CONTENT STATEMENT
- The economic development of the United States continues to influence and be influenced by agriculture, industry, and natural resources in Ohio.
CONTENT ELABORATION
Ohio’s abundant natural resources and skilled laborers, along with its central location and extensive waterways, allowed it to play a crucial role in the early development of the United States.
Ohio’s forests provided the resources for building materials and paper. Ohio farms (livestock and crops), as well, as the fisheries along Lake Erie, supplied food for a rapidly growing nation. Ohio coal powered the factories producing goods (rubber, steel, glass) and the ships and trains that carried products to market from the 1800s to today. Ohio’s abundant natural resources and skilled laborers, along with its central location and extensive waterways, allowed it to play a crucial role in the economic development of the United States.
Ohio’s agriculture, industry, and its natural resources have evolved and continue to have a significant impact on the economic progress of the state, region, and country. Examples of the modern influences Ohio has had on the economy include:
bio fuels (from corn and soybeans);
alternative energy industry (solar energy cells, wind turbines, nuclear);
biotech industries (research/development, medical device manufacturing);
food processing (frozen food industry, pet food); and
financial services (commercial banking, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland).
EXPECTATIONS FOR LEARNING
Explain how Ohio’s agriculture, industry, and natural resources influence the economic development of the United States.