Admission of State
From 20th Century History of Springfield and Clark County, Ohio by Hon. William A. Rockel
Chicago: Biographical Publishing Co., 1908
While no one will doubt the integrity and patriotism of General St. Clair, yet in the light that we now have, most of us will agree that some of his ideas upon fundamental principles were hardly in accord with those underlying a free government, but to that reason all his difficulties with the Territorial Assembly cannot be attributed. He was a Federalist, they were Republicans, and to that reason, perhaps, as much as anything else, may be attributed his unpopularity with the Legislative Assembly.
Prior to 1800 all the northwest constituted a territory by that name. In this year was organized the territory of Indiana with Gen. William H. Harrison as governor, leaving practically in the old territory that part which was later formed into the State of Ohio. There never was a territory by the name of "Ohio." The official name was "The Eastern Division of the territory of the United States northwest of the River Ohio." At the time Indian Territory was created, that which was left within the bounds of the present state of Ohio had sufficient population to become a state. Those in opposition to Governor St. Clair conceived that it would be easier to get rid of him by having Ohio admitted as a state, than to have him removed as governor of the territory. It would perhaps be unjust to say that this was the sole motive. The territory was rapidly filling up and naturally the people desired to assume the dignity given to statehood. By an Act of Congress thirty-five members representing the counties of Trumbull, Jefferson, Belmont, Washington, Fairfield, Ross, Adams, Clermont and Hamilton, on the basis of one member for each twelve hundred inhabitants were called together in Chillicothe in November, 1802, and formed a constitution on that day for the state of Ohio. On this basis at the time these thirty-five delegates were selected, the state then had a population of 10,500. The exact date of the admission of the state is a matter of some confusion, but March 1, 1803, is generally considered to be the true date when Ohio became a state and the territory ceased its political existence.