Admission of States to the Union: A Historical
December 5, 2023
Reference Guide
Ben Leubsdorf
The Constitution allows Congress to admit “New States ... into this Union.” By ratifying the
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Constitution in 1787-1790, the 13 original states—which declared independence from Great
Britain in 1776 and initially united under the Articles of Confederation—joined the new federal
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government. An additional 37 states joined between 1791 (Vermont) and 1959 (Alaska and
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Hawaii). Each star on the national flag represents one of the 50 states.
This report provides historical information about each state’s journey to statehood with a focus
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on the role of Congress. A chronology describes selected events for each state such as the
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formation of a territorial government; federal legislation that enabled residents to prepare for
statehood; the drafting and adoption of a state constitution; and federal legislation that admitted the new state into the Union. Citations point, in general, to primary legislative sources such as the
Congressional Record, House Journal, and Senate Journal.
The five tables in this report summarize key information across all 50 states: admission order and date, territorial law (if any), enabling law (if any), admission law, and the outcome of state-level ratification or referendum votes (if any).
This report does not address the history of a territory before its acquisition by the United States, policy or legal questions related to statehood, potential future action by Congress, the status of current U.S. territories, or statehood-related proposals that have not become law.
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Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Overview ................................................................................................................................... 1
About This Report ..................................................................................................................... 1
Sources, Compilations, and Additional Resources .................................................................... 2
Summary Tables .............................................................................................................................. 3
Statehood Timelines ...................................................................................................................... 15
Alabama .................................................................................................................................. 15
Alaska ...................................................................................................................................... 17
Arizona .................................................................................................................................... 18
Arkansas .................................................................................................................................. 20
California ................................................................................................................................ 22
Colorado .................................................................................................................................. 23
Connecticut ............................................................................................................................. 24
Delaware ................................................................................................................................. 25
Florida ..................................................................................................................................... 25
Georgia .................................................................................................................................... 27
Hawaii ..................................................................................................................................... 27
Idaho ........................................................................................................................................ 29
Illinois ..................................................................................................................................... 30
Indiana ..................................................................................................................................... 31
Iowa ......................................................................................................................................... 33
Kansas ..................................................................................................................................... 34
Kentucky ................................................................................................................................. 36
Louisiana ................................................................................................................................. 37
Maine ...................................................................................................................................... 39
Maryland ................................................................................................................................. 40
Massachusetts .......................................................................................................................... 41
Michigan ................................................................................................................................. 42
Minnesota ................................................................................................................................ 43
Mississippi .............................................................................................................................. 45
Missouri .................................................................................................................................. 46
Montana .................................................................................................................................. 48
Nebraska .................................................................................................................................. 50
Nevada .................................................................................................................................... 52
New Hampshire ....................................................................................................................... 53
New Jersey .............................................................................................................................. 53
New Mexico ............................................................................................................................ 54
New York ................................................................................................................................ 56
North Carolina ......................................................................................................................... 56
North Dakota ........................................................................................................................... 57
Ohio ......................................................................................................................................... 59
Oklahoma ................................................................................................................................ 61
Oregon ..................................................................................................................................... 63
Pennsylvania ........................................................................................................................... 64
Rhode Island............................................................................................................................ 64
South Carolina ......................................................................................................................... 65
South Dakota ........................................................................................................................... 65
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Tennessee ................................................................................................................................ 67
Texas ....................................................................................................................................... 69
Utah ......................................................................................................................................... 71
Vermont ................................................................................................................................... 72
Virginia .................................................................................................................................... 74
Washington .............................................................................................................................. 74
West Virginia ........................................................................................................................... 76
Wisconsin ................................................................................................................................ 78
Wyoming ................................................................................................................................. 80
Tables
Table 1. Chronological List of State Admissions ............................................................................ 3
Table 2. Territorial Acts ................................................................................................................... 4
Table 3. Enabling Acts ..................................................................................................................... 7
Table 4. Admission Acts .................................................................................................................. 9
Table 5. Referendum Votes ............................................................................................................. 11
Contacts
Author Information ........................................................................................................................ 81
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Introduction
Overview
The Constitution allows Congress to admit “New States ... into this Union.”1 Congress has exercised this power 37 times since 1791, most recently in 1959.
The 13 original colonies, which declared independence from Great Britain in 1776 and initially united under the Articles of Confederation, joined the new federal government by ratifying the Constitution in 1787-1790. Vermont was the next state to join the Union, in 1791, followed by Kentucky in 1792.
As the United States expanded across North America, many regions were organized as territories, beginning with the Northwest Territory.2 Tennessee, in 1796, was the first state to join the Union following a period of territorial government (as the Southwest Territory). Six states joined the Union without first being organized as a territory: California, Kentucky, Maine, Texas, Vermont, and West Virginia.
The 1912 admission of Arizona and New Mexico completed the Lower 48 contiguous states stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. Alaska and Hawaii both achieved statehood in 1959, taking the nation to its current count of 50 states—each represented by a star on the national flag.3
About This Report
This report provides selected historical information about each state’s journey to statehood with a focus on the role of Congress.
For each state, a chronology (in the form of a bulleted list) describes selected events in the history of its admission (see “Statehood Timelines”). These events may include acquisition of the region by the U.S. government, the creation of a territorial government,4 federal legislation that enabled residents to prepare for statehood, the drafting of a state constitution, any state-level referendum or ratification votes related to statehood, federal legislation to admit the new state into the Union, and a presidential proclamation to make its admission official. A shaded box for each state provides key dates and United States Statutes at Large citations, when applicable.
Some states took similar paths to admission, though, in general, those paths have varied considerably. Although this report focuses on Congress’s role in the admission of states, the statehood timelines do not describe every legislative action taken during the admission process, and they generally omit proposals or bills that did not become law.5 Moreover, the timelines do not typically discuss the details of legislative measures, such as conditions Congress may have
1 Article IV, Section 3, Clause 1. 2 Congress, operating under the Articles of Confederation, established the Territory of the United States North West of the River Ohio in 1787. It included all or part of six future states: Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. See the “Ohio” timeline for details. 3 4 U.S.C. §§1-2. 4 Many territories were created out of existing territories, and territorial boundaries changed over time. Illinois Territory, for example, was initially part of the Northwest Territory and then part of Indiana Territory. For simplicity, the timelines in this report generally omit territorial affiliations before legislation that created a separate and distinct territory that would later achieve statehood.
5 For example, the “Hawaii” timeline does not include multiple attempts to achieve statehood before 1959.
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placed on a state’s admission; actions taken by territorial legislatures or governors; or the wording of ballot questions related to statehood.
This report includes five tables summarizing key information from the individual timelines:
• Table 1 shows the dates and order of admission for each state. • Table 2 describes legislation that established territorial governments, if any. • Table 3 describes enabling legislation that allowed territories to prepare for
statehood, if any.
• Table 4 describes legislation that admitted states to the Union, if any. • Table 5 describes popular or convention votes on statehood or related matters,
such as ratification of a state constitution in preparation for admission, if any.
With the exception of the information provided in Table 1, available information on the states varies according to the specific path to statehood for each state. The availability of this information for each state is noted in the tables.
In general, this report does not discuss the history or status of a territory before its acquisition by the United States, nor does it address policy or legal questions related to statehood, potential future action by Congress, or the status of current U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.6
Sources, Compilations, and Additional Resources
Many footnotes in this report point to primary legislative sources such as the Journal of the
House of Representatives of the United States (the House Journal) and the Journal of the Senate
of the United States of America (the Senate Journal). Also cited are the Congressional Record and two of its predecessor publications: The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United
States (the Annals of Congress) and the Congressional Globe.7
Some citations point to multivolume compilations of historical documents, such as The
Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution;8 The Territorial Papers of the United
States;9 and The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws of
the States, Territories, and Colonies Now or Heretofore Forming the United States of America.10
In addition, this report cites secondary sources such as scholarly books and journal articles, as well as reference materials such as encyclopedias and research guides.
Almost all of the primary sources and compilations cited in this report are available online. The Library of Congress’s A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation collection contains congressional and legal records for 1774 to 1875.11 Other freely available repositories include the
6 Information about these subjects is available in other CRS products, including CRS In Focus IF11792, Statehood
Process and Political Status of U.S. Territories: Brief Policy Background, by R. Sam Garrett; CRS Report R44721, Political Status of Puerto Rico: Brief Background and Recent Developments for Congress, by R. Sam Garrett; CRS In Focus IF11443, District of Columbia Statehood and Voting Representation, by Joseph V. Jaroscak; and CRS Report R47101, DC Statehood: Constitutional Considerations for Proposed Legislation, by Mainon A. Schwartz.
7 See CRS Report R43434, Policy and Legislative Research for Congressional Staff: Finding Documents, Analysis,
News, and Training, by Sarah W. Caldwell, Ellen M. Lechman, and Michele L. Malloy.
8 Bibliographic information is available from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for the Study of the American Constitution at https://csac.history.wisc.edu.
9 Twenty-eight volumes, printed by the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), 1934-1975. 10 Seven volumes, edited by Francis Newton Thorpe and printed by GPO, 1909. 11 Available at https://www.loc.gov/collections/century-of-lawmaking.
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Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
American Presidency Project database, maintained by the University of California, Santa Barbara;12 the Government Publishing Office’s (GPO’s) GovInfo website;13 HathiTrust’s database of historical books and government publications;14 the Law Library of Congress website;15 LLMC Digital’s collection of historical legal materials;16 and Yale Law School’s Avalon Project collection.17 Subscription-only databases, such as ProQuest Congressional, also contain relevant content such as legislative documents.
Additional information about territories and statehood is available in reference resources such as
Prestatehood Legal Materials: A Fifty-State Research Guide, Including New York City and the
District of Columbia18 and The Uniting States: The Story of Statehood for the Fifty United
States.19
Members and congressional staff can contact CRS for assistance locating research materials, including materials about a specific state.
Summary Tables
Table 1. Chronological List of State Admissions
Order
State
Admission Date
1
Delaware
December 7, 1787
2
Pennsylvania
December 12, 1787
3
New Jersey
December 18, 1787
4
Georgia
January 2, 1788
5
Connecticut
January 9, 1788
6
Massachusetts
February 6, 1788
7
Maryland
April 28, 1788
8
South Carolina
May 23, 1788
9
New Hampshire
June 21, 1788
10
Virginia
June 25, 1788
11
New York
July 26, 1788
12
North Carolina
November 21, 1789
13
Rhode Island
May 29, 1790
14
Vermont
March 4, 1791
15
Kentucky
June 1, 1792
16
Tennessee
June 1, 1796
17
Ohio
March 1, 1803
18
Louisiana
April 30, 1812
19
Indiana
December 11, 1816
20
Mississippi
December 10, 1817
21
Il inois
December 3, 1818
22
Alabama
December 14, 1819
23
Maine
March 15, 1820
24
Missouri
August 10, 1821
25
Arkansas
June 15, 1836
12 Available at https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu. 13 Available at https://www.govinfo.gov. 14 Available at https://www.hathitrust.org. 15 Available at https://www.loc.gov/research-centers/law-library-of-congress. 16 Available at https://llmc.com. 17 Available at https://avalon.law.yale.edu. 18Two volumes, edited by Michael Chiorazzi and Marguerite Most (New York: The Haworth Information Press, 2005). 19 Three volumes, edited by Benjamin F. Shearer (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2004).
