Civil War

Although most of the American Civil War was fought outside of Ohio's borders, the Buckeye State played a huge role in determining the outcome. Hundreds of thousands of Ohioans fought for the Union, and many of the North's leading generals were from Ohio. Few would dispute that Ohio's contributions were vital in determining the Union victory.

The American Civil War did not officially begin until 1861, but tensions between the North and the South were reaching a crescendo by 1860, prompting several Southern states either to leave or to debate leaving the United States of America. The division between North and South finally erupted into military conflict when Conferrate troops opend fire on the Federal garrison at Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, on April 12, 1861.

Just as the nation divided, Ohioans were split over this conflict. Most Ohioans supported the nation's reunification, but some, known as Peace Democrats and others who called themselves Copperheads, vehemently opposed the war. There were several reasons why these people did not support the Northern war effort.

A sizable number of white Ohioans, especially those living along the Ohio River, had migrated to the state from slaveholding states. While opponents of the war could not legally own slaves in Ohio, many of them had family members residing in the South who did own African-American slaves.
Some political opponents also feared that President Lincoln intended to free the slaves. Many of those who objected to slavery's end feared that African Americans would flood the North looking for jobs if they were given their freedom.
Some war opponents felt that that secession was not worth bloodshed. These people accepted the Southern argument that states, which voluntarily joined the Union, should be free to leave the Union if they chose to do so.
Others came to oppose the war when the federal government enacted a conscription act, forcing men to fight for the North.
Finally, some Ohioans simply did not want to leave their families without support while they or their sons were fighting in the war.

Despite the divided citizenry, a majority of Ohioans supported the war effort. During the American Civil War, the State of Ohio provided the United States government with more than 260 regiments of men. A total of 310,654 Ohioans served in the Northern army for varying lengths of time. Ohio men fought in every major battle of the war. Ohioans contributed greatly to the Northern victory. A number of prominent generals, including Irvin McDowell, Don Carlos Buell, Philip Sheridan, George McClellan, William T. Sherman, and Ulysses S. Grant, all came from Ohio.

To learn more about this pivotal era in Ohio's history, please browse these entries at your leisure.

There are 224 entries matching this topic. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

Abolitionists: Abolitionists were people who sought to end the institution of slavery. . . .
Abraham Lincoln's Assassination: On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln in the back of his head. Lincoln was attending a play, Our American Cousin, at Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC. He died the next day from his wound. . . .
Allen, William: William Allen was an important Ohio political leader in the mid to late Nineteenth Century. . . .
American Civil War: The American Civil War is one of the greatest conflicts in American history. . . .
Anderson, Charles: Ohio governor Charles Anderson was born near Louisville, Kentucky, on June 1, 1814. His father, Colonel Richard Clough Anderson, had fought in the American Revolution, serving as aide-de-camp to the Marquis de Lafayette. . . .
Andrew Johnson's Impeachment: Andrew Johnson was the first President of the United States of America to be impeached. . . .
Army of the Potomac: During the American Civil War, the Army of the Potomac was the North's primary army operating in the East. Organized in July 1861, this force confronted the Confederacy's Army of Northern Virginia throughout the conflict. . . .
Ashley, James: James Ashley was a prominent political and business leader in Northwest Ohio in the mid-nineteenth century, . . .
Association of Ex-Pupils: In 1869, the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans' organization of Union soldiers who fought in the American Civil War, established the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home in Xenia, Ohio. This institution was the predecessor of the Ohio Veterans' Children's Home. . . .
Battle of Antietam: The Battle of Antietam was the climax of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's first invasion of the North. . . .
Battle of Buffington Island: The Battle of Buffington Island was the only major Civil War engagement fought in the State of Ohio. . . .
Battle of Chattanooga: The Battle of Chattanooga took place from November 23 to November 25, 1863, during the American Civil War. . . .
Battle of Chickamauga: During the American Civil War, the Battle of Chickamauga took place from September 18 to September 20, 1863. . . .
Battle of Fort Donelson: In February 1862, General Ulysses S. Grant, a native Ohioan, led a Union force that captured Fort Donelson from the Confederacy. . . .
Battle of Fort Fizzle: The Battle of Fort Fizzle was an uprising in Holmes County to protect local residents from federal officials sent to Ohio to enforce the Conscription Act during the Civil War. . . .
Battle of Fort Henry: In February 1862, General Ulysses S. Grant, a native Ohioan, led a Union force that captured Fort Henry from the Confederacy. . . .
Battle of Gettysburg: In June 1863, General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia launched an invasion of the North. . . .
