Description: Officers of the 1912 Ohio Constitutional Convention on the dais of House Chambers in the Ohio Statehouse, Columbus, Ohio, April 1, 1912. In October 1871, Ohio voters called for the state government to organize a constitutional convention. The convention met for the first time in May 1873 in Columbus, and included fifty members of the Republican Party, forty-six members of the Democratic Party, and nine Independents. Despite having received a mandate from Ohio residents to replace the Constitution of 1851, the convention acted slowly. It took a full year before the convention had a new constitution to submit to Ohio voters. From May to August 1873, the convention met in Columbus before reconvening in Cincinnati in December 1873, where it remained until May 1874. In August 1874, the convention sent the new constitution to Ohio's voters for ratification. Voters clearly rejected the constitution by a vote of 102,885 in favor of ratification and 250,169 opposed to the document's adoption. The state did not hold another constitutional convention until 1912. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05522
Subjects: Ohio--Officials and employees; Ohio History--State and Local Government; Constitutional conventions
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: This title page reads "Journal of the Convention, of the Territory of the United States North-west of the Ohio, Begun and Held at Chillicothe, on Monday the First Day of November, A. D. One Thousand Eight Hundred and Two, and of the Independence of the United States the Twenty-Seventh." In November 1802, thirty-five delegates of the Ohio Constitutional Convention convened to draft an Ohio state constitution. In order for Ohio to become a state, representatives of the territory had to submit a constitution to the United States Congress for approval. This was the final requirement under the Northwest Ordinance that Ohio had to meet before becoming a state. Twenty six of the delegates favored the platform of the Democratic-Republican Party. Among these men was Edward Tiffin, the president of the convention. Democratic-Republicans favored a small government with limited powers, in which the legislative branch should hold the few powers that the government actually possessed. Seven delegates to the convention were Federalists. Federalists believed in a much stronger government. The remaining two delegates were independents. Since the Democratic-Republicans controlled the convention, Ohio's first state constitution established a relatively weak government with the legislative branch holding most of the power. The convention approved the Constitution on November 29, 1802, and adjourned, and Ohio's Constitution of 1803 remained in effect until the Ohio Constitutional Convention of 1851 adopted a new one. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06905
Subjects: Northwest Territory--Politics and government; Ohio History--Settlement and Early Statehood; Constitutional conventions; History of the State of Ohio
Places: Chillicothe (Ohio); Ross County (Ohio)
 

Description: This is the seating plan of the House of Delegates assembled for the Constitutional Convention convened in Columbus and Cincinnati between May 1850 and March 1851. The Constitution of 1851 created a more democratic system within the state, giving Ohio voters the right to elect the governor, other high-ranking state officials, and judges. Rather than having only two levels of courts within the state, a third level, consisting of district courts, was added between the Ohio Supreme Court and common pleas courts. An overwhelming majority of the delegates voted against extending suffrage to African American men and women of all races. The voters also had to approve all constitutional amendments in the future, and received the option to call a new constitutional convention every twenty years. The convention adjourned its proceedings on March 10, 1851. Seventy-nine delegates voted in favor of the constitution, while fourteen people opposed it. To go into effect officially, Ohio voters had to approve the constitution, which they did overwhelmingly on June 17, 1851. Although numerous amendments have modified the Constitution of 1851, this constitution remains the fundamental law of Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: OVS1210
Subjects: Ohio Government; Constitutional conventions; Constitutions; Elected officials;
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Composite photograph of delegates to the Fourth Ohio Constitutional Convention, 1912. Men are identified numerically by their name and the county they represent, or the position they hold in the convention. A small inset photograph shows the opening day of the convention, taken January 9, 1912. In 1911, Ohio voters approved the election of delegates to a constitutional convention. On January 12, 1912, the 120 men met for the first time to begin revising the existing constitution. Because the 1874 convention failed to convince a majority of voters to support its revised constitution, the 1912 convention offered voters the opportunity to approve or reject amendments individually. Of the 41 amendments proposed, voters approved 33. Some changes that were approved included mandating an 8-hour day for state-funded workers, establishing compulsory workers' compensation and revising the judicial system. Voters rejected amendments that would have allowed women to vote or hold offices related to care of women and children, as well as the removal of qualifications that voters must be white, despite the fact that African American men had been voting since 1870; the language was not changed until 1923. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: OVS3117
Subjects: Ohio Government; Constitutional conventions; Constitutions; Elected officials;
