestern State  Known as the Buckeye State

Breakdown of Ohio  88 counties in Ohio  Ashtabula is Ohio’s largest county with 711 square miles  Lake is Ohio’s smallest county with 232 square miles  Cities:  #1. Columbus – 787,033  #2. Cleveland – 396,815  #3. Cincinnati – 296,943  #4. Toledo – 287,208  #10. Lorain – 64,097  #14. Elyria – 54,533

Compared to Other States…  34th largest state in the United States  17th state admitted into the Union  Ranked 7 th among the 50 state in population

Our Flag  Accepted in 1902  The triangles formed on the flag represent the hills and valleys  Stripes represent the roads and waterways  13 stars represent original 13 states in the Union  Circles represents the Northwest Territory

State Emblems  State Bird  Cardinal  State Flower  Carnation  State Insect  Ladybug  State Animal  White-tailed Deer  State Tree  Buckeye  State Rock Song  Hang on Sloopy  State Seal  illustrates Ohio’s diverse geography  In the background stands Mount Logan and the Scioto River  In the freshly harvested wheat field stands a wheat bushel and 17 arrows since we’re the 17th state in the Union  The sun has 13 rays protruding outward, representing the original 13 colonies.

Why Visit Ohio?  Cedar Point  Serpent Mound  Lake Erie  Ohio Stadium – the “Horseshoe”  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame  Kings Island

Compare & Contrast: The two Constitutions U.S. Constitution  Contains a Bill of Rights with 10 amendment  Does not provide a line of succession to the presidency  Created by the Presidential Succession Act of 1947  5 th amendment in the U.S. Constitution allows government to practice eminent domain (Government can take private property through the necessary procedure) Ohio Constitution  Contains a Bill of Rights with 21 rights  Contains a line of succession for the governor  Article 1, Section 19 gives the State of Ohio the right to practice eminent domain, within state borders

U.S. Constitution  Presidential cabinet is addressed in Article 11, Section 2  Supreme Court Justices are appointed by the President  The citizens of the U.S. are allowed to petition the government (right given in the 1 st amendment) Ohio Constitution  An executive cabinet is not mentioned specifically in the Ohio Constitution  Although, the governor has one  Justices of the Supreme Court are elected  Right to petition the government given in the Ohio Constitution Bill of Rights

U.S. Constitution  Did not immediately outlaw slavery (would come later in a constitutional amendment)  8 th Amendment protects you from cruel & unusual punishments AND excessive bail  Protects citizens from forcibly quartering troops Ohio Constitution  Outlawed slavery immediately  BoR protects you from cruel & unusual punishments AND excessive bail  Also protects you from forcibly quartering troops

U.S. Constitution  States that any unwritten powers remain with the people (10 th Amendment)  Created a bicameral legislative branch  In the impeachment process, trial is conducted by the Senate  Gave women the right to vote ( 19 th amendment ) Ohio Constitution  Rights not mentioned belong with Ohio citizens (Article 1, Section 20)  Create a bicameral general assembly (Ohio’s version of Congress)  Senators hold the trial of impeachment for the governor  Did not give women the right to vote (women finally obtained the right to vote with the 19 th amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

U.S. Constitution  Provides no regulations for citizens showing mental illness  Legislators in Congress have age requirements  Executive office (President) has a four year term  President is commander-in-chief of the military  The phrase “Life, liberty, and happiness” is not included in U.S. Constitution Ohio Constitution  Institutions for the insane, blind, deaf, and dumb are established by the state (Article 7)  Legislators in Ohio have no age requirement  Governor holds a four year term, once elected  Governor is commander-in-chief of the state militia  Ohio Constitution states the “life, liberty, and happiness” right for citizens, according to Article I

U.S. Constitution  Does not provide provisions for a militia, only a military  Census is required every 10 years for apportionment of representatives  Supreme Court justices serve life terms  Article II Section 3 states the President must address Congress about the state of the union Ohio Constitution  Provides for a state militia  Census is required for the state of Ohio every ten years  Ohio Supreme Court justices must retire by the age of 70  Governor of Ohio is to let the general assembly, and citizens, know the state of the union (Ohio)

U.S. Constitution  U.S. Constitution provides for a set number of senators  Does not state in the U.S. Constitution where the “seat of government” is at  Power to determine lottery issues is left up to the state Ohio Constitution  Ohio Constitution provides for a set number of senators  Article 15 states that “Columbus shall be the seat of government”  Prohibits lotteries in Article 15  But Congress can allow it, if approved