Battle of Shiloh: The Battle of Shiloh occurred on April 6 and 7, 1862, at Pittsburg Landing on the Tennessee River. Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston attacked a Union army under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant, hoping to repel the Northern advance. . . .
Bickerdyke, Mary Ann: Mary Ann (Ball) Bickerdyke was a nurse and health care provider to the Union Army during the American Civil War. . . .
Bierce, Ambrose G.: An important American author, Ambrose Bierce was born on June 24, 1842, in Meigs County, Ohio. . . .
Bleeding Kansas: Bleeding Kansas was a mini civil war between pro- and anti-slavery forces that occurred in Kansas from 1856 to 1865. . . .
Bowles, John R.: John R. Bowles was chaplain of the 55th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War and, perhaps, was the first African-American public school teacher in Ohio. . . .
Brough, John: John Brough (pronounced "bruff") served as Ohio governor from 1864 to 1865. . . .
Brown, John: John Brown's obsession with ending slavery eventually led him to violence and his eventual death. . . .
Buell, Don C.: Don Carlos Buell was a Union military leader from Ohio during the American Civil War. . . .
Buffington Island: Buffington Island was the site of the largest battle to occur in Ohio during the American Civil War. . . .
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands: The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands was to provide displaced persons of the South, including both whites and blacks, with assistance at the end of the American Civil War. . . .
Burnside, Ambrose: Ambrose Burnside was an important military leader for the North during the American Civil War. . . .
Bushnell, Asa: Asa Smith Bushnell was the fortieth governor of Ohio. He was born in Rome, New York, in 1834. . . .
Camp Anderson: Camp Anderson was located at Lancaster, Ohio, at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds during the American Civil War. Governor William Dennison ordered the establishment of the post as a training camp for Ohio volunteers. . . .
Camp Chase: In 1861, Camp Chase was established in Columbus, Ohio, to replace Camp Jackson. Governor William Dennison had ordered Camp Jackson's creation as a meeting place for Ohio volunteers during the American Civil War. . . .
Camp Dennison: Camp Dennison was a Union Army training camp during the American Civil War. . . .
Camp Goddard: Camp Goddard was located near Zanesville, Ohio. Governor William Dennison ordered the establishment of the post as a training camp for Ohio volunteers during the American Civil War. . . .
Camp Hamer: Located in West Union, Ohio, Camp Hamer was a recruitment and training center for soldiers during the American Civil War. . . .
Camp Harrison: Camp Harrison was located near Cincinnati, Ohio. Governor William Dennison ordered the establishment of the post as a training camp for Ohio volunteers during the American Civil War. . . .
Camp Jackson: Camp Jackson was located near Columbus, Ohio. Governor William Dennison ordered the establishment of the post as a training camp for Ohio volunteers during the American Civil War. . . .
Camp Jefferson: Camp Jefferson was located at Bellaire, Ohio. Governor William Dennison ordered the establishment of the post as a training camp for Ohio volunteers during the American Civil War. . . .
Camp Putnam: Camp Putnam was located at Marietta, Ohio. Governor William Dennison ordered the establishment of the post as a training camp for Ohio volunteers during the American Civil War. . . .
Camp Scott: Camp Scott was located at Portland, Ohio. Governor William Dennison ordered the establishment of the post as a training camp for Ohio volunteers during the American Civil War. . . .
Camp Taylor: Camp Taylor was located near Cleveland, Ohio. Governor William Dennison ordered the establishment of the post as a training camp for Ohio volunteers during the American Civil War. . . .
Camp Wool: Camp Wool was located at Athens, Ohio. Governor William Dennison ordered the establishment of the post as a training camp for Ohio volunteers during the American Civil War. . . .
Campbell, James E.: Ohio governor James Edwin Campbell was born in Middletown, Ohio, on July 7, 1843, to Andrew and Laura Reynolds Campbell. . . .
Carruthers, George N.: Ohioan George North Carruthers was a missionary during the American Civil War. He helped African Americans in the South to gain their freedom from slavery and to begin their lives as free people. . . .
Chase, Salmon P.: Salmon Portland Chase was an Ohio governor and prominent political leader during the mid nineteenth century. . . .
Chesnutt, Charles W.: Charles Waddell Chesnutt was an African American writer born on June 20, 1858, in Cleveland, Ohio. . . .
Cincinnati Rover Guards: At the start of the American Civil War, both the North and the South had to rely on individual states to supply the armed forces with men and supplies. In the case of Ohio, Governor William Dennison turned to the Ohio militia to provide the federal government with necessary troops. . . .
Cincinnati, Ohio: From modest beginnings, Cincinnati soon became the "Queen City of the West". . . .
