Benedict Arnold
On March 1, 1803, Ohio became the 17th state to enter the Union, but the story of Ohio statehood dates to 1787 and the creation of the Northwest Territory. This territory was a large body of unsettled land that encompassed what are now Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and part of Minnesota. The Ordinance of 1787 established not only how the territory was to be governed, but also the procedures under which new territory could obtain full statehood. Those included: the territory being ruled by a governor, a secretary and three judges appointed by Congress to perform the executive, legislative and judicial functions of government; the formation of a house of representatives; and the approval of a state constitution. Once completed, the territory could apply to the federal government for statehood. With criteria in place, and amid a flurry of westward expansion as statehood-seeking settlers poured into Ohio, the process accelerated - but not without controversy. Ohio's boundaries are well known today, but in the early 1800s, they were a hotly debated issue, fueled by politics and personalities. Territorial governor Arthur St. Clair led one faction that sought to divide the state and delay statehood indefinitely. Statehood supporter Thomas Worthington led another group. Called "the father of Ohio statehood," Worthington urged Congress to keep the divisions set forth in the Northwest Ordinance and reject St.