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Order
State
Admission Date
26
Michigan
January 26, 1837
27
Florida
March 3, 1845
28
Texas
December 29, 1845
29
Iowa
December 28, 1846
30
Wisconsin
May 29, 1848
31
California
September 9, 1850
32
Minnesota
May 11, 1858
33
Oregon
February 14, 1859
34
Kansas
January 29, 1861
35
West Virginia
June 20, 1863
36
Nevada
October 31, 1864
37
Nebraska
March 1, 1867
38
Colorado
August 1, 1876
39
North Dakota
November 2, 1889
40
South Dakota
November 2, 1889
41
Montana
November 8, 1889
42
Washington
November 11, 1889
43
Idaho
July 3, 1890
44
Wyoming
July 10, 1890
45
Utah
January 4, 1896
46
Oklahoma
November 16, 1907
47
New Mexico
January 6, 1912
48
Arizona
February 14, 1912
49
Alaska
January 3, 1959
50
Hawaii
August 21, 1959
Sources: Benjamin F. Shearer (ed.), The Uniting States: The Story of Statehood for the Fifty United States, 3 vols. (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2004); Michael Chiorazzi and Marguerite Most (eds.), Prestatehood Legal
Materials: A Fifty-State Research Guide, Including New York City and the District of Columbia, 2 vols. (New York: The Haworth Information Press, 2005). Notes: Admission date for the 13 original states indicates the date states ratified the U.S. Constitution. For other states, admission date indicates the date that their admission became effective. In some cases, this differs from the date of presidential approval listed in Table 4 (e.g., if admission was finalized by a presidential proclamation authorized by the admission law, or if the admission law specified a specific date to take effect).
Table 2. Territorial Acts
Enacted legislation that established a territorial government
State
(Territory, if
Presidential
Name Differs)
House Passage
Senate Passage
Approval
Citation(s)
Alabama
March 3, 1817
Feb. 21, 1817
March 3, 1817
3 Stat. 371
Alaska
Aug. 20, 1912
Aug. 17, 1912
Aug. 24, 1912
37 Stat. 512
62 H.R. 38
Arizona
May 8, 1862
Feb. 20, 1863
Feb. 24, 1863
12 Stat. 664
25-12
37 H.R. 357
Arkansas
Feb. 20, 1819
March 1, 1819
March 2, 1819
3 Stat. 493
California
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Colorado
Feb. 18, 1861
Feb. 26, 1861
Feb. 28, 1861
12 Stat. 172
90-44
26-18
36 S. 366
Connecticut
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Delaware
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
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State
(Territory, if
Presidential
Name Differs)
House Passage
Senate Passage
Approval
Citation(s)
Florida
March 27, 1822
March 27, 1822
March 30, 1822
3 Stat. 654
Unanimousa
Georgia
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Hawaii
Apr. 27, 1900
Apr. 25, 1900
Apr. 30, 1900
31 Stat. 141
138-54
56 S. 222
Idaho
March 3, 1863
March 3, 1863
March 3, 1863
12 Stat. 808
65-33a
25-12
37 H.R. 738
Il inois
Jan. 18, 1809
Jan. 31, 1809
Feb. 3, 1809
2 Stat. 514
69-37
Indiana
May 3, 1800
May 5, 1800
May 7, 1800
2 Stat. 58
Iowa
June 6, 1838
June 6, 1838
June 12, 1838
5 Stat. 235
118-51
25 S. 269
Kansas
May 22, 1854
May 25, 1854
May 30, 1854
10 Stat. 277
113-100
35-13
33 H.R. 236
Kentucky
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Louisiana
March 23, 1804
March 23, 1804
March 26, 1804
2 Stat. 283
(Orleans Territory)
51-45
15-9
Maine
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Maryland
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Massachusetts
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Michigan
Jan. 7, 1805
Jan. 8, 1805
Jan. 11, 1805
2 Stat. 309
Minnesota
March 3, 1849
March 1, 1849
March 3, 1849
9 Stat. 403
107-70
30-18
30 S. 152
Mississippi
March 27, 1798
March 29, 1798
Apr. 7, 1798
1 Stat. 549
Missouri
May 21, 1812
May 21, 1812
June 4, 1812
2 Stat. 743
Montana
May 20, 1864
May 19, 1864
May 26, 1864
13 Stat. 85
102-26
26-13
38 H.R. 15
Nebraska
May 22, 1854
May 25, 1854
May 30, 1854
10 Stat. 277
113-100
35-13
33 H.R. 236
Nevada
March 1, 1861
Feb. 26, 1861
March 2, 1861
12 Stat. 209
92-52b
36 S. 563
New Hampshire
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
New Jersey
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
New Mexico
Sept. 6, 1850
Sept. 9, 1850
Sept. 9, 1850
9 Stat. 446
108-97
31-10
31 S. 307
New York
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
North Carolina
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
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State
(Territory, if
Presidential
Name Differs)
House Passage
Senate Passage
Approval
Citation(s)
North Dakota
March 1, 1861
Feb. 26, 1861
March 2, 1861
12 Stat. 239
(Dakota Territory)
36 S. 562
Ohio
Aug. 5, 1789
Aug. 4, 1789
Aug. 7, 1789
1 Stat. 50
(Northwest Territory) Oklahoma
Apr. 21, 1890
Apr. 23, 1890
May 2, 1890
26 Stat. 81
50-5
51 S. 895
Oregon
Aug. 2, 1848
Aug. 12, 1848
Aug. 14, 1848
9 Stat. 323
128-71b
31-23 and 29-25
30 H.R. 201
Pennsylvania
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Rhode Island
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
South Carolina
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
South Dakota
March 1, 1861
Feb. 26, 1861
March 2, 1861
12 Stat. 239
(Dakota Territory)
36 S. 562
Tennessee
May 5, 1790
Apr. 27, 1790
May 26, 1790
1 Stat. 123
(Southwest Territory) Texas
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Utah
Sept. 7, 1850
Aug. 1, 1850
Sept. 9, 1850
9 Stat. 453
97-85
31 S. 225
Vermont
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Virginia
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Washington
Feb. 10, 1853
March 2, 1853
March 2, 1853
10 Stat. 172
129-29b
32 H.R. 348
West Virginia
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Wisconsin
Apr. 14, 1836
Apr. 18, 1836
Apr. 20, 1836
5 Stat. 10
24 S. 92
Wyoming
July 22, 1868
June 3, 1868
July 25, 1868
15 Stat. 178
106-50
40 S. 357
Sources: Annals of Congress, Congressional Globe, Congressional Record, House Journal, Senate Journal, U.S. Statutes at
Large. Notes: N/A means no territorial legislation was enacted (i.e., the 13 original states plus six states moved directly to statehood without an intervening period of territorial government). Final votes on passage are listed. Two
vote tallies are listed if the question was divided. No vote count is listed when a vote tally was not recorded (e.g., a measure was passed by voice vote). The effective date of legislation may differ from its date of presidential approval. Bil s and resolutions are presented with the Congress number preceeding the bil citation (e.g., H.R. 1 during the 50th Congress would appear as 50 H.R. 1). No bil or resolution number is listed for legislation that was not identified in the record by number. The names of territories are noted in parentheses if they differ from the eventual name of the state. Many territories were created out of existing territories, so territorial boundaries differed at times from future state boundaries. a. Votes marked with “a” are based on the vote tally in the Congressional Record or predecessor publication,
with no vote count listed in the House Journal or Senate Journal.
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b. Votes marked with “b” are based on the vote tally in the House Journal or Senate Journal, with the
Congressional Record or predecessor publication listing a different vote count.
Table 3. Enabling Acts
Enacted legislation that allowed residents to prepare for statehood
Presidential
State
House Passage
Senate Passage
Approval
Citation(s)
Alabama
Feb. 19, 1819
Feb. 23, 1819
March 2, 1819
3 Stat. 489
Alaska
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Arizona
June 18, 1910
June 16, 1910
June 20, 1910
36 Stat. 557
65-0
61 H.R. 18166
Arkansas
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
California
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Colorado
March 3, 1875
Feb. 24, 1875
March 3, 1875
18 Stat. 474c
164-76a
43-13b
43 H.R. 435c
Connecticut
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Delaware
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Florida
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Georgia
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Hawaii
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Idaho
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Il inois
Apr. 15, 1818
Apr. 14, 1818
Apr. 18, 1818
3 Stat. 428
Indiana
Apr. 15, 1816
Apr. 13, 1816
Apr. 19, 1816
3 Stat. 289
Iowa
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Kansas
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Kentucky
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Louisiana
Feb. 13, 1811
Feb. 7, 1811
Feb. 20, 1811
2 Stat. 641
69-45
22-10
Maine
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Maryland
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Massachusetts
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Michigan
June 13, 1836
Apr. 2, 1836
June 15, 1836
5 Stat. 49
24-18
24 S. 177
Minnesota
Jan. 31, 1857
Feb. 25, 1857
Feb. 26, 1857
11 Stat. 166
97-75
31-22
34 H.R. 642
Mississippi
Feb. 26, 1817
Feb. 27, 1817
March 1, 1817
3 Stat. 348
Missouri
March 2, 1820
March 2, 1820
March 6, 1820
3 Stat. 545
90-87 and 134-42
Montana
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 22, 1889
25 Stat. 676c
50 S. 185c
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Presidential
State
House Passage
Senate Passage
Approval
Citation(s)
Nebraska
March 17, 1864
Apr. 14, 1864
Apr. 19, 1864
13 Stat. 47
38 H.R. 14½
Nevada
March 17, 1864
Feb. 24, 1864
March 21, 1864
13 Stat. 30c
38 S. 96c
New Hampshire
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
New Jersey
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
New Mexico
June 18, 1910
June 16, 1910
June 20, 1910
36 Stat. 557
65-0
61 H.R. 18166
New York
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
North Carolina
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
North Dakota
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 22, 1889
25 Stat. 676c
50 S. 185c
Ohio
Apr. 29, 1802
Apr. 28, 1802
Apr. 30, 1802
2 Stat. 173
16-6
Oklahoma
June 14, 1906
June 13, 1906
June 16, 1906
34 Stat. 267c
59 H.R. 12707c
Oregon
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Pennsylvania
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Rhode Island
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
South Carolina
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
South Dakota
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 22, 1889
25 Stat. 676c
50 S. 185c
Tennessee
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Texas
Feb. 28, 1845
Feb. 27, 1845
March 1, 1845
5 Stat. 797
134-77b
27-25
28 H.J.Res. 46
Utah
Dec. 13, 1893
July 10, 1894
July 16, 1894
28 Stat. 107c
53 H.R. 352c
Vermont
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Virginia
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Washington
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 22, 1889
25 Stat. 676c
50 S. 185c
West Virginia
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Wisconsin
June 10, 1846
Aug. 5, 1846
Aug. 6, 1846
9 Stat. 56
29 H.R. 105
Wyoming
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Sources: Annals of Congress, Congressional Globe, Congressional Record, House Journal, Senate Journal, U.S. Statutes at
Large. Notes: N/A means no enabling legislation was enacted ahead of final legislation to admit the state to the Union. Some enabling acts involved multiple future states. Only final votes on passage are listed. Two vote tallies are
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listed if the question was divided. No vote count is listed when a a measure was passed by voice vote. The effective date of legislation may differ from the date of presidential approval. Bil s and resolutions are presented with the Congress number preceeding the bil citation (e.g., H.R. 1 during the 50th Congress would appear as 50 H.R. 1). No bil or resolution number is listed for legislation not identified in the record by number. a. Votes marked with “a” are based on the vote tally in the Congressional Record or predecessor publication,
with no vote count listed in the House Journal or Senate Journal.
b. Votes marked with “b” are based on the vote tally in the House Journal or Senate Journal, with the
Congressional Record or predecessor publication listing a different vote count.
c. Citations marked with “c” are combined enabling and admission acts, and appear in both Table 3 and
Table 4.
