Ohio A History of the Buckeye State

The new edition of the most up-to-date, interdisciplinary history of Ohio currently available

Now in its second edition, Ohio: A History of the Buckeye State surveys the long and rich history of Ohio from its earliest geological periods to the present day. Designed for undergraduate students and general readers alike, this accessible volume describes the pivotal events in Ohio’s history while discussing the major social, economic, and political trends that have shaped the state over time. Concise chapters cover Ohio prehistory and the First Ohioans, European contact, the formation of the Northwest Territory, early statehood and national politics, the Civil War, Reconstruction, the two World Wars, the 1950s and 1960s, and more.

Incorporating the latest scholarship from history, archaeology, and political science, the second edition moves the story of Ohio into the second decade of the twenty-first century. Revised chapters contain new data and updated coverage of early Ohio society, major economic developments, early statehood, Ohio and national politics, and Ohio from the 1970s through 2020.

• Explores the breadth of Ohio’s past using a clear and engaging narrative style
• Includes thematic chapters focusing on major social, economic, and political trends
• Discusses Ohio’s influence on national nineteenth-century politics
• Covers the geological and topographical history of Ohio
• Examines Ohio’s transformation into an industrial state from 1865–1920
• Contains numerous high-quality maps, drawings, and photographs

Written by two authors with decades of combined academic experience in teaching Ohio history,

Ohio: A History of the Buckeye State, Second Edition remains an essential resource for college-level students enrolled in courses on Ohio History, professionals working in historical societies, museums, and other institutions that focus on the state’s history, and general readers looking for a highly readable study of Ohio’s past.

Kevin F. Kern is Associate Professor of History at the University of Akron. He is currently working on a book about the history of football in Ohio. Dr. Kern has published several articles and book chapters on Ohio history and the history of anthropology.

Gregory S. Wilson is Professor of History at the University of Akron. He has authored several books and articles, and developed and led public history projects covering Ohio history and modern U.S. history.

CONTENTS (1st EDITION)

 List of Figures

Acknowledgments

1 Ohio Before Ohio: State Geology and Topography

2 The First Ohioans: Prehistoric Ohio

3 The Middle Ground: European and Native American Interaction in Ohio

4 War and Peace: The End of “Middle Ground” Ohio

5 The Ohio Experiment: Formation of the Northwest Territory, Early American Settlements, and Statehood

6 A Community of Communities: Early Ohio Society

7 Revolutions: Early Ohio Economic Developments

8 From Periphery to Center: Early Statehood and National Politics

9 Ohio Must Lead! The Civil War and Reconstruction

10 Why Ohio? Late Nineteenth-Century Politics and Presidents

11 The Making of an Industrial State: 1865–1920

12 Urban Life, Leisure, and Political Activism: 1880–1920

13 Reform and the Great War: 1912–1920

14 Boom, Bust and War: 1920–1945

15 Affluence and Anticommunism

16 Rebellion and Reaction: The 1960s

17 Ohio since 1970

Index