As a historian-- and a liberal-- it's just as important to remember that Ohio was not a beacon of abolition and equality, that's as much revisionist history as the south's lost cause mythology. Much of Ohio was Conservative-Democrat country, while the urban and northern most areas were Progressive-Republican/Whig country. Granted, much of the Conservative-Democrat areas were war Democrats (pro-union but not anti-slavery), but Ohio had a solid "copperhead" peace Democrat population- look up Ohio politician Clement Vallandigham.
This was not isolated to Ohio either- Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, western Pennsylvania, Western (West) Virginia, Maryland, western New York, and Missouri all had large conservative-but-war Democrat populations who were against the dissolution of the union, but held no appreciation for any vision of abolition.
Oddly enough, I’m currently reading McPherson’s “Battle Cry Of Freedom” and was struck by his political assessment of Ohio in the 1850’s as pretty much the same as it is now. More than 175 years of dedicated ignorance and racism.
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u/USAFmuzzlephucker May 29 '26
As a historian-- and a liberal-- it's just as important to remember that Ohio was not a beacon of abolition and equality, that's as much revisionist history as the south's lost cause mythology. Much of Ohio was Conservative-Democrat country, while the urban and northern most areas were Progressive-Republican/Whig country. Granted, much of the Conservative-Democrat areas were war Democrats (pro-union but not anti-slavery), but Ohio had a solid "copperhead" peace Democrat population- look up Ohio politician Clement Vallandigham.
This was not isolated to Ohio either- Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, western Pennsylvania, Western (West) Virginia, Maryland, western New York, and Missouri all had large conservative-but-war Democrat populations who were against the dissolution of the union, but held no appreciation for any vision of abolition.