Table 4. Admission Acts
Enacted legislation that admitted a state into the Union
Presidential
State
House Passage
Senate Passage
Approval
Citation(s)
Alabama
Dec. 8, 1819
Dec. 8, 1819
Dec. 14, 1819
3 Stat. 608
Alaska
May 28, 1958
June 30, 1958
July 7, 1958
72 Stat. 339
210-166
64-20
85 H.R. 7999
Arizona
Aug. 19, 1911
Aug. 18, 1911
Aug. 21, 1911
37 Stat. 39
53-9
62 S.J.Res. 57
Arkansas
June 13, 1836
Apr. 4, 1836
June 15, 1836
5 Stat. 50
143-50
31-6
24 S. 178
California
Sept. 7, 1850
Aug. 13, 1850
Sept. 9, 1850
9 Stat. 452
150-56
34-18
31 S. 169
Colorado
March 3, 1875
Feb. 24, 1875
March 3, 1875
18 Stat. 474b
164-76
43-13a
43 H.R. 435b
Connecticut
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Delaware
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Florida
Feb. 13, 1845
March 1, 1845
March 3, 1845
5 Stat. 742
144-48a
36-9
28 H.R. 497
Georgia
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Hawaii
March 12, 1959
March 11, 1959
March 18, 1959
73 Stat. 4
323-89
76-15
86 S. 50
Idaho
Apr. 3, 1890
July 1, 1890
July 3, 1890
26 Stat. 215
129-1
51 H.R. 4562
Il inois
Nov. 23, 1818
Dec. 1, 1818
Dec. 3, 1818
3 Stat. 536
117-34
Indiana
Dec. 9, 1816
Dec. 6, 1816
Dec. 11, 1816
3 Stat. 399
Unanimousc
Iowa
Dec. 21, 1846
Dec. 24, 1846
Dec. 28, 1846
9 Stat. 117
29 H.R. 557
Kansas
Jan. 28, 1861
Jan. 21, 1861
Jan. 29, 1861
12 Stat. 126
36-16
36 H.R. 23
Kentucky
Jan. 28, 1791
Jan. 12, 1791
Feb. 4, 1791
1 Stat. 189
Louisiana
Apr. 6, 1812
Apr. 1, 1812
Apr. 8, 1812
2 Stat. 701
Maine
March 3, 1820
March 3, 1820
March 3, 1820
3 Stat. 544
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Presidential
State
House Passage
Senate Passage
Approval
Citation(s)
Maryland
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Massachusetts
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Michigan
Jan. 25, 1837
Jan. 5, 1837
Jan. 26, 1837
5 Stat. 144
132-43
25-10
24 S. 81
Minnesota
May 11, 1858
Apr. 7, 1858
May 11, 1858
11 Stat. 285
157-39a
49-3
35 S. 86
Mississippi
Dec. 8, 1817
Dec. 3, 1817
Dec. 10, 1817
3 Stat. 472
Missouri
Feb. 26, 1821
Feb. 28, 1821
March 2, 1821
3 Stat. 645
87-81
28-14
Montana
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 22, 1889
25 Stat. 676b
50 S. 185b
Nebraska
Jan. 15, 1867
Jan. 16, 1867
Veto (Jan. 30, 1867)
14 Stat. 391
103-55
28-14
overridden by
39 S. 456
Senate (Feb. 8,
1867, 31-9) and
House (Feb. 9,
1867, 120-44)
Nevada
March 17, 1864
Feb. 24, 1864
March 21, 1864
13 Stat. 30b
38 S. 96b
New Hampshire
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
New Jersey
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
New Mexico
Aug. 19, 1911
Aug. 18, 1911
Aug. 21, 1911
37 Stat. 39
53-9
62 S.J.Res. 57
New York
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
North Carolina
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
North Dakota
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 22, 1889
25 Stat. 676b
50 S. 185b
Ohio
May 19, 1953
Aug. 1, 1953
Aug. 7, 1953
67 Stat. 407
83 H.J.Res. 121
Oklahoma
June 14, 1906
June 13, 1906
June 16, 1906
34 Stat. 267b
59 H.R. 12707b
Oregon
Feb. 12, 1859
May 18, 1858
Feb. 14, 1859
11 Stat. 383
114-103
35-17
35 S. 239
Pennsylvania
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Rhode Island
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
South Carolina
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
South Dakota
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 22, 1889
25 Stat. 676b
50 S. 185b
Tennessee
May 30, 1796
May 31, 1796
June 1, 1796
1 Stat. 491
Texas
Dec. 16, 1845
Dec. 22, 1845
Dec. 29, 1845
9 Stat. 108
141-57a
31-14
29 H.J.Res. 2
Utah
Dec. 13, 1893
July 10, 1894
July 16, 1894
28 Stat. 107b
53 H.R. 352b
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Presidential
State
House Passage
Senate Passage
Approval
Citation(s)
Vermont
Feb. 14, 1791
Feb. 12, 1791
Feb. 18, 1791
1 Stat. 191
Virginia
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Washington
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 22, 1889
25 Stat. 676b
50 S. 185b
West Virginia
Dec. 10, 1862
July 14, 1862
Dec. 31, 1862
12 Stat. 633
96-55
23-17
37 S. 365
Wisconsin
May 11, 1848
May 19, 1848
May 29, 1848
9 Stat. 233
30 H.R. 397
Wyoming
July 8, 1890
June 27, 1890
July 10, 1890
26 Stat. 222
29-18
51 H.R. 982
Sources: Annals of Congress, Congressional Globe, Congressional Record, House Journal, Senate Journal, U.S. Statutes at
Large. Notes: N/A means no admission act (i.e., one of the 13 original states). Some admission acts involved multiple states. An admission act may have preceded a presidential proclamation formally admitting the state, and/or the effective date of admission may have differed from the date of presidential approval; see Table 1 for each state’s effective date of admission. Only final votes on passage are listed. Two vote tallies are listed if the question was divided. No vote count is listed when a vote tally was not recorded (e.g., a measure was passed by voice vote). Bil s and resolutions are presented with the Congress number preceeding the bil citation (e.g., H.R. 1 during the 50th Congress would appear as 50 H.R. 1). No bil or resolution number is listed for legislation not identified in the record by number. a. Votes marked with “b” are based on the vote tally in the House Journal or Senate Journal, with the
Congressional Record or predecessor publication listing a different vote count.
b. Citations marked with “c” are combined enabling and admission acts, and appear in both Table 3 and
Table 4.
c. Votes marked with “a” are based on the vote tally in the Congressional Record or predecessor publication,
with no vote count listed in the House Journal or Senate Journal.
Table 5. Referendum Votes
State-level referendums, ratifications, and other statehood-related votes, including
both popular votes and votes by delegates elected to a convention
Referendum
Vote
State
Question or Type
Date
(Yes-No)
Notes
Alabama
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Alaska
“Shall Alaska
Aug. 26, 1958
40,452-8,010
Earlier statehood
immediately be
referendum held
admitted into the
Oct. 8, 1946; state
Union as a State?”
constitution ratified Apr. 24, 1956
Arizona
Amendment to
Dec. 12, 1911
14,963-1,980
Congress required
state constitution
amendment as condition for admission; state constitution ratified Feb. 9, 1911
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Referendum
Vote
State
Question or Type
Date
(Yes-No)
Notes
Arkansas
Opinion of
Aug. 1, 1835
1,942-908
Several counties
statehood
allowed opinion on statehood to be recorded on territorial election ballot
California
Ratification of state
Nov. 13, 1849
12,061-811
constitution
Colorado
Ratification of state
July 1, 1876
15,443-4,062
constitution
Connecticut
Ratification of U.S.
Jan. 9, 1788
128-40
Vote of delegates to
Constitution
state convention
Delaware
Ratification of U.S.
Dec. 7, 1787
30-0
Vote of delegates to
Constitution
state convention
Florida
Ratification of state
May 6, 1839
2,071-1,958
Earlier statehood
constitution
referendum held May 1, 1837
Georgia
Ratification of U.S.
Dec. 31, 1787
26-0
Vote of delegates to
Constitution
state convention; ratification formalized Jan. 2, 1788
Hawaii
“Shall Hawaii
June 27, 1959
132,773-7,971
Earlier statehood
immediately be
referendum held
admitted into the
Nov. 5, 1940; state
Union as a State?”
constitution ratified Nov. 7, 1950
Idaho
Ratification of state
Nov. 5, 1889
12,398-1,773
constitution
Il inois
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Indiana
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Iowa
Ratification of state
Aug. 3, 1846
9,492-9,036
Earlier state
constitution
constitution rejected Apr. 7,
1845 and Aug. 4, 1845; earlier referendum Apr. 1, 1844
Kansas
Ratification of state
Oct. 4, 1859
10,421-5,530
Earlier state
constitution
constitution rejected Aug. 2, 1858
Kentucky
Opinion of
July 28, 1790
24-18
Vote of delegates to
statehood
Ninth Kentucky Convention
Louisiana
N/A
N/A
N/A
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Referendum
Vote
State
Question or Type
Date
(Yes-No)
Notes
Maine
“Should Maine
July 26, 1819
17,091-7,132
Earlier votes on
separate from
separation held in
Massachusetts?”
1792, 1797, 1807, and 1816 (twice)
Maryland
Ratification of U.S.
Apr. 26, 1788
63-11
Vote of delegates to
Constitution
state convention; ratification formalized Apr. 28, 1788
Massachusetts
Ratification of U.S.
Feb. 6, 1788
187-168
Vote of delegates to
Constitution
state convention
Michigan
Ratification of state
Oct. 5-06, 1835
6,752-1,374
Later, on Dec. 15,
constitution
1836, a second state convention known as the “Frostbitten Convention” unanimously approved the conditions of the enabling act
Minnesota
Ratification of state
Oct. 13, 1857
30,055-571
constitution
Mississippi
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Missouri
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Montana
Ratification of state
Oct. 1, 1889
24,676-2,274
constitution
Nebraska
Ratification of state
June 2, 1866
3,938-3,838
constitution
Nevada
Ratification of state
Sept. 7, 1864
10,375-1,284
constitution
New Hampshire
Ratification of U.S.
June 21, 1788
57-47
Vote of delegates to
Constitution
state convention
New Jersey
Ratification of U.S.
Dec. 18, 1787
38-0
Vote of delegates to
Constitution
state convention
New Mexico
Amendment to
Nov. 7, 1911
34,897-22,831
Congress required
state constitution
amendment as condition for admission; state constitution ratified Jan. 21, 1911
New York
Ratification of U.S.
July 26, 1788
30-27
Vote of delegates to
Constitution
state convention
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Referendum
Vote
State
Question or Type
Date
(Yes-No)
Notes
North Carolina
Ratification of U.S.
Nov. 21, 1789
194-77
Vote of delegates to
Constitution
second state convention; first convention voted Aug. 2, 1788 to demand amendments
North Dakota
Ratification of state
Oct. 1, 1889
27,441-8,107
Earlier referendum
constitution
on dividing Dakota Territory held Nov. 8, 1887
Ohio
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Oklahoma
Ratification of state
Sept. 17, 1907
180,333-73,059
Indian Territory
constitution
voted Nov. 7, 1905 on constitution for separate state of Sequoyah
Oregon
Ratification of state
Nov. 9, 1857
7,195-3,215
Earlier referendum
constitution
on statehood held June 1857
Pennsylvania
Ratification of U.S.
Dec. 12, 1787
46-23
Vote of delegates to
Constitution
state convention
Rhode Island
Ratification of U.S.
May 29, 1790
34-32
Vote of delegates to
Constitution
state convention
South Carolina
Ratification of U.S.
May 23, 1788
149-73
Vote of delegates to
Constitution
state convention
South Dakota
Ratification of state
Oct. 1, 1889
70,131-3,267
Earlier referendum
constitution
on dividing Dakota Territory held Nov. 8, 1887
Tennessee
“Is it your wish if,
Sept. 15, 1795 to
6,504-2,562
on taking the
Nov. 15, 1795
enumeration, there should prove to be less than sixty thousand inhabitants, that the Territory shall be admitted as a State in to the Federal Union with such less number or not?”
Texas
Annexation and
Oct. 13, 1845
7,664-430
ratification of state
(annexation), 7,527-
constitution
536 (ratification)
Utah
Ratification of state
Nov. 5, 1895
31,305-7,607
constitution
Vermont
Ratification of U.S.
Jan. 10, 1791
105-4
Vote of delegates to
Constitution
state convention
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Referendum
Vote
State
Question or Type
Date
(Yes-No)
Notes
Virginia
Ratification of U.S.