Civil War Anti-War Protests: Like some residents of other Northern states, numerous Ohioans strenuously objected to the American Civil War. Various reasons existed for the reluctance of these Ohioans and their fellow Northerners to support the Union. . . .
Civil War Artillery Units: During the American Civil War, the State of Ohio provided the United States government with three types of military units: artillery units, cavalry units, and infantry units. . . .
Civil War Cavalry Units: During the American Civil War, the State of Ohio provided the United States government with three types of military units: artillery units, cavalry units, and infantry units. . . .
Civil War Infantry Units: During the American Civil War, the State of Ohio provided the United States government with three types of military units: artillery units, cavalry units, and infantry units. Ohio supplied the federal government with more than 260 regiments of men, not counting several companies that formed the basis of regiments in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Massachusetts. . . .
Cleveland Grays: The Cleveland Grays is the longest-operating, volunteer militia unit in Ohio's history. . . .
Columbiana County: The State of Ohio created Columbiana County on March 25, 1803. Residents combined Columbus and Anna, after Christopher Columbus and Queen Anna, to create the county's name. The county was originally parts of Jefferson and Washington Counties. . . .
Columbus Fencibles: At the start of the American Civil War, both the North and the South had to rely on individual states to supply the armed forces with men and supplies. In the case of Ohio, Governor William Dennison turned to the Ohio militia to provide the federal government with necessary troops. . . .
Columbus Videttes: At the start of the American Civil War, both the North and the South had to rely on individual states to supply the armed forces with men and supplies. In the case of Ohio, Governor William Dennison turned to the Ohio militia to provide the federal government with necessary troops. . . .
Conscription Act: In 1863, the United States government implemented the Conscription Act, which was also known as the Enrollment Act. . . .
Cooke, Jay: Jay Cooke was a prominent American banker and a principal financier of the Union military effort during the American Civil War. . . .
Copperheads: Copperheads or Peace Democrats were people who opposed the North's attempts to reunite the nation during the American Civil War. . . .
Corwin, Thomas: Thomas Corwin was a governor of Ohio and prominent American political leader in the years before the American Civil War. . . .
Covington Blues: The Covington Blues included some of the first Ohioans to volunteer for military duty with the United States Army during the American Civil War. . . .
Cox, Jacob D.: Jacob Dolson Cox served as Ohio governor from 1866 to 1868. . . .
Cox, Samuel S.: Samuel S. Cox was a prominent nineteenth century Ohio journalist and political leader. . . .
Crook, George: George Crook was an American military leader whose career spanned the era from the American Civil War to the closing of the Western frontier. . . .
Custer, George A.: George Armstrong Custer was an American military leader who became known as a cavalry commander for the North during the American Civil War and in the opening of the West in the years after this conflict. . . .
Dayton Light Guards: The Dayton Light Guards included some of the first Ohioans to volunteer for military duty with the United States Army during the American Civil War. . . .
Democratic Party: The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States of America today. . . .
Douglas, Stephen: United States Senator and Presidential candidate Stephen Douglas was born on April 23, 1813, in Brandon, Vermont. His father trained him to be a cabinetmaker, but Douglas wanted to become an attorney. . . .
Dred Scott v. Sandford: The court case Dred Scott v. Sandford fueled tensions between the North and the South that eventually led to the American Civil War. . . .
Dupree, William H.: Ohioan William H. Dupree served in the 55th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War and, following this conflict, became actively involved in securing equal rights for blacks with whites. . . .
Eagle Ironworks: In 1832, Miles Greenwood established the Eagle Ironworks on the banks of the Miami and Erie Canal in Cincinnati, Ohio. The foundry quickly became the largest in the Midwest. . . .
Emancipation Proclamation: During the American Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation made slavery's demise one of the North's principal war aims. . . .
Emmett, Daniel D.: Musician and performer Daniel Decatur Emmett was born in Mount Vernon, Ohio, on October 29, 1815. As a child, Emmett had an interest in music. . . .
Enrollment Act: In 1863, the United States government implemented the Conscription Act, which was also known as the Enrollment Act. . . .
Female Moral Reform Society: The Female Moral Reform Society was one of the first national organizations that enabled women to escape the private sphere and to play a role in the public life. . . .
Fifteenth Amendment: As the American Civil War ended, the federal government was undecided as to how the seceded Confederate states were to return to the Union. President Abraham Lincoln favored a lenient policy and hoped to reunify the country quickly. . . .
Fighting McCooks: During the American Civil War, fifteen members of the McCook family from Ohio fought for the Union, earning them the nickname, "The Fighting McCooks." . . .
