On Feb. 19, 1803, President Thomas Jefferson signed the Ohio Constitution, making Ohio the 17th state to enter the union. The Ohio Territory had been created by the Northwest Ordinance in 1787 and had been ruled by a military governor and three judges. Ohio residents were represented in Congress by a non-voting delegate.

In 1798, Ohio reached the required 5,000 male residents required to qualify for self-government. At that time, a 22-member territorial legislature was formed. It took a population of 60,000 for a territory to apply for statehood. Ohio reached that number in 1802, when voters elected delegates to a constitutional convention. The resulting constitution was approved by Congress and signed by the president 200 years ago today, making Ohio the first state carved from the Northwest Territory.

Beginning with the admission of Louisiana - the 18th state - in 1812, Congress began issuing formal declarations of statehood. During Ohio's sesquicentennial in 1953, President Eisenhower signed legislation making March 1, 1803, the formal date of Ohio's statehood.

Rebecca Goodman

Ohio Moments will appear here daily during 2003. Have a suggestion? Contact Rebecca Goodman at rgoodman@enquirer.com or (513) 768-8361.