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Composite portrait comprised of photographs depicting 104 delegates to the 1873-1874 Ohio Constitutional Convention. Beneath the portraits, the men's names and home counties are listed. In October 1871, Ohio voters called for the state government to organize a constitutional convention. The legislature did not act until January 1873, when it called for an election to select representatives for the convention. The convention met for the first time in May 1873 in Columbus, and included fifty members of the Republican Party, forty-six members of the Democratic Party, and nine Independents. Despite having received a mandate from Ohio residents to replace the Constitution of 1851, the convention acted slowly. It took a full year before the convention had a new constitution to submit to Ohio voters. From May to August 1873, the convention met in Columbus before reconvening in Cincinnati in December 1873, where it remained until May 1874. In August 1874, the convention sent the new constitution to Ohio's voters for ratification. Voters clearly rejected the constitution by a vote of 102,885 in favor of ratification and 250,169 opposed to the document's adoption. The state did not hold another constitutional convention until 1912. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06904
Subjects: Ohio--Officials and employees; Ohio History--State and Local Government; Constitutional conventions;
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: One of a series of photographs documenting a trip that former president Theodore Roosevelt made to Columbus, Ohio, in February of 1912. Roosevelt had already served two terms as president (1901-1909) when he made an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1912 as a member of the Bull Moose Party; this photograph is likely from his campaign tour in 1912. While in Columbus, Roosevelt spoke at the Ohio Constitutional Convention at the Ohio Statehouse. He stayed at the home of Reverend Washington Gladden (seen left of Roosevelt), a prominent minister, local politician and social reformer who was pastor of the First Congregational Church in Columbus. A notation on the back of one of these photographs indicates they were taken by the Royal Photo Co. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SC4017_001
Subjects: Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919; Presidential campaigns; Ohio Statehouse (Columbus, Ohio); Gladden, Washington, 1836-1918; Constitutional conventions;
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: One of a series of photographs documenting a trip that former president Theodore Roosevelt made to Columbus, Ohio, in February of 1912. He is seen here delivering a speech at the Ohio Constitutional Convention on the steps of the Ohio Statehouse on February 21, 1912. Roosevelt had already served two terms as president (1901-1909) when he made an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1912 as a member of the Bull Moose Party; this photograph is likely from his campaign tour in 1912. While in Columbus, he stayed at the home of Reverend Washington Gladden, a prominent minister, local politician and social reformer who was pastor of the First Congregational Church in Columbus. A notation on the back of one of these photographs indicates they were taken by the Royal Photo Co. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SC4017_003
Subjects: Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919; Presidential campaigns; Ohio Statehouse (Columbus, Ohio); Gladden, Washington, 1836-1918; Constitutional conventions;
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph showing former president Theodore Roosevelt with Reverend Washington Gladden on the steps of Gladden's home, February 1912. This is one of a series of photographs documenting a trip that Roosevelt made to Columbus, Ohio, in February of 1912. Roosevelt had already served two terms as president (1901-1909) when he made an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1912 as a member of the Bull Moose Party; this photograph is likely from his campaign tour in 1912. While in Columbus, Roosevelt spoke at the Ohio Constitutional Convention at the Ohio Statehouse and stayed at the home of Reverend Gladden, which was located on East Town Street. Gladden was a prominent minister, local politician and social reformer who was pastor of the First Congregational Church in Columbus. A notation on the back of one of these photographs indicates they were taken by the Royal Photo Co. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SC4017_005
Subjects: Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919; Presidential campaigns; Ohio Statehouse (Columbus, Ohio); Gladden, Washington, 1836-1918; Constitutional conventions;
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph showing former president Theodore Roosevelt with Reverend Washington Gladden on the steps of Gladden's home, February 1912. This is one of a series of photographs documenting a trip that Roosevelt made to Columbus, Ohio, in February of 1912. Roosevelt had already served two terms as president (1901-1909) when he made an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1912 as a member of the Bull Moose Party; this photograph is likely from his campaign tour in 1912. While in Columbus, Roosevelt spoke at the Ohio Constitutional Convention at the Ohio Statehouse and stayed at the home of Reverend Gladden, which was located on East Town Street. Gladden was a prominent minister, local politician and social reformer who was pastor of the First Congregational Church in Columbus. A notation on the back of one of these photographs indicates they were taken by the Royal Photo Co. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SC4017_004
Subjects: Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919; Presidential campaigns; Ohio Statehouse (Columbus, Ohio); Gladden, Washington, 1836-1918; Constitutional conventions;
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: One of a series of photographs documenting a trip that former president Theodore Roosevelt made to Columbus, Ohio, in February of 1912. He is seen here delivering a speech at the Ohio Constitutional Convention on the steps of the Ohio Statehouse on February 21, 1912. Roosevelt had already served two terms as president (1901-1909) when he made an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1912 as a member of the Bull Moose Party; this photograph is likely from his campaign tour in 1912. While in Columbus, he stayed at the home of Reverend Washington Gladden, a prominent minister, local politician and social reformer who was pastor of the First Congregational Church in Columbus. A notation on the back of one of these photographs indicates they were taken by the Royal Photo Co. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SC4017_002
Subjects: Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919; Presidential campaigns; Ohio Statehouse (Columbus, Ohio); Gladden, Washington, 1836-1918; Constitutional conventions;
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)