June 25, 1788
89-79
Vote of delegates to
Constitution
state convention
Washington
Ratification of state
Oct. 1, 1889
40,152-11,879
constitution
West Virginia
Ratification of state
March 26, 1863
28,321-572
Earlier vote on
constitution
statehood Oct. 24, 1861
Wisconsin
Ratification of state
March 13, 1848
16,759-6,384
Earlier state
constitution
constitution rejected Apr. June 1847
Wyoming
Ratification of state
Nov. 5, 1889
6,272-1,923
constitution
Sources: Various; see citations in the “Statehood Timelines” section for details. Notes: N/A means no referendum or similar vote was located. In general, if multiple votes occurred as part of the statehood process (e.g., an initial referendum on whether to seek admission and a subsequent ratification vote on the state constitution), the final vote is described in the table (in this example, ratification of the state constitution) and the earlier vote (in this example, the initial referendum) is mentioned in the “Notes” column.
Statehood Timelines
Alabama
• September 3, 1783: United States
acquires part of the future
Alabama: 22nd State
Alabama from Great Britain in the
Alabama Territory created March 3, 1817 (3 Stat. 371)
Treaty of Paris. Additional
Enabling law enacted March 2, 1819 (3 Stat. 489)
territory is later acquired in the
Alabama admitted December 14, 1819 (3 Stat. 608)
Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819.20
• January 17, 1817: Senator Charles Tait of Georgia reports, from a select
committee, a bill that would create a new territorial government in the eastern part of the Mississippi Territory. He also reports a separate bill to prepare the western part of the territory for statehood.21
• February 21, 1817: Senate passes the bill creating the Alabama Territory
without a recorded vote.22
20 Harriet E. Amos Doss, “The State of Alabama,” in The Uniting States: The Story of Statehood for the Fifty United
States, vol. 1, ed. Benjamin F. Shearer (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2004), pp. 24-53.
21 Journal of the Senate of the United States of America (Senate Journal), 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 17, 1817), p. 123; The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (Annals of Congress), vol. 30, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 17, 1817), p. 71. See the “Mississippi” timeline for information on the latter bill. 22 Senate Journal, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 21, 1817), pp. 273-274; Annals of Congress, vol. 30, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 21, 1817), p. 139.
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• March 3, 1817: House passes the Alabama Territory bill without a recorded
vote.23 President James Madison signs “[a]n Act to establish a separate territorial government for the eastern part of the Mississippi territory,” creating the Alabama Territory.24
• December 11, 1818: Senate receives a petition from Alabama territorial officials
“praying admission into the Union” as a state and refers it to a select committee.25
• December 18, 1818: Senator Tait reports from the select committee a bill
enabling Alabama to “form a constitution and state government” and join the Union.26
• January 12, 1819: Senate passes the Alabama statehood bill without a recorded
vote.27
• February 19, 1819: House passes an amended version of the enabling act
without a recorded vote.28
• February 23, 1819: Senate concurs in the House’s amendments to the enabling
act without a recorded vote.29
• March 2, 1819: President James Monroe signs “[a]n Act to enable the people of
the Alabama territory to form a constitution and state government, and for the admission of such state into the Union on an equal footing with the original states.”30
• July 5, 1819: Delegates gather in Huntsville to write a state constitution for
Alabama.31
• August 2, 1819: Delegates at the Huntsville convention finalize and sign a state
constitution for Alabama.32
23 Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States (House Journal), 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 3, 1817), p. 545; Annals of Congress, vol. 30, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 3, 1817), p. 1066.
24 3 Stat. 371. 25 Senate Journal, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 11, 1818), p. 70; Annals of Congress, vol. 33, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 11, 1818), p. 66.
26 Senate Journal, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 18, 1818), p. 86; Annals of Congress, vol. 33, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 18, 1818), p. 75.
27 Senate Journal, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 12, 1819), p. 143; Annals of Congress, vol. 33, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 12, 1819), p. 121.
28 House Journal, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 19, 1819), pp. 290-291; Annals of Congress, vol. 34, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 19, 1819), p. 1272.
29 Senate Journal, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 23, 1819), p. 295; Annals of Congress, vol. 33, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 23, 1819), p. 253.
30 3 Stat. 489. 31 Journal of the Convention of the Alabama Territory Begun July 5, 1819 (Huntsville, AL: John Boardman, 1819), pp. 3-4.
32 Journal of the Convention of the Alabama Territory, pp. 38-39.
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• December 8, 1819: Senate adopts a joint resolution declaring Alabama admitted
into the Union, without a recorded vote.33 House adopts the resolution without a recorded vote.34
• December 14, 1819: President Monroe signs the admission resolution into law,
establishing “[t]hat the state of Alabama shall be one, and is hereby declared to be one, of the United States of America.”35
Alaska
• October 18, 1867: United States
Alaska: 49th State
purchases Alaska from Russia.36
Alaska Territory created August 24, 1912 (37 Stat. 512)
• May 17, 1884: President Chester A.
Statehood law enacted July 7, 1958 (72 Stat. 339)
Arthur signs “[a]n act providing a
Alaska admitted January 3, 1959 (73 Stat. c16)
civil government for Alaska,” which creates the District of Alaska.37
• April 4, 1911: Delegate James Wickersham of Alaska introduces 62 H.R. 38,38
which would grant territory status to Alaska.39
• April 24, 1912: House amends 62 H.R. 38 and passes it without a recorded
vote.40
• July 24, 1912: Senate amends 62 H.R. 38 and passes it without a recorded vote.41 • August 17, 1912: Senate adopts conference report on 62 H.R. 38 without a
recorded vote.42
• August 20, 1912: House agrees to conference report on 62 H.R. 38 without a
recorded vote.43
33 Senate Journal, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (December 8, 1819), p. 21; Annals of Congress, vol. 35, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (December 8, 1819), p. 20-21.
34 House Journal, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (December 8, 1819), p. 22; Annals of Congress, vol. 35, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (December 8, 1819), p. 710.
35 3 Stat. 608. 36 William S. Hanable, “The State of Alaska,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 1, pp. 54-78. 37 23 Stat. 24. District status gave Alaska a governor and federal court, but no territorial legislature. See Jessica Van Buren, “Alaska Prestatehood Legal Research Resources,” in Prestatehood Legal Materials: A Fifty-State Research
Guide, Including New York City and the District of Columbia, vol. 1, eds. Michael Chiorazzi and Marguerite Most (New York: The Haworth Information Press, 2005), pp. 31-50.
38 Throughout this report, bills and resolutions are presented with the Congress number preceeding the bill citation. In this instance, 62 H.R. 38 is H.R. 38 during the 62nd Congress.
39 House Journal, 62nd Cong., 1st sess. (April 4, 1911), p. 15; Congressional Record, vol. 47, part 1 (April 4, 1911), p. 22.
40 House Journal, 62nd Cong., 2nd sess. (April 24, 1912), pp. 598-599; Congressional Record, vol. 48, part 6 (April 24, 1912), pp. 5260-5303.
41 Senate Journal, 62nd Cong., 2nd sess. (July 24, 1912), p. 479; Congressional Record, vol. 48, part 10 (July 24, 1912), pp. 9535-9540.
42 Senate Journal, 62nd Cong., 2nd sess. (August 17, 1912), pp. 559-560; Congressional Record, vol. 48, part 11 (August 17, 1912), pp. 11164-11165.
43 House Journal, 62nd Cong., 2nd sess. (August 20, 1912), p. 994; Congressional Record, vol. 48, part 11 (August 20, 1912), pp. 11393-11394.
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• August 24, 1912: President William Howard Taft signs 62 H.R. 38 into law,
establishing a territorial government for Alaska.44
• October 8, 1946: Alaska voters back statehood, 9,630 to 6,822, in a
referendum.45
• November 8, 1955: A constitutional convention called by the Territorial
Legislature holds its first meeting at the University of Alaska, just outside Fairbanks.46
• February 5, 1956: Delegates vote 54-0 to adopt a state constitution for Alaska.47 • April 24, 1956: Alaska residents vote 17,477 to 7,180 in favor of ratifying the
new state constitution.48
• June 7, 1957: Representative Leo W. O’Brien of New York introduces 85 H.R.
7999, a bill for “the admission of the State of Alaska into the Union.”49
• May 28, 1958: House votes 210-166 to pass 85 H.R. 7999.50 • June 30, 1958: Senate votes 64-20 to pass 85 H.R. 7999.51 • July 7, 1958: President Dwight Eisenhower signs 85 H.R. 7999 into law,
admitting Alaska as a state pending a referendum vote.52
• August 26, 1958: Alaskans approve statehood in a three-part referendum. On the
question, “Shall Alaska immediately be admitted into the Union as a State?” the vote is 40,452 to 8,010.53
• January 3, 1959: President Eisenhower issues Proclamation No. 3269,
“Admission of the State of Alaska into the Union,” concluding the statehood process.54
Arizona
Arizona: 48th State
44 37 Stat. 512. 45 Ernest Gruening, Annual Report of the Governor of Alaska to the Secretary of the Interior (Washington: GPO, 1947), p. 1.
46 Minutes of the Daily Proceedings, Alaska Constitutional Convention, vol. 1 (Juneau, AK: Alaska Legislative Council, 1965), p. 1.
47 Minutes of the Daily Proceedings, Alaska Constitutional Convention, vol. 5, pp. 3938-3939. 48 B. Frank Heintzleman, 1956 Annual Report, Governor of Alaska to the Secretary of the Interior (Washington: GPO, 1956), p. 1.
49 House Journal, 85th Cong., 1st sess. (June 7, 1957), p. 512; Congressional Record, vol. 103, part 7 (June 7, 1957), p. 8564.
50 House Journal, 85th Cong., 2nd sess. (May 28, 1958), pp. 408-409; Congressional Record, vol. 104, part 7 (May 28, 1958), pp. 9756-9757.
51 Senate Journal, 85th Cong., 2nd sess. (June 30, 1958), p. 435; Congressional Record, vol. 104, part 10 (June 30, 1958), p. 12650.
52 72 Stat. 339. 53 Alaska Division of Elections, Statehood Election: Final Results of Special Referendum Election, at https://www.elections.alaska.gov/Core/Archive/58STATE/1958-statehood.pdf.
54 73 Stat. c16.
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• April 25, 1854: The United States
buys part of the land that will
Arizona Territory created February 24, 1863 (12 Stat. 664)
become Arizona from Mexico in
Enabling law enacted June 20, 1910 (36 Stat. 557)
the Gadsden Purchase, adding to
Admission law enacted August 21, 1911 (37 Stat. 39)
land acquired in 1848 by the
Arizona admitted February 14, 1912 (37 Stat. 1728)
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.55
• March 12, 1862: Representative James M. Ashley of Ohio reports 37 H.R. 357, a
bill to create a territorial government for Arizona, from the House Committee on Territories.56
• May 8, 1862: House passes 37 H.R. 357 without a recorded vote, after rejecting
a motion to table the bill.57
• February 20, 1863: Senates passes 37 H.R. 357 on a 25-12 vote.58 • February 24, 1863: President Abraham Lincoln signs 37 H.R. 357 into law,
creating the Territory of Arizona.59
• January 14, 1910: Representative Edward L. Hamilton of Michigan introduces
61 H.R. 18166, which would enable Arizona and New Mexico to write constitutions in preparation for statehood.60
• January 17, 1910: House suspends the rules and passes 61 H.R. 18166 without a
recorded vote.61
• June 16, 1910: Senate amends 61 H.R. 18166, then passes it on a 65-0 vote.62 • June 18, 1910: House passes Senate-amended version of 61 H.R. 18166 without
a recorded vote.63
• June 20, 1910: President William Howard Taft signs 61 H.R. 18166 into law,
enabling Arizona and New Mexico to write constitutions and form state governments.64
• October 10, 1910: Delegates gather in Phoenix to write a state constitution for
Arizona.65
55 Valerie L. Adams, “The State of Arizona,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 1, pp. 79-105. 56 House Journal, 37th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 12, 1862), p. 439; Congressional Globe, 37th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 12, 1862), p. 1193.
