One Vote Away

The story goes like this: On the day of one of the most important votes in Ohio’s history, Ephraim Cutler was sick in bed. Dragged from said sickbed to the constitutional convention of 1802, Cutler valiantly fought for the swing vote that would singlehandedly determine whether Ohio would prohibit slavery. Thanks to Ephraim Cutler, Ohio became a free state for all, ushering in an era of underground railroad sanctuaries and slavery safe havens.

The tale has all the makings of a good story — of good winning out over evil, of a hero overcoming the odds to save an entire state from being on the wrong side of history.

Unfortunately, this very good story is also very wrong.

If Cutler was a fibber — or maybe just a good guy with a bad memory — then what actually happened? And if his story made it this far in our accounts of history, what else have we gotten wrong?

This is “One Vote Away,” a new Midstory podcast produced in partnership with the Ohio Humanities Alliance, where we set out to uncover the truth behind Ohio’s complicated relationship with slavery, how this was reflected in its early statehood documents and how its legacy is remembered today. Through conversations with historians, professors and genealogists, we trace Ohio’s early history and set the record straight on whether Ohio was, after all, a beacon of hope across the river from the slave-holding South.

Tune in for upcoming episodes of One Vote Away on Midstory.org, Ohio Humanities Alliance, WGTE or wherever you get your podcasts.