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.