1850 Ohio Constitutional Convention seating chart   Save
Ohio History Connection Archives/Library
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)