57 The House Journal reported the vote on tabling the bill as 72-50, while the Congressional Globe reported the vote as 72-52. See House Journal, 37th Cong., 2nd sess. (May 8, 1862), pp. 657-659, and Congressional Globe, 37th Cong., 2nd sess. (May 8, 1862), pp. 2023-2030.
58 Senate Journal, 37th Cong., 3rd sess. (February 20, 1863), p. 300; Congressional Globe, 37th Cong., 3rd sess. (February 20, 1863), pp. 1125-1128.
59 12 Stat. 664. 60 House Journal, 61st Cong., 2nd sess. (January 14, 1910), p. 168; Congressional Record, vol. 45, part 1 (January 14, 1910), p. 654.
61 House Journal, 61st Cong., 2nd sess. (January 17, 1910), pp. 175-176; Congressional Record, vol. 45, part 1 (January 17, 1910), pp. 702-714.
62 Senate Journal 61st Cong., 2nd sess. (June 16, 1910), pp. 452-453; Congressional Record, vol. 45, part 8 (June 16, 1910), pp. 8225-8237.
63 House Journal, 61st Cong., 2nd sess. (June 18, 1910), p. 803; Congressional Record, vol. 45, part 8 (June 18, 1910), pp. 8485-8487.
64 36 Stat. 557. 65 Minutes of the Constitutional Convention of the Territory of Arizona (Phoenix, AZ: Press of Phoenix Printing Co., 1910), p. 5.
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• December 9, 1910: Delegates vote 40-12 to adopt a state constitution for
Arizona.66
• February 9, 1911: Arizona voters ratify the state constitution by a vote of 12,534
to 3,920.67
• August 15, 1911: President Taft vetoes 62 H.J.Res. 14, a joint resolution to admit
Arizona and New Mexico as states, objecting to the provision of Arizona’s constitution that allows voters to recall judges.68
• August 17, 1911: Senator William A. Smith of Michigan reports 62 S.J.Res. 57
from the Senate Committee on Territories. This joint resolution would admit Arizona and New Mexico as states, but it would first require Arizona to remove judicial recall from its state constitution.69
• August 18, 1911: Senate debates and passes 62 S.J.Res. 57 on a 53-9 vote.70 • August 19, 1911: House debates and passes 62 S.J.Res. 57 without a recorded
vote.71
• August 21, 1911: President Taft signs 62 S.J.Res. 57 into law, admitting New
Mexico and Arizona as states once certain conditions have been met, including the amending of Arizona’s constitution to exempt judicial officers from recall.72
• December 12, 1911: Arizona voters amend the state constitution to remove
judicial recall, by a 14,963 to 1,980 vote, meeting President Taft’s demand.73
• February 14, 1912: President Taft issues a proclamation admitting Arizona as
the 48th state.74
Arkansas
• April 30, 1803: The United States
Arkansas: 25th State
acquires the land that will become Arkansas from France in the
Arkansas Territory created July 4, 1819 (3 Stat. 493)
Louisiana Purchase.75
Arkansas admitted June 15, 1836 (5 Stat. 50)
• December 16, 1818: House
convenes a select committee to consider whether to create a separate territorial
66 Minutes of the Constitutional Convention of the Territory of Arizona, pp. 433-434. 67 Richard E. Sloan, Report of the Governor of Arizona to the Secretary of the Interior For the Fiscal Year Ended June
30, 1911 (Washington: GPO, 1911), p. 5.
68 William Howard Taft, Special Message of the President of the United States Returning Without Approval House
Joint Resolution No. 14, H. Doc. 62-106 (Washington: GPO, 1911).
69 Senate Journal, 62nd Cong., 1st sess. (August 17, 1911), p. 178; Congressional Record, vol. 47, part 4 (August 17, 1911), p. 4061.
70 Senate Journal, 62nd Cong., 1st sess. (August 18, 1911), p. 185; Congressional Record, vol. 47, part 4 (August 18, 1911), pp. 4118-4141.
71 House Journal, 62nd Cong., 1st sess. (August 19, 1911), p. 390; Congressional Record, vol. 47, part 5 (August 19, 1911), pp. 4217-4242.
72 37 Stat. 39. See “New Mexico” timeline for details on its admission. 73 Voters would restore the provision in November 1912. See David R. Berman, Arizona Politics and Government: The
Quest for Autonomy, Democracy, and Development (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1998), p. 35.
74 37 Stat. 1728. 75 William D. Baker, “The State of Arkansas,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 1, pp. 106-133.
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government for the “Arkansaw Country” (also spelled “Arkansas Country”) within the existing Missouri Territory.76
• December 21, 1818: Representative George Robertson of Kentucky reports a bill
from the select committee creating a new territory.77
• February 20, 1819: House passes the bill to establish Arkansas Territory without
a recorded vote on final passage, following days of debate and several close votes on amendments and procedural motions related to slavery in the territory.78
• March 1, 1819: Senate passes the Arkansas Territory bill without a recorded vote
on final passage, following a 19-14 vote to defeat a motion to recommit with instructions to report the bill back with an antislavery amendment.79
• March 2, 1819: President James Monroe signs the law “establishing a separate
territorial government in the southern part of the territory of Missouri.” The new territory, which will come into existence on July 4, 1819, is spelled “Arkansaw” in the statute, though “Arkansas” becomes the standard spelling.80
• August 1, 1835: During territorial elections, several Arkansas counties allow
voters to express an opinion of statehood on their ballots. The Arkansas Advocate newspaper reports the tally as 1,942 in favor and 908 opposed.81
• January 4, 1836: Delegates gather in Little Rock to write a new state
constitution for Arkansas.82
• January 30, 1836: Delegates at the Little Rock convention vote 46-4 to adopt
the Arkansas state constitution.83
• March 10, 1836: Senate votes 22-17 to refer the Arkansas state constitution to a
select committee.84
• March 22, 1836: Senate select committee reports out 24 S. 178, a bill admitting
Arkansas as a state.85
• April 4, 1836: Senate votes 31-6 to pass 24 S. 178.86
76 House Journal, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 16, 1818), pp. 107-108; Annals of Congress, vol. 33, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 16, 1818), p. 413-414.
77 House Journal, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 21, 1818), p. 119; Annals of Congress, vol. 33, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 21, 1818), p. 422.
78 House Journal, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 20, 1819), p. 296; Annals of Congress, vol. 34, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 20, 1819), p. 1283.
79 Senate Journal, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 1, 1819), pp. 324-325; Annals of Congress, vol. 33, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 1, 1819), p. 274.
80 3 Stat. 493. 81 D.A. Stokes Jr., “The First State Elections in 1836,” Arkansas Historical Quarterly 20, no. 2 (Summer 1961), 126-150.
82 Journal of the Proceedings of the Convention Met to Form a Constitution and System of State Government for the
People of Arkansas (Little Rock, AR: Albert Pike, 1836), p. 3.
83 Journal of the Proceedings of the Convention Met to Form a Constitution ... for the People of Arkansas, p. 51. 84 Senate Journal, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (March 10, 1836), pp. 210-211; Congressional Globe, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (March 10, 1836), pp. 240.
85 Senate Journal, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (March 22, 1836), pp. 236-237; Congressional Globe, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (March 22, 1836), p. 275.
86 Senate Journal, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (April 4, 1836), pp. 266-267; Congressional Globe, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (April 4, 1836), pp. 315-316.
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• June 13, 1836: House votes 143-50 to pass 24 S. 178.87 • June 15, 1836: President Andrew Jackson signs 24 S. 178 into law, admitting
Arkansas into the Union.88
California
• February 2, 1848: The United States
California: 31st State
acquires California from Mexico in
California admitted September 9, 1850 (9 Stat. 452)
the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.89
• June 3, 1849: Bennet Riley, the U.S. Army officer serving as governor of
California, calls a convention with the purpose of “forming a State constitution or a plan for Territorial government.”90
• September 1, 1849: Convention delegates begin to gather in Monterey.91 • September 5, 1849: Convention delegates vote, 28-8, to draft a constitution and
seek statehood for California rather than organize a territorial government.92
• October 13, 1849: Convention delegates sign a state constitution for California.93 • November 13, 1849: California residents ratify the state constitution by a vote of
12,061 to 811.94
• January 29, 1850: Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky proposes what becomes the
Compromise of 1850, a legislative package that includes California’s admission to the Union as a free state, in response to growing tensions between the North and South.95
• February 13, 1850: President Zachary Taylor transmits the California state
constitution to Congress.96
• March 25, 1850: Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois reports 31 S. 169, a bill
to admit California as a state, from the Senate Committee on Territories.97
87 House Journal, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (June 13, 1836), pp. 997-1004; Congressional Globe, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (June 13, 1836), pp. 550-551.
88 5 Stat. 50. 89 Anne Woo-Sam, “The State of California,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 1, pp. 134-160. 90 J. Ross Browne, Report of the Debates in the Convention of California, on the Formation of the State Constitution, in
September and October, 1849 (Washington: John T. Towers, 1850), pp. 3-5.
91 Browne, Report of the Debates in the Convention of California, p. 7. 92 Browne, Report of the Debates in the Convention of California, p. 23. 93 Browne, Report of the Debates in the Convention of California, p. 476. 94 Francis Newton Thorpe (ed.), The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws of
the States, Territories, and Colonies Now or Heretofore Forming the United States of America, vol. 1 (Washington: GPO, 1909), p. 391.
95 James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford, UK and New York: Oxford University Press, 1988), pp. 70-75.
96 House Journal, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (February 13, 1850), pp. 529-530; Senate Journal, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (February 13, 1850), pp. 148; Congressional Globe, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (February 13, 1850), pp. 347-350 and 355.
97 Senate Journal, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (March 25, 1850), p. 234; Congressional Globe, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (March 25, 1850), p. 592.
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• August 13, 1850: Senate debates and passes 31 S. 169 on a 34-18 vote.98 • September 7, 1850: House debates and passes 31 S. 169 on a 150-56 vote.99 • September 9, 1850: President Millard Fillmore signs 31 S. 169 into law,
admitting California as the 31st state.100
Colorado
• February 2, 1848: The United
Colorado: 38th State
States acquires part of the land that will become Colorado
Colorado Territory created February 28, 1861 (12 Stat. 172)
from Mexico in the Treaty of
Enabling and statehood law enacted March 3, 1875 (18 Stat. 474)
Guadalupe Hidalgo, adding to
Colorado admitted August 1, 1876 (19 Stat. 665)
land acquired in the 1803 Louisiana Purchase and the 1845 annexation of Texas.101
• April 3, 1860: Senator James S. Green of Missouri reports 36 S. 366, which
would create a new territory, from the Senate Committee on Territories.102
• February 4, 1861: Senate passes 36 S. 366 to create the Colorado Territory
without a recorded vote, after also considering the names “Jefferson” and “Idaho.”103
• February 18, 1861: House amends 36 S. 366, then passes it on a 90-44 vote.104 • February 26, 1861: Senate votes 26-18 to pass the House-amended version of
36 S. 366.105
• February 28, 1861: President James Buchanan signs 36 S. 366 into law, creating
the Colorado Territory.106
• December 8, 1873: Following attempts to admit Colorado that President Andrew
Johnson vetoed in 1866 and 1867,107 Delegate Jerome B. Chaffee of Colorado introduces 43 H.R. 435, a bill to “enable the people of Colorado to form a
98 Senate Journal, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (August 13, 1850), p. 557; Congressional Globe, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (August 13, 1850), p. 1573.
99 House Journal, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (September 7, 1850), pp. 1415-1424; Congressional Globe, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (September 7, 1850), pp. 1769-1772.
100 9 Stat. 452. 101 William Virden, “The State of Colorado,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 1, pp. 161-190. 102 Senate Journal, 36th Cong., 1st sess. (April 3, 1860), p. 335; Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 1st sess. (April 3, 1860), pp. 1502.
103 Senate Journal, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 4, 1861), p. 184; Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 4, 1861), pp. 728-729.
104 House Journal, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 18, 1861), pp. 345-348; Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 18, 1861), pp. 1003-1005.
105 Senate Journal, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 26, 1861), pp. 313-314; Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 26, 1861), pp. 1205-1206.
106 12 Stat. 172. 107 Ben: Perley Poore (ed.), Veto Messages of the Presidents of the United States, with the Action of Congress Thereon (Washington: GPO, 1886), pp. 305-308 and 331-337.
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constitution and State government, and for the admission of the said State into the Union on an equal footing with the original states.”108
• June 8, 1874: House votes to suspend the rules and pass 43 H.R. 435.109 • February 24, 1875: Senate debates and amends 43 H.R. 435, then passes it.110 • March 3, 1875: House concurs in Senate amendments with a 164-76 vote to
suspend the rules and pass the bill.111
• March 3, 1875: President Ulysses S. Grant signs 43 H.R. 435 into law.112 • December 20, 1875: Delegates gather in Denver to write a state constitution for
Colorado.113
• March 14, 1876: Colorado convention delegates vote 30-0 to approve the state
constitution.114
• July 1, 1876: Colorado residents vote 15,443 to 4,062 in favor of ratifying the
new state constitution.115
• August 1, 1876: President Grant issues a proclamation admitting Colorado as the
38th state.116
Connecticut
• April 23, 1662: King Charles II
Connecticut: Fifth State
grants a royal charter to the “Governor
Connecticut ratified Constitution January 9, 1788
and Company of the English Colony of Connecticut in New-England, in America.”117
• July 4, 1776: Connecticut joins 12 other colonies in declaring independence
from Great Britain.118
• July 9, 1778: Connecticut signs the Articles of Confederation.119
108 House Journal, 43rd Cong., 1st sess. (December 8, 1873), p. 80; Congressional Record, vol. 2, part 1 (December 8, 1873), p. 89.
109 The House Journal reported the vote as 170-66, while the Congressional Record reported the vote as 171-66. See House Journal, 43rd Cong., 1st sess. (June 8, 1874), pp. 1132-1133, and Congressional Record, vol. 2, part 5 (June 8, 1874), pp. 4691-4692.
110 The Senate Journal reported the vote as 43-13, while the Congressional Record reported the vote as 42-12. See Senate Journal, 43rd Cong., 2nd sess. (February 24, 1875), pp. 337-339, and Congressional Record, vol. 3, part 3 (February 24, 1875), pp. 1671-1690.
111 House Journal, 43rd Cong., 2nd sess. (March 3, 1875), pp. 644-645; Congressional Record, vol. 3, part 3 (March 3, 1875), pp. 2238-2239.
112 18 Stat. 474. 113 Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention Held in Denver, December 20, 1875 to Frame a Constitution for the
State of Colorado (Denver, CO: Smith-Brooks Press, 1907), p. 15.
114 Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention ... for the State of Colorado, p. 708. 115 J. Warner Mills and John H. Gabriel, Mills Annotated Statutes of the State of Colorado, revised ed., vol. 1 (Denver, CO: Mills Publishing Co., 1912), p. c24.
116 19 Stat. 665. 117 Thorpe, Federal and State Constitutions, vol. 1, pp. 529-536. 118 Worthington Chauncey Ford (ed.), Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789, vol. 5 (Washington: GPO, 1906) (July 4, 1776), pp. 510-516.
119 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 11 (July 9, 1778), p. 677.
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• May 14-September 17, 1787: Connecticut’s three delegates participate in the
Constitutional Convention.120
• January 9, 1788: Connecticut’s convention ratifies the Constitution, 128-40.121
Delaware
• August 24, 1682: James, Duke of
York, gives the land that will become
Delaware: First State
Delaware to William Penn, who had
Delaware ratified Constitution December 7, 1787
acquired Pennsylvania the prior year from the Duke’s brother, King Charles II.122
• 1704: A new legislature holds its first meeting in New Castle, though the three
counties continue to share a governor with neighboring Pennsylvania and do not formally adopt the name “Delaware” until 1776.123
• July 4, 1776: Delaware joins 12 other colonies in declaring independence from
Great Britain.124
• May 5, 1779: Delaware signs the Articles of Confederation.125 • May 14-September 17, 1787: Delaware’s five delegates participate in the
Constitutional Convention.126
• December 7, 1787: Delaware’s convention ratifies the Constitution by a 30-0
vote, making it the first state to join the new federal government.127
Florida
• February 22, 1819: The United
Florida: 27th State
States acquires Florida from
Florida Territory created March 30, 1822 (3 Stat. 654)
Spain in the Adams-Onís
Florida admitted March 3, 1845 (5 Stat. 742)
Treaty.128
120 Max Farrand (ed.), The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, vol. 3 (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1911), p. 557.
121 Jonathan Elliot (ed.), The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution, vol. 1 (Washington: Printed For the Author, 1836), pp. 321-322; Merrill Jensen (ed.), The Documentary History of the
Ratification of the Constitution, vol. 3 (Madison, WI: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1978), pp. 554-562.
122 “The Duke of York’s Deed of Feoffment of Newcastle, and Twelve Miles Circle, to William Penn, August 24, 1682,” in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives of the Province of Pennsylvania, vol. 1, part 1 (Philadelphia: B. Franklin and D. Hall, 1752), pp. xxxvi-xxxvii.
123 Eileen B. Cooper, David King, and Mary Jane Mallonee, “Colonial Delaware Legal Bibliography,” in Chiorazzi and Most, Prestatehood Legal Materials, vol. 1, pp. 175-217.
124 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 5 (July 4, 1776), pp. 510-516. 125 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 14 (May 5, 1779), p. 548. 126 Farrand, Records, vol. 3, p. 558. 127 Elliot, Debates, vol. 1, p. 319; Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, vol. 3, pp. 105-113. 128 Andrew K. Frank, “The State of Florida,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 1, pp. 245-270.
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• February 6, 1822: Senator William Smith of South Carolina reports from the
Senate Judiciary Committee a bill to establish a territorial government in Florida.129
• March 8, 1822: Senate passes Florida Territory bill without a recorded vote.130 • March 27, 1822: House passes an amended version of the Florida Territory
bill.131 Senate concurs in House amendments without a recorded vote.132
• March 30, 1822: President James Monroe signs the law “for the establishment of
a territorial government in Florida.”133
• May 1, 1837: In a referendum on statehood, Florida residents vote 2,214 to 1,274
in favor of seeking admission to the Union.134
• December 3, 1838: Delegates to a convention convened by the Florida
Territory’s Legislative Council gather in St. Joseph to write a state constitution.135
• January 11, 1839: Delegates vote 55-1 to approve the Florida state
constitution.136
• May 6, 1839: Florida voters ratify the new state constitution by a vote of 2,071
to 1,958.137
• January 7, 1845: Representative Aaron V. Brown of Tennessee reports 28 H.R.
497, a bill to admit Florida and Iowa as states, from the House Committee on Territories.138
• February 13, 1845: House votes 144-48 to pass 28 H.R. 497.139 • March 1, 1845: Senate votes 36-9 to pass 28 H.R. 497.140
129 Senate Journal, 17th Cong., 1st sess. (February 6, 1822), p. 115; Annals of Congress, vol. 38, 17th Cong., 1st sess. (February 6, 1822), p. 182.
130 Senate Journal, 17th Cong., 1st sess. (March 8, 1822), p. 176; Annals of Congress, vol. 38, 17th Cong., 1st sess. (March 8, 1822), p. 279.
131 The Annals of Congress states that the “question on the passage of the bill was…carried without opposition,” while the House Journal does not describe the vote. See House Journal, 17th Cong., 1st sess. (March 27, 1822), p. 404 and Annals of Congress, vol. 39, 17th Cong., 1st sess. (March 27, 1822), p. 1379.
132 Senate Journal, 17th Cong., 1st sess. (March 27, 1822), p. 229; Annals of Congress, vol. 38, 17th Cong., 1st sess. (March 27, 1822), p. 344.
133 3 Stat. 654. 134 R.K. Call, “Proclamation of Governor Call and Returns of the 1837 Election,” in Florida Becomes a State, ed. Dorothy Dodd (Tallahassee, FL: Florida Centennial Commission, 1945), pp. 109-112.
135 Journal of the Proceedings of a Convention of Delegates to Form a Constitution for the People of Florida, Held at
St. Joseph, December, 1838 (St. Joseph, FL: Printed at the “Times” Office, 1839), p. 3.
136 Journal of the Proceedings of a Convention ... to Form a Constitution for the People of Florida, p. 117. 137 Dodd, Florida Becomes a State, pp. 69-70; Robert Raymond Reid, “Proclamation of President of the Constitutional Convention,” in Dodd, Florida Becomes a State, p. 340; Reid, “Statement of the Votes For and Against the Constitution,” in Dodd, Florida Becomes a State, pp. 376-378. 138 House Journal, 28th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 7, 1845), p. 177; Congressional Globe, 28th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 7, 1845), p. 104.
139 The House Journal reported the vote as 144-48, while the Congressional Globe reported the vote as 145-46. See House Journal, 28th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 13, 1845), pp. 375-381, and Congressional Globe, 28th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 13, 1845), pp. 282-286.
140 Senate Journal, 28th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 1, 1845), pp. 232-233; Congressional Globe, 28th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 1, 1845), pp. 377-383.
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• March 3, 1845: President John Tyler signs 28 H.R. 497 to admit Florida and
Iowa as states. Florida’s admission is immediate, whereas Iowa’s admission is delayed until December 1846 due to a dispute over its borders.141
Georgia
• June 9, 1732: King George II grants a
royal charter for the colony of
Georgia: Fourth State
Georgia.142
Georgia ratified Constitution January 2, 1788
• July 4, 1776: Georgia joins 12 other
colonies in declaring independence from Great Britain.143
• July 24, 1778: Georgia signs the Articles of Confederation.144 • May 14-September 17, 1787: Georgia’s four delegates participate in the
Constitutional Convention.145
• December 31, 1787: Georgia’s convention votes 26-0 to ratify the
Constitution.146
• January 2, 1788: Georgia’s convention delegates sign a deed formally ratifying
the Constitution.147
Hawaii
• July 7, 1898: The United States
Hawaii: 50th State
annexes the Republic of Hawaii.148
Hawaii Territory created April 30, 1900 (31 Stat. 141)
• December 6, 1899: Senator Shelby
Statehood law enacted March 18, 1959 (73 Stat. 4)
M. Cullom of Illinois introduces 56 S.
Hawaii admitted August 21, 1959 (73 Stat. c74)
222, a bill to create a territorial government for the Hawaiian islands.149
• March 1, 1900: Senate amends and passes 56 S. 222 without a recorded vote.150 • April 6, 1900: House amends and passes 56 S. 222 by a 120-28 vote.151
141 5 Stat. 742. See the “Iowa” timeline for detatils on its admission process. 142 Thorpe, Federal and State Constitutions, vol. 2, pp. 765-777. 143 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 5 (July 4, 1776), pp. 510-516. 144 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 11 (July 24, 1778), p. 716. 145 Farrand, Records, vol. 3, p. 559. 146 Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, vol. 3, pp. 269-284. 147 Elliot, Debates, vol. 1, pp. 323-324. 148 J.D. Bowers, “The State of Hawaii,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 1, pp. 295-324. 149 Senate Journal, 56th Cong., 1st sess. (December 6, 1899), p. 29; Congressional Record, vol. 33, part 1 (December 6, 1899), p. 89.
150 Senate Journal, 56th Cong., 1st sess. (March 1, 1900), p. 170; Congressional Record, vol. 33, part 3 (March 1, 1900), pp. 2438-2449.
151 The House Journal did not report the vote, but it appears in the Congressional Record. See House Journal, 56th Cong., 1st sess. (April 6, 1900), p. 443, and Congressional Record, vol. 33, part 4 (April 6, 1900), pp. 3851-3866.
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• April 25, 1900: Senate approves conference report on 56 S. 222 without a
recorded vote.152
• April 27, 1900: House approves conference report on 56 S. 222 by a 138-54
vote.153
• April 30, 1900: President William McKinley signs 56 S. 222 into law, creating
the Territory of Hawaii.154
• November 5, 1940: Hawaii Territory voters back statehood, 46,174 to 22,428, in
a plebiscite that asked, “Do you favor statehood for Hawaii?”155
• April 3, 1950: Delegates to a convention convened by the territorial legislature
gather in Honolulu to draft a state constitution.156
• July 22, 1950: Delegates at the Honolulu convention vote 60-1 to adopt a state
constitution.157
• November 7, 1950: Hawaii residents vote 82,788 to 27,109 in favor of ratifying
the state constitution.158
• January 9, 1959: Senator James E. Murray of Montana introduces 86 S. 50, a
bill to admit Hawaii as a state. The latest effort followed decades of debate and unsuccessful attempts to achieve statehood, but the bill is introduced less than a week after Alaska is admitted as the 49th state.159
• March 11, 1959: Senate passes 86 S. 50 on a 76-15 vote.160 • March 12, 1959: House passes 86 S. 50 on a 323-89 vote.161 • March 18, 1959: President Dwight Eisenhower signs 86 S. 50 into law.162 • June 27, 1959: Hawaii voters endorse statehood in a three-part referendum. The
vote is 132,773 to 7,971 on the question, “Shall Hawaii immediately be admitted into the Union as a State?”163
152 Senate Journal, 56th Cong., 1st sess. (April 25, 1900), pp. 304-305; Congressional Record, vol. 33, part 5 (April 25, 1900), pp. 4648-4651.
153 House Journal, 56th Cong., 1st sess. (April 27, 1900), p. 512; Congressional Record, vol. 33, part 5 (April 27, 1900), pp. 4766-4767.
154 31 Stat. 141. 155 Roger Bell, Last Among Equals: Hawaiian Statehood and American Politics (Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai’i Press, 1984), pp. 71-78 and 353.
156 Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of Hawaii, 1950, vol. 1 (Honolulu, HI: State of Hawaii, 1960), p. 1. 157 Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of Hawaii, vol. 1, p. 139. 158 U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, State Constitution of Hawaii, committee print, 85th Cong., 1st sess., March 28, 1957, p. iii.
159 Senate Journal, 86th Cong., 1st sess. (January 9, 1959), p. 26; Congressional Record, vol. 105, part 1 (January 9, 1959), p. 228.
160 Senate Journal, 86th Cong., 1st sess. (March 11, 1959), p. 175; Congressional Record, vol. 105, part 3 (March 11, 1959), p. 3890.
161 House Journal, 86th Cong., 1st sess. (March 12, 1959), p. 284; Congressional Record, vol. 105, part 3 (March 12, 1959), pp. 4038-4039.
162 73 Stat. 4. 163 Letter from William F. Quinn, Governor of the Territory of Hawaii, to Dwight Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, July 2, 1959, at https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/research/online-documents/hawaii-statehood/1959-07-02-quinn-to-dde.pdf.
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• August 21, 1959: President Eisenhower issues Proclamation 3309, “Admission
of the State of Hawaii Into the Union,” formally admitting Hawaii as the 50th state.164
Idaho
• June 15, 1846: The United States
Idaho: 43rd State
acquires the Oregon Country,
Idaho Territory created March 3, 1863 (12 Stat. 808)
including the land that will become
Idaho admitted July 3, 1890 (26 Stat. 215)
Idaho, following a period of joint occupation with Great Britain.165
• February 11, 1863: Representative James M. Ashley of Ohio reports 37 H.R.
738, a bill to create a new territorial government, from the House Committee on Territories.166
• February 12, 1863: House amends and passes 37 H.R. 738.167 • March 3, 1863: Senate amends 37 H.R. 738, naming the new territory “Idaho”
instead of “Montana,” then passes it on a 25-12 vote.168 House concurs in Senate changes to 37 H.R. 738 by a vote of 65-33.169 President Abraham Lincoln signs 37 H.R. 738 into law, creating the Territory of Idaho.170
• April 2, 1889: Idaho’s territorial governor calls a constitutional convention.171 • July 4, 1889: Delegates meet in Boise to begin writing a state constitution.172 • August 6, 1889: Delegates at the Boise convention vote 51-0 to adopt a state
constitution for Idaho.173
• November 5, 1889: Voters in Idaho ratify the state constitution by a 12,398 to
1,773 margin.174
164 73 Stat. c74. 165 Katherine G. Aiken, “The State of Idaho,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 1, pp. 325-356. 166 The Congressional Globe reported the bill number as H.R. 626. See House Journal, 37th Cong., 3rd sess. (February 11, 1863), p. 369, and Congressional Globe, 37th Cong., 3rd sess. (February 11, 1863), pp. 884-885.
167 The House Journal records the vote as 86-40, while the Congressional Globe records the vote as 85-39. See House
Journal, 37th Cong., 3rd sess. (February 12, 1863), pp. 379-381, and Congressional Globe, 37th Cong., 3rd sess. (February 12, 1863), p. 914.
168 Senate Journal, 37th Cong., 3rd sess. (March 3, 1863), pp. 415-416; Congressional Globe, 37th Cong., 3rd sess. (March 3, 1863), pp. 1507-1509.
169 The House Journal did not report the vote, but it appears in the Congressional Globe. See House Journal, 37th Cong., 3rd sess. (March 3, 1863), pp. 587, and Congressional Globe, 37th Cong., 3rd sess. (March 3, 1863), p. 1542.
170 12 Stat. 808. 171 E.A. Stevenson, “Proclamation,” April 2, 1889, Idaho State Archives, at https://idahohistory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16281coll38/id/52.
172 I.W. Hart (ed.), Proceedings and Debates of the Constitutional Convention of Idaho, 1889, vol. 1 (Caldwell, ID: Caxton Printers, 1912), p. 1.
173 Proceedings and Debates of the Constitutional Convention of Idaho, vol. 2, p. 2037. 174 George L. Shoup, Report of the Governor of Idaho to the Secretary of the Interior, 1890 (Washington: GPO, 1890), p. 88.
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• January 13, 1890: Representative Isaac S. Struble of Iowa introduces 51 H.R.
4562, a bill “to provide for the admission of the State of Idaho.”175
• April 3, 1890: House passes 51 H.R. 4562 by a 129-1 vote.176 • July 1, 1890: Senate passes 51 H.R. 4562 without a recorded vote.177 • July 3, 1890: President Benjamin Harrison signs 51 H.R. 4562 into law,
admitting Idaho as the 43rd state.178
Illinois
• September 3, 1783: The United
States acquires the land that will
Illinois: 21st State
become Illinois from Great
Il inois Territory created March 1, 1809 (2 Stat. 514)
Britain in the Treaty of Paris.179
Enabling law enacted April 18, 1818 (3 Stat. 428)
•
Il inois admitted December 3, 1818 (3 Stat. 536)
December 31, 1808: Delegate
Jesse B. Thomas of Indiana reports a bill to divide the Indiana Territory into two territories, from a select committee appointed to examine the issue.180
• January 18, 1809: House votes 69-37 to pass the bill dividing Indiana
Territory.181
• January 31, 1809: Senate passes the Indiana Territory bill without a recorded
vote.182
• February 3, 1809: President Thomas Jefferson signs the bill to split the Indiana
Territory, creating the Illinois Territory effective March 1, 1809.183
• January 23, 1818: Delegate Nathaniel Pope of Illinois reports a bill allowing
Illinois Territory residents to write a constitution and form a state government in preparation for admission to the Union, from a select committee appointed to review the territorial government’s petition seeking statehood.184
175 According to the Congressional Record, Rep. Edwin H. Conger of Iowa introduced the bill on behalf of Rep. Struble, who was “absent on account of sickness.” See House Journal, 51st Cong., 1st sess. (January 13, 1890), p. 110, and Congressional Record, vol. 21, part 1 (January 13, 1890), p. 523.
176 House Journal, 51st Cong., 1st sess. (April 3, 1890), p. 430; Congressional Record, vol. 21, part 3 (April 3, 1890), pp. 3005-3006.
177 Senate Journal, 51st Cong., 1st sess. (July 1, 1890), p. 411; Congressional Record, vol. 21, part 7 (July 1, 1890), p. 6834.
178 26 Stat. 215. 179 Michael E. Meagher, “The State of Illinois,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 1, pp. 357-382. 180 House Journal, 10th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 31, 1808), p. 432; Annals of Congress, vol. 19, 10th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 31, 1808), pp. 971-973.
181 House Journal, 10th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 18, 1809), pp. 477-478; Annals of Congress, vol. 19, 10th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 18, 1809), pp. 1093-1095.
182 Senate Journal, 10th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 31, 1809), p. 336; Annals of Congress, vol. 19, 10th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 31, 1809), p. 339.
183 2 Stat. 514. 184 House Journal, 15th Cong., 1st sess. (January 23, 1818), p. 174; Annals of Congress, vol. 31, 15th Cong., 1st sess. (January 23, 1818), p. 814.
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• April 6, 1818: House passes the Illinois bill without a recorded vote.185 • April 14, 1818: Senate passes an amended version of the Illinois bill without a
recorded vote.186
• April 15, 1818: House concurs in Senate amendments to the Illinois bill without
a recorded vote.187
• April 18, 1818: President James Monroe signs the Illinois enabling legislation
into law.188
• August 3-26, 1818: Delegates meet in Kaskaskia and draft a state constitution
for Illinois.189
• November 20, 1818: Representative Richard C. Anderson Jr. of Kentucky
reports a joint resolution admitting Illinois to the Union, from a select committee appointed to review the state constitution.190
• November 23, 1818: House passes the resolution admitting Illinois to the Union
on a 117-34 vote.191
• December 1, 1818: Senate passes the Illinois statehood resolution without a
recorded vote.192
• December 3, 1818: President Monroe signs into law the resolution admitting
Illinois as the 21st state.193
Indiana
• September 3, 1783: The United
Indiana: 19th State
States acquires the land that will
Indiana Territory created July 4, 1800 (2 Stat. 58)
become Indiana from Great Britain in
Enabling law enacted April 19, 1816 (3 Stat. 289)
the Treaty of Paris.194
Indiana admitted December 11, 1816 (3 Stat. 399)
185 House Journal, 15th Cong., 1st sess. (April 6, 1818), p. 428; Annals of Congress, vol. 32, 15th Cong., 1st sess. (April 6, 1818), p. 1681.
186 Senate Journal, 15th Cong., 1st sess. (April 14, 1818), pp. 357-358; Annals of Congress, vol. 31, 15th Cong., 1st sess. (April 14, 1818), p. 365.
187 House Journal, 15th Cong., 1st sess. (April 15, 1818), pp. 466-467; Annals of Congress, vol. 32, 15th Cong., 1st sess. (April 15, 1818), p. 1738.
188 3 Stat. 428. 189 Richard V. Carpenter, “The Illinois Constitutional Convention of 1818,” Journal of the Illinois State Historical
Society 6, no. 3 (October 1913), pp. 327-424; Illinois Legislative Reference Bureau, Constitutional Conventions in
Illinois (Springfield, IL: Illinois State Journal Co., 1918), pp. 9-11.
190 House Journal, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (November 20, 1818), p. 25; Annals of Congress, vol. 33, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (November 20, 1818), pp. 297-298.
191 House Journal, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (November 23, 1818), pp. 30-31; Annals of Congress, vol. 33, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (November 23, 1818), pp. 305-311.
192 Senate Journal, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 1, 1818), p. 43; Annals of Congress, vol. 33, 15th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 1, 1818), p. 32.
193 3 Stat. 536. 194 John P. Hundley, “The State of Indiana,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 1, pp. 383-409.
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• March 20, 1800: Representative William Craik of Maryland reports a bill to
divide the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio (Northwest Territory) into two parts.195
• March 31, 1800: House passes the Northwest Territory bill without a recorded
vote.196
• April 21, 1800: Senate amends and passes the Northwest Territory bill without a
recorded vote.197
• May 3, 1800: House agrees to a compromise version of the Northwest Territory
bill without a recorded vote.198
• May 5, 1800: Senate agrees to the compromise version of the Northwest
Territory bill without a recorded vote.199
• May 7, 1800: President John Adams signs the bill to split the Northwest
Territory, creating Indiana Territory in the west effective July 4, 1800.200
• January 5, 1816: Delegate Jonathan Jennings of Indiana reports a bill enabling
Indiana to write a constitution and form a state government in preparation for admission to the Union.201
• March 30, 1816: House passes the Indiana bill on a 108-3 vote.202 • April 13, 1816: Senate passes an amended version of the Indiana bill without a
recorded vote.203
• April 15, 1816: House agrees to the Senate’s amendments to the Indiana bill
without a recorded vote.204
• April 19, 1816: President James Madison signs the Indiana enabling act.205 • June 10-29, 1816: Delegates meet in Corydon and draft a state constitution for
Indiana.206
195 House Journal, 6th Cong., 1st sess. (March 20, 1800), p. 635; Annals of Congress, vol. 10, 6th Cong. (March 20, 1800), 1st sess., p. 635.
196 House Journal, 6th Cong., 1st sess. (March 31, 1800), p. 646; Annals of Congress, vol. 10, 6th Cong., 1st sess. (March 31, 1800), p. 649.
197 Senate Journal, 6th Cong., 1st sess. (April 21, 1800), p. 77; Annals of Congress, vol. 10, 6th Cong., 1st sess. (April 21, 1800), p. 164.
198 House Journal, 6th Cong., 1st sess. (May 3, 1800), p. 695; Annals of Congress, vol. 10, 6th Cong., 1st sess. (May 3, 1800), pp. 698-699.
199 Senate Journal, 6th Cong., 1st sess. (May 5, 1800), p. 86; Annals of Congress, vol. 10, 6th Cong., 1st sess. (May 5, 1800), p. 173.
200 2 Stat. 58. 201 House Journal, 14th Cong., 1st sess. (January 5, 1816), p. 128; Annals of Congress, vol. 29, 14th Cong., 1st sess. (January 5, 1816), pp. 459-461.
202 House Journal, 14th Cong., 1st sess. (March 30, 1816), pp. 554-555; Annals of Congress, vol. 29, 14th Cong., 1st sess. (March 30, 1816), p. 1300.
203 Senate Journal, 14th Cong., 1st sess. (April 13, 1816), p. 450; Annals of Congress, vol. 29, 14th Cong., 1st sess. (April 13, 1816), p. 315.
204 House Journal, 14th Cong., 1st sess. (April 15, 1816), p. 651; Annals of Congress, vol. 29, 14th Cong., 1st sess. (April 15, 1816), p. 1373.
205 3 Stat. 289. 206 Journal of the Convention of the Indiana Territory (Louisville: Butler & Wood, 1816), pp. 3 and 68-69.
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• December 2, 1816: Senate appoints a select committee to investigate whether
additional legislation is necessary to complete Indiana’s admission as a state.207
• December 4, 1816: Senator Jeremiah Morrow of Ohio reports from the select
committee a resolution declaring Indiana admitted to the Union.208
• December 6, 1816: Senate amends and passes the Indiana statehood resolution
without a recorded vote.209
• December 9, 1816: House passes Indiana statehood resolution.210 • December 11, 1816: President Madison signs the resolution admitting Indiana as
the 19th state.211
Iowa
• April 30, 1803: The United States
acquires the land that will become Iowa
Iowa: 29th State
from France in the Louisiana
Iowa Territory created July 3, 1838 (5 Stat. 235)
Purchase.212
Iowa admitted December 28, 1846 (9 Stat. 117)
• March 14, 1838: Senator Thomas
Morris of Ohio introduces 25 S. 269, a bill to create a new Iowa Territory.213
• June 1, 1838: Senate passes 25 S. 269 without a recorded vote.214 • June 6, 1838: House amends 25 S. 269 before passing it on a 118-51 vote.215
Senate passes the House-amended bill without a recorded vote, following a 33-6 vote against tabling the bill.216
• June 12, 1838: President Martin Van Buren signs 25 S. 269 into law, creating the
Iowa Territory effective July 3, 1838.217
• April 1, 1844: Iowa Territory voters, by a margin of 6,976 to 4,181, support
calling a convention to write a state constitution.218
207 Senate Journal, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 2, 1816), p. 5; Annals of Congress, vol. 30, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 2, 1816), pp. 9-10.
208 Senate Journal, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 4, 1816), pp. 27-28; Annals of Congress, vol. 30, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 4, 1816), p. 18.
209 Senate Journal, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 6, 1816), pp. 33-34; Annals of Congress, vol. 30, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 6, 1816), pp. 20-21.
210 The House Journal did not report a specific vote count, while the Annals of Congress reported that the vote was unanimous. See House Journal, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 9, 1816), p. 44, and Annals of Congress, vol. 30, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 9, 1816), p. 254.
211 3 Stat. 399. 212 William Roba, “The State of Iowa,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 1, pp. 410-433. 213 Senate Journal, 25th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 14, 1838), pp. 290-291; Congressional Globe, 25th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 14, 1838), p. 239.
214 Senate Journal, 25th Cong., 2nd sess. (June 1, 1838), pp. 440-441. The Congressional Globe did not report passage of the bill.
215 House Journal, 25th Cong., 2nd sess. (June 6, 1838), pp. 1042-1044; Congressional Globe, 25th Cong., 2nd sess. (June 6, 1838), p. 432.
216 Senate Journal, 25th Cong., 2nd sess. (June 6, 1838), pp. 448-449; Congressional Globe, 25th Cong., 2nd sess. (June 6, 1838), pp. 434-435.
217 5 Stat. 235. 218 Roba, “The State of Iowa,” p. 423.
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• October 7-November 1, 1844: Delegates meet in Iowa City and draft a state
constitution.219
• March 3, 1845: President John Tyler signs 28 H.R. 497, a bill to admit Florida
and Iowa as states.220 However, Iowa’s admission is made conditional on the territory accepting “truncated boundaries” for the state. Iowa voters twice—on April 7, 1845, and August 4, 1845—reject ratification of a state constitution with those borders.221
• May 4-19, 1846: Delegates meet in Iowa City and draft a second state
constitution, with modified boundaries.222
• August 3, 1846: Iowa voters ratify their new constitution by a vote of 9,492 to
9,036.223
• August 4, 1846: President James K. Polk signs into law the compromise over
Iowa’s borders, resolving the dispute and clearing the way for statehood.224
• December 17, 1846: Representative Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois reports 29
H.R. 557, a bill to admit Iowa as a state, from the House Committee on Territories.225
• December 21, 1846: House passes 29 H.R. 557 without a recorded vote.226 • December 24, 1846: Senate passes 29 H.R. 557 without a recorded vote
following a 40-2 vote to reject an amendment.227
• December 28, 1846: President Polk signs 29 H.R. 557 into law, admitting Iowa
into the Union.228
Kansas
• April 30, 1803: The United States
acquires part of the land that will
Kansas: 34th State
become Kansas from France in the
Kansas Territory created May 30, 1854 (10 Stat. 277)
Louisiana Purchase, with additional
Kansas admitted January 29, 1861 (12 Stat. 126)
219 Journal of the Convention for the Formation of a Constitution for the State of Iowa, Begun and Held at Iowa City,
on the First Monday of October, Eighteen Hundred and Forty-Four (Iowa City, IA: Jesse Williams, 1845), pp. 3 and 211.
220 5 Stat. 742; see the “Florida” timeline for additional details on this legislation. 221 Roba, “The State of Iowa,” p. 424. 222 Journal of the Convention for the Formation of a Constitution for the State of Iowa, Begun and Held at Iowa City,
on the First Monday of May, Eighteen Hundred and Forty-Six (Iowa City, IA: Abraham M. Palmer, 1846), pp. 23 and 109; James Alton James, Constitution and Admission of Iowa Into the Union (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Press, 1900), pp. 33-34.
223 James Clarke, “Proclamation by the Governor of the Territory of Iowa” (September 9, 1846) in U.S. Congress, House, Constitution of Iowa, 29th Cong., 2nd sess., December 15, 1846, H.Doc. 29-16, p. 17.
224 9 Stat. 52; James, Constitution and Admission of Iowa Into the Union, pp. 37-39. 225 House Journal, 29th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 17, 1846), p. 62; Congressional Globe, 29th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 17, 1846), p. 53.
226 House Journal, 29th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 21, 1846), p. 81; Congressional Globe, 29th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 21, 1846), pp. 57-58.
227 Senate Journal, 29th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 24, 1846), pp. 69-70; Congressional Globe, 29th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 24, 1846), pp. 79-82.
228 9 Stat. 117.
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territory acquired in 1845 in the annexation of Texas.229
• December 14, 1853: Senator Augustus Caesar Dodge of Iowa introduces 33 S.
22, a bill to create a new Nebraska Territory.230
• January 31, 1854: Representative William A. Richardson of Illinois reports 33
H.R. 236, a bill creating new territorial governments for Kansas and Nebraska, from the House Committee on Territories.231
• March 3, 1854: Senate votes 37-14 to pass 33 S. 22, which as amended would
create two new territories, Kansas and Nebraska.232
• May 22, 1854: House passes an amended version of 33 H.R. 236 on a 113-100
vote, in lieu of voting on the Senate-passed 33 S. 22.233
• May 25, 1854: Senate passes 33 H.R. 236 on a 35-13 vote.234 • May 30, 1854: President Franklin Pierce signs 33 H.R. 236 into law, creating the
Kansas and Nebraska territories and repealing the 1820 Missouri Compromise, which would have barred slavery in the new territories. Instead, the Kansas-Nebraska Act leaves residents of the two territories “perfectly free to form and regulate their domestic institutions in their own way.”235
• February 2, 1858: President James Buchanan recommends that Congress admit
Kansas under a pro-slavery state constitution drafted in Lecompton amid years of violence in the territory between anti- and pro-slavery factions. Faced with opposition in the House, the law signed by President Buchanan on May 4, 1858, requires a “fair and free” vote by Kansans on the Lecompton Constitution as a condition of statehood. Kansas voters overwhelmingly reject the Lecompton Constitution in an August 2, 1858 referendum.236
• July 5, 1859: Delegates gather in Wyandotte to draft a new state constitution, the
territory’s fourth constitutional convention following gatherings in Topeka in 1855, Lecompton in 1857, and Leavenworth in 1858.237
• July 29, 1859: The Wyandotte convention votes 34-13 to adopt a new, anti-
slavery state constitution.238
229 M.H. Hoeflich, “The State of Kansas,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 1, pp. 434-459. 230 Senate Journal, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (December 14, 1853), p. 44; Congressional Globe, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (December 14, 1853), p. 44.
231 House Journal, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (January 31, 1854), p. 296; Congressional Globe, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (January 31, 1854), pp. 294-297.
232 Senate Journal, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (March 3, 1854), pp. 236-237; Congressional Globe, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (March 3, 1854), pp. 531-532.
233 House Journal, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (May 22, 1854), pp. 923-924; Congressional Globe, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (May 22, 1854), p. 1254.
234 Senate Journal, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (May 25, 1854), pp. 412-413; Congressional Globe, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (May 25, 1854), p. 1321.
235 10 Stat. 277. Additional documents related to the Kansas-Nebraska Act are available in the Library of Congress research guide “Kansas-Nebraska Act: Primary Documents in American History,” at https://guides.loc.gov/kansas-nebraska-act.
236 McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, pp. 167-169; 11 Stat. 269. 237 Kansas Historical Society, “Kansas Constitutions,” in Kansapedia, at https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/kansas-constitutions/16532.
238 Harry G. Larimer (ed.), Kansas Constitutional