What Was Ohio Originally Called?

The area that largely comprises present-day Ohio was originally known as the Ohio Country.

The Original Designation: Ohio Country

Before its formal organization as a territory and eventual state, the region encompassing much of modern-day Ohio was commonly referred to as the Ohio Country. This designation reflected its geographical prominence along the Ohio River, a vital waterway for indigenous peoples, French fur traders, and British colonists alike. It was a vast, largely unsettled frontier rich in natural resources and strategically important for various European powers vying for control of North America.

From Ohio Country to the Northwest Territory

The Ohio Country, along with other vast lands, eventually became part of a larger administrative unit. Following the American Revolutionary War and the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the newly formed United States gained control of these western lands.

• Formation of the Northwest Territory: In 1787, the U.S. Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, which established the Northwest Territory. This significant act outlined the process for admitting new states from the vast public domain north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River.
• Inclusion of Ohio Country: The old Northwest Territory encompassed areas previously known as the Ohio Country and Illinois Country, among others. Therefore, the region known as Ohio Country became a foundational component of the much larger Northwest Territory.
• Path to Statehood: The Northwest Territory was subsequently divided, and the eastern portion, which largely corresponded to the former Ohio Country, was organized into the Ohio Territory in 1800. Finally, on March 1, 1803, Ohio was admitted to the Union as the 17th U.S. state.

Understanding this historical progression highlights that while "Ohio Country" was the original geographic descriptor, the area later transitioned through the Northwest Territory before becoming the state of Ohio.