First Presbyterian Church of West Union: The First Presbyterian Church is the oldest church building in Ohio that, as of this writing, is still used as a house of worship. . . .
Foote, Allen R.: During the late nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries, Ohioan Allen Ripley Foote sought to educate others about public finance issues. . . .
Foraker, Joseph B.: Joseph Benson Foraker served as Ohio's Governor from 1886 to 1890. . . .
Foster, Charles: Ohio governor Charles Foster was born on April 12, 1828. His father, Charles W. Foster opened a store in 1832 in the small community of Rome in Seneca County, Ohio. . . .
Fourteenth Amendment: The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees people of all races equal protection under the law. . . .
Freedmen's Bureau: The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands was to provide displaced persons of the South, including both whites and blacks, with assistance at the end of the American Civil War. . . .
Galloway, Samuel: Samuel Galloway was a political leader and public servant from Ohio. He was born on March 20, 1811, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. . . .
Garfield, James A.: James Abram Garfield was the twentieth President of the United States. . . .
General Order No. 38: In April 1863, General Ambrose Burnside, commander of the Department of Ohio, issued General Order No. 38. . . .
Giddings, Joshua R.: Joshua Reed Giddings was an abolitionist. He spent most of his life in Ohio and represented the state in the United States House of Representatives. . . .
Gillmore, Quincy: Quincy Gillmore was a Civil War military leader from Ohio. He was born on February 28, 1825, at Black River, Ohio. His father was a staunch supporter of President John Quincy Adams, and named his son Quincy Adams Gillmore. . . .
Goshorn, Alfred T.: Alfred Traber Goshorn was a business and civic leader from Cincinnati Ohio who became well known as a planner of industrial expositions. He was born on July 15, 1833, in Cincinnati, Ohio. . . .
Grand Army of the Republic: Benjamin Stephenson founded the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) on April 6, 1866, in Decatur, Illinois. Stephenson intended to form an organization of veterans of the American Civil War that would provide them with political influence and opportunities to meet socially. . . .
Grant, Julia D.: Julia Dent Grant was a First Lady of the United States of America. Her husband was Ohioan Ulysses S. Grant. . . .
Grant, Ulysses S.: Ulysses Simpson Grant was an American military leader and the eighteenth President of the United States. He was born Hiram Ulysses Grant on April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio. . . .
Greenback Labor Party: The Greenback Labor Party was formed in the years following the American Civil War. During the Civil War, the federal government issued "greenback" paper money to keep a sufficient amount of currency in circulation. . . .
Greenwood, Miles: Industrial innovator Miles Greenwood was born on March 19, 1807, in Jersey City, New Jersey. In 1817, he moved with his father to Ohio, settling near Cincinnati. . . .
Groesbeck, William: Ohio political leader William Groesbeck was born on July 24, 1815, in Kinderhook, New York. While he was still a baby, his family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. . . .
Hamilton County: Hamilton County, Ohio, was established on January 2, 1790.. It was the second county formed in the Northwest Territory. Residents named the county in honor of Alexander Hamilton, who was the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States and a founder of the Federalist Party. . . .
Hanna, Marcus A.: Marcus Alonzo Hanna was a prominent politician and United States Senator from Ohio during the late nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. . . .
Harrison, Benjamin: President Benjamin Harrison was born on August 20, 1833, in North Bend, Ohio. His great-grandfather was John Cleves Symmes, and his grandfather was President William Henry Harrison. . . .
Harvey, Elizabeth B.: Elizabeth Burgess Harvey was a Quaker and an abolitionist in Warren County, Ohio during the 1830s and 1840s. Along with her husband, Jesse Harvey, Elizabeth was also responsible for founding the community of Harveysburg, Ohio. . . .
Harvey, Jesse: Jesse Harvey was an abolitionist in Warren County, Ohio during the 1830s and 1840s. He was responsible for founding the community of Harveysburg, Ohio. . . .
Hay, John M.: Ohioan John Milton Hay was a prominent politician and author during the late nineteenth century. . . .
Hayes, Rutherford B.: President Rutherford Birchard Hayes was born in Delaware, Ohio, on October 4, 1822. His parents had moved to Ohio from Vermont in 1817. . . .
Hazen, William B.: William Hazen a military leader in the Army of the United States in the American Civil War and after. He was born on September 27, 1830, at West Hartford, Vermont. . . .
Hendricks, Thomas A.: Vice-President Thomas Andrews Hendricks was born on September 7, 1819, near Zanesville, Ohio. In 1822, his family moved to Shelby County, Indiana. Thomas Hendricks never again resided in Ohio. . . .
Hessenmueller, Edward: Edward Hessenmueller was a prominent German American, who spent much of his life in Cleveland, Ohio. . . .
Hibernian Guards: At the start of the American Civil War, both the North and the South had to rely on individual states to supply the armed forces with men and supplies. In the case of Ohio, Governor William Dennison turned to the Ohio militia to provide the federal government with necessary troops. . . .
Howells, William D.: American author and journalist William Dean Howells was born on March 1, 1837, in Belmont County, Ohio. . . .
Hundred Days' Men: In the spring of 1864, John Brough, the governor of Ohio, proposed that the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin enlist men to help defend their respective states during the American Civil War. Ohio would enlist thirty thousand new soldiers. . . .
Jackson Guards: The Jackson Guards included some of the first Ohioans to volunteer for military duty with the United States Army during the American Civil War. . . .
Jewett, Hugh: Hugh Jewett was a prominent attorney, politician and business leader in nineteenth century Ohio. . . .
John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry: In 1859, abolitionist John Brown was responsible for one of the most important events that led to the American Civil War. . . .
John P. Parker House: The John P. Parker House was an important stop on the Underground Railroad. It is located in Ripley, Ohio, and the home currently is a museum owned by the John P. Parker Historical Society. . . .
Johnson's Island: Johnson's Island was a Union prison for Confederate officers during the American Civil War. It was located in Sandusky Bay of Lake Erie, near Sandusky, Ohio. . . .
Johnson, Andrew: Andrew Johnson was the seventeenth President of the United States. . . .
Johnson, Tom L.: Tom Loftin Johnson was Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, in the early twentieth century, . . .
Juneteenth: During the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation declared that slavery would end in any area still in rebellion against the United States on January 1, 1863. Lincoln hoped that Southerners would rejoin the United States before the deadline to keep their slaves. . . .
Kansas-Nebraska Act: The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed in 1854 by the United States Congress to deal with the opening of the central Midwest to continuing American settlement. . . .
Keifer, Joseph W.: Joseph Warren Keifer was a prominent nineteenth century Ohio political and military leader. . . .
Kidwell, Newton J.: Newton Kidwell was a former Confederate soldier who lived in central Ohio after the Civil War but never lost his loyalty to the South. . . .
Klem, Johnny: Johnny Clem was a soldier in the service of the United States for most of his life. He was born on August 13, 1851, in Newark, Ohio. His actual name was John Joseph Klem. . . .
Lafayette Guards of Cincinnati: At the start of the American Civil War, both the North and the South had to rely on individual states to supply the armed forces with men and supplies. In the case of Ohio, Governor William Dennison turned to the Ohio militia to provide the federal government with necessary troops. . . .
Lafayette Guards of Montgomery County: At the start of the American Civil War, both the North and the South had to rely on individual states to supply the armed forces with men and supplies. In the case of Ohio, Governor William Dennison turned to the Ohio militia to provide the federal government with necessary troops. . . .
Lancaster Guards: At the start of the American Civil War, both the North and the South had to rely on individual states to supply the armed forces with men and supplies. In the case of Ohio, Governor William Dennison turned to the Ohio militia to provide the federal government with necessary troops. . . .
Langston, John M.: John Mercer Langston was the first African-American man to pass Ohio's bar exam. He also was an outspoken advocate of equal rights for African Americans with whites. . . .
Lawrence County Museum: The Lawrence County Historical Society operates the Lawrence County Museum in Ironton, Ohio. . . .
Leggett, Mortimer: Mortimer Leggett was an attorney, educator and military leader in nineteenth century Ohio. . . .
Lincoln, Abraham: Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth President of the United States. . . .
Manifest Destiny: In 1845, John L. O'Sullivan, a newspaper reporter in New York City, coined the phrase "manifest destiny." O'Sullivan claimed that it was the God-given destiny of the United States of America to spread over North America. . . .
Mansfield Guards: At the start of the American Civil War, both the North and the South had to rely on individual states to supply the armed forces with men and supplies. In the case of Ohio, Governor William Dennison turned to the Ohio militia to provide the federal government with necessary troops. . . .
McClellan, George B.: George B. McClellan was a prominent nineteenth century American military and political leader. . . .
McCook, Alexander: Alexander McCook was born on April 22, 1831, in Columbiana County, Ohio. The next year, he moved with his parents to Carroll County. In 1848, McCook received an appointment to West Point, graduating in 1842. McCook would spend the rest of his life in the United States Army. . . .
McDowell, Irvin: Irvin McDowell was a nineteenth century American military leader. . . .
McPherson, James B.: General James Birdseye McPherson was the highest ranking Ohio soldier to die in the American Civil War. . . .
Medary, Samuel: Samuel Medary was a nineteenth century Ohio journalist and political leader. . . .
Medill, William: William Medill was the twenty-second Governor of Ohio. . . .
Miller, Wells W.: Wells W. Miller was Ohio's ninth Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary of Agriculture served as the head of the Ohio State Board of Agriculture. . . .
Mitchel, Ormsby M.: Ormsby McKnight Mitchel was an attorney, educator, astronomer and Union army military leader in the American Civil War. . . .
Montgomery Guards: At the start of the American Civil War, both the North and the South had to rely on individual states to supply the armed forces with men and supplies. Governor William Dennison turned to the Ohio militia to provide the federal government with necessary troops. . . .
Morgan's Raid: Morgan's Raid was the only major attack by Confederate forces on the State of Ohio during the American Civil War. . . .
Morgan's Raiders: Morgan's Raiders were Confederate cavalrymen under the command of General John Hunt Morgan. . . .
Morgan, John H.: John Hunt Morgan was a prominent Confederate cavalry officer in the American Civil War. . . .
Northern Democratic Party: In the Election of 1860, the Democratic Party split into two parties, the Northern Democratic Party and the Southern Democratic Party. . . .
Noyes, Edward F.: Edward Follansbee Noyes was the thirtieth Governor of Ohio. . . .
Oberlin College: In 1832, Presbyterian minister John L. Shipherd began planning to establish an institution of higher education in Oberlin, Ohio. The school opened in December 1833 and became known as Oberlin College. . . .
Oberlin, Ohio: John Shipherd, a Presbyterian minister, and Philo Stewart founded Oberlin, Ohio, in 1833. The town was named after Reverend John Frederic Oberlin, a famous minister in Alsace who had died in 1826. . . .
Oberlin-Wellington Rescue Case: The Oberlin-Wellington Rescue Case of 1858 showed how divided Ohio had become over the issue of slavery. . . .
Ohio Defense Corps: The Ohio Defense Corps had its roots in the Ohio Militia, which was formed in 1803. . . .
Ohio Mechanics Institute: Founded in 1828, the Ohio Mechanics Institute sought to assist Ohio's skilled workers with the state's rapidly industrializing economy. . . .
Ohio Military Reserve: The Ohio Military Reserve had its roots in the Ohio Militia, which was formed in 1803. At that time, every state within the United States had its own militia. . . .
Ohio Militia: The Ohio Militia was formed in 1803. At that time, every state within the United States had its own militia. . . .
Ohio National Guard: The Ohio National Guard had its roots in the Ohio Militia, which was formed in 1803. At that time, every state within the United States had its own militia. . . .
Ohio Naval Militia: The Ohio Naval Militia had its roots in the Ohio Militia, which was formed in 1803. . . .
Ohio Penitentiary: The Ohio Penitentiary opened in Columbus in 1834 and continued to house prisoners until 1979. The state had built a small prison in Columbus in 1813. But as the state's population grew the earlier facility was not able to handle the number of prisoners sent to it by the courts. . . .
Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Home: In 1886, the Ohio General Assembly authorized the creation of the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Home at Sandusky, Ohio. The home was created to provide for Ohio's indigent honorably discharged veterans of the American Civil War. . . .
Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home: In 1869, the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans' organization of Union soldiers who fought in the American Civil War, established the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home in Xenia, Ohio. . . .
Ohio Veterans Home: In 1886, the Ohio General Assembly authorized the creation of the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Home, the predecessor of the Ohio Veterans Home, at Sandusky, Ohio. . . .
Ohio Veterans' Children's Home: In 1869, the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans' organization of Union soldiers who fought in the American Civil War, established the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home in Xenia, Ohio. This institution was the predecessor of the Ohio Veterans' Children's Home. . . .
Ohio Veterans' Children's Home: In 1869, the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans' organization of Union soldiers who fought in the American Civil War, established the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home in Xenia, Ohio. This institution was the predecessor of the Ohio Veterans' Children's Home. . . .
Ohio Volunteer Infantry: By the 1820s and 1830s, the militias of most states were in decline. The U.S. Army increasingly relied upon volunteers or draftees to create a sufficient fighting force to serve with the soldiers in the regular army. . . .
Ohio Wesleyan University: Ohio Wesleyan University received its charter from the state of Ohio in 1842. The first college classes were offered in 1844. The school was associated with the Methodist Church from the beginning. . . .
Ohio Woman Suffrage Association: The Ohio Woman Suffrage Association was an early woman's suffragist group in Ohio. . . .
Order of American Knights: The Order of American Knights was also known as the Sons of Liberty. Members of this organization resided primarily in Northern states during the American Civil War and opposed the Union war effort. . . .
Ottawa County: On March 6, 1840, the State of Ohio authorized the creation of Ottawa County. Residents took the Indian word for "trader" as the county's name. . . .
Parker, John P.: John Parker was an active participant in the Underground Railroad in Ohio and helped runaway slaves escape to freedom in the years before the American Civil War. . . .
Peace Democrats: Copperheads or Peace Democrats were people who opposed the North's attempts to reunite the nation during the American Civil War. . . .
Pendleton, George: George Pendleton was a prominent nineteenth century Ohio political leader who strongly supported federal civil service reform. . . .
Portsmouth Cement & Lime: Portsmouth Foundry and Machine Works was an important business in western Portsmouth, Ohio during the nineteenth century. . . .
Portsmouth Foundry and Machine Works: Portsmouth Foundry and Machine Works was an important business in western Portsmouth, Ohio during the nineteenth century. . . .
Portsmouth Guards: At the start of the American Civil War, both the North and the South had to rely on individual states to supply the armed forces with men and supplies. In the case of Ohio, Governor William Dennison turned to the Ohio militia to provide the federal government with necessary troops . . .
Purcell, John: John Purcell was a prominent leader in the Roman Catholic Church in Ohio for much of the nineteenth century. . . .
Quantrill, William C.: William Clarke Quantrill was a leader of Confederate guerrilla forces during the American Civil War. . . .
Radical Republicans: The Republican Party began in 1854 as a result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This legislation split Whig Party members along regional lines. Former Northern Whigs united with members of the Free Soil Party and the American Party to create the Republican Party. . . .
Rankin House: The Rankin House was an important stop on the Underground Railroad. It is located in Ripley, Ohio, and the home currently is a museum owned by the Ohio Historical Society. . . .
Reconstruction: Reconstruction is a name often given to the era immediately following the American Civil War. After the Northern states had defeated the Confederacy, the Union government developed policies to reconstruct the nation. . . .
Reemelin, Charles: Charles Reemelin was an important figure in Ohio politics during the middle part of the nineteenth century. . . .
Rend, William P.: William P. Rend was a prominent businessman in Ohio during the late nineteenth century. . . .
Rosecrans, William S.: William Starke Rosecrans was a major military leader in the American Civil War. . . .
Rover Guards: At the start of the American Civil War, both the North and the South had to rely on individual states to supply the armed forces with men and supplies. In the case of Ohio, Governor William Dennison turned to the Ohio militia to provide the federal government with necessary troops. . . .
Rudolph, Lucretia: Lucretia Rudolph married James A. Garfield in 1858 and became First Lady of the United States in 1881. . . .
Schenck, Robert C.: Robert Schenck was a political and military leader in nineteenth century Ohio. . . .
Sheridan, Philip H.: Philip Sheridan was major figure in the military history of the United States in the latter half of the nineteenth century. . . .
Sherman's March to the Sea: Ohioan William Tecumseh Sherman, a general in the Union army during the American Civil War, is best known for his March to the Sea. . . .
Sherman, John: During the late nineteenth century, John Sherman was a prominent United States Senator and Secretary of the Treasury from Ohio. . . .
Sherman, William T.: William Tecumseh Sherman was a prominent nineteenth century military leader from Ohio. . . .
Siege of Cincinnati: In September 1862, Confederate forces under General Kirby Smith captured Lexington, Kentucky in the second year of the American Civil War. Smith dispatched General Henry Heth to capture Covington, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio. . . .
Siege of Vicksburg: A victory at the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1863 gave the Union control of the Mississippi River in the American Civil War. . . .
Soldiers' Aid Society: During the American Civil War, the Soldiers' Aid Society was a private organization providing Northern soldiers with the supplies they needed to carry on the war. . . .
Sons of Liberty: The Sons of Liberty was the nickname of the Order of American Knights. Members of this organization resided primarily in Northern and states during the American Civil War and opposed the Union war effort. . . .
Southern Democratic Party: In the Election of 1860, the Democratic Party split into two parties, the Northern Democratic Party and the Southern Democratic Party. . . .
Springfield Zouave Cadets: At the start of the American Civil War, both the North and the South had to rely on individual states to supply the armed forces with men and supplies. In the case of Ohio, Governor William Dennison turned to the Ohio militia to provide the federal government with necessary troops. . . .
Squirrel Hunters: Squirrel Hunters were civilian men from Ohio who assisted the federal government in defending Cincinnati, Ohio from Confederate attack in 1862. . . .
Stanley, David S.: David S. Stanley was a military leader in the Army of the United States for much of the last half of the nineteenth century. . . .
Stanton, Edwin M.: Edwin McMasters Stanton was the Secretary of War in the Lincoln administration during the American Civil War. . . .
Steedman, James: James Steedman was an Ohio political and military leader in nineteenth century America. . . .
Stowe, Harriet B.: Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American author and abolitionist in the years before the American Civil War. . . .
Swayne, Noah H.: Noah Swayne was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court in nineteenth century America. . . .
Swayne, Wager: Wager Swayne was a military leader from Ohio during the American Civil War. . . .
Thirteenth Amendment: The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution formally ended slavery in the United States of America. . . .
Tod, David: David Tod was the twenty-fifth governor of Ohio. . . .
Tribe of Dan: During the American Civil War, fifteen members of the McCook family fought for the Union. Although scholars disagree on the exact number of McCooks who fought in the Civil War, . . .
Tribe of John: During the American Civil War, fifteen members of the McCook family fought for the Union. . . .
Trotter, James M.: James Monroe Trotter served in the 55th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War and, following this conflict, became the first African American to find employment in the Boston, Massachusetts division of the United States Post Office. . . .
Truth, Sojourner: Sojourner Truth was born in 1797, in a Dutch community in the State of New York. She was born a slave. Her original name was Isabella Baumfree. . . .
Uncle Tom's Cabin: During the early 1850s, Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin. Stowe became an abolitionist during the 1830s when she lived in Cincinnati, Ohio. . . .
Underground Railroad: The Underground Railroad was a system of safe houses and hiding places that helped runaway slaves escape to freedom in Canada, Mexico, and elsewhere outside of the United States. . . .
Union Party: The Union Party was formed in Ohio during the American Civil War. It consisted of many members of the Republican Party and of pro-war members of the Democratic Party. . . .
United States Christian Commission: The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) founded the United States Christian Commission on November 16, 1861. The commission hoped to provide spiritual support to men serving in the Union military during the American Civil War. . . .
United States Colored Troops: On May 22, 1863, the United States government authorized the formation of the United States Colored Troops (USCT). As the American Civil War continued, the government sought African-American soldiers to assist in the war effort. . . .
United States Sanitary Commission: The United States Sanitary Commission was organized in New York in April 1861. . . .
Vallandigham, Clement: Clement Vallandigham was a leader of the Ohio Democratic Party and an opponent of the American Civil War. . . .
Van Zandt, Gilbert: Gilbert Van Zandt was one of the youngest Ohioans to serve in the Union Army during the American Civil War. . . .
Wade, Benjamin F.: Benjamin Franklin Wade was a political leader from Ohio and a Radical Republican in the Reconstruction years after the American Civil War. . . .
Wade-Davis Bill: In 1864, during the American Civil War, Ohioan Benjamin Franklin Wade, a United States Senator, and Henry Winter Davis, a United States Representative from Maryland, introduced the Wade-Davis Bill. . . .
Waite, Morrison R.: Morrison R. Waite was a chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court who spent much of his adult life in Ohio. . . .
Wallace, Lewis "Lew": Lewis Wallace was a well-known American soldier, political figure and author in nineteenth century America. . . .
Webb, Lucy W.: Lucy Ware Webb was an advocate for the abolition of slavery and the rights of women in nineteenth century America. She was the wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes. . . .
Weitzel, Godfrey: Godfrey Weitzel was a Union army officer in the American Civil War. . . .
Whittlesey, Charles: Charles Whittlesey was a prominent soldier, attorney and scholar in nineteenth century Ohio. . . .
Wilderness Campaign: The Wilderness Campaign of 1864 was one of the most violent and deadly of the American Civil War. . . .
Women's Relief Corps Home for Army Nurses: In 1892, the Women's Relief Corps established the Women's Relief Corps Home for Army Nurses in Madison, Ohio. . . .
Woodruff, Amos: Amos Woodruff was a conductor on the Underground Railroad in Hinckley, Ohio. . . .
Wright, John C.: John Crafts Wright was a journalist and political leader in Ohio in the years before the American Civil War. . . .
Yoder, Samuel: Samuel Yoder was a political leader form Ohio in the years after the American Civil War. . . .
Young, Thomas L.: Thomas Lowry Young served as Ohio's Governor for slightly less than one year, beginning in 1877, when he succeeded Rutherford B. Hayes, who resigned to become President of the United States. . . .
Zanesville Guards: At the start of the American Civil War, both the North and the South had to rely on individual states to supply the armed forces with men and supplies. In the case of Ohio, Governor William Dennison turned to the Ohio militia to provide the federal government with necessary troops. . . .