4.12 Notable Ohio Founders

One of the best books on the founding of Ohio is David McCullough’s The Pioneers. It tells the story of how a small group of New Englanders carried the ideals of the American Revolution westward into the Ohio Country after the passage of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. The Northwest Ordinance was a law passed by Congress that created a system for governing and settling the land north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River, an area known as the Northwest Territory. This territory later became the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota.

The book centers on the settlement of Marietta, the first permanent American town in what would become Ohio, and follows the people who led the effort.

The story begins with Manasseh Cutler, who lobbied Congress to pass the Northwest Ordinance. He was part of a group of Revolutionary War veterans in Massachusetts who wanted to open western lands for settlement, but they also insisted on setting important rules for the new territory:

• Complete freedom of religion so that people of all faiths could live and worship without interference.
• Public education for everyone, from grade school through college. This was a radical idea at the time since no existing state had such a system, and it later became the foundation for many state universities.
• A ban on slavery. This was seen as the most important and radical provision, rooted in the determination to make “all men are created equal” a reality rather than just words on paper.
• Respectful treatment of Native peoples. The ordinance called for good faith toward Indigenous nations and recognized their land rights, though in practice settlers often failed to uphold these principles.

Rufus Putnam, a Revolutionary War veteran, then led the Ohio Company of Associates in establishing Marietta. While Manasseh Cutler stayed in New England, his son Ephraim Cutler joined the settlement and later carried the group’s ideals into state politics. He fought to keep slavery out of Ohio’s constitution. Samuel Hildreth recorded the history and natural environment of the new state, which preserved the story for future generations.

Ohio achieved some of the group’s goals, but not all. The promise of freedom of religion became part of the state’s constitution and was generally upheld. The commitment to public education also took root. Ohio established a system of common schools and later became home to a number of state universities, though access was not equal for all citizens at first. The ban on slavery was included in Ohio’s constitution of 1802, making it the first free state carved out of the Northwest Territory. However, Black residents still faced harsh restrictions, including “Black Laws” that limited their rights to vote, serve on juries, or attend public schools.

The call for good faith toward Native peoples was the principle least honored. Although the ordinance promised respect and fair treatment, the reality was a long history of broken treaties, forced removal, and violent conflict. Native communities were displaced as white settlers moved into the Ohio Country, and their rights were largely ignored in practice.

In this way, Ohio reflected both the ideals and the shortcomings of early American democracy: the state advanced freedom, education, and opposition to slavery, but it also fell short of its promises to provide equality and justice for all.

Another important figure in Ohio’s early history is Thomas Worthington, often called the “Father of Ohio Statehood.” Worthington was a leading advocate for Ohio’s statehood and helped to draft the state’s first constitution in 1802. He helped shape provisions that defined Ohio’s political framework and supported the development of public education.

Edward Tiffin, Ohio’s first governor, also made lasting contributions. As the state’s first chief executive, he oversaw the transition from territorial government to statehood and worked to implement the new constitution. Tiffin’s leadership helped establish the foundations of Ohio’s government at a critical moment in its early development.

Portrait of Edward Tiffin

Together, Worthington and Tiffin were central to Ohio’s founding era. Their work in writing the constitution, guiding the state’s admission to the Union, and setting the direction of its first government left a legacy that shaped Ohio’s political and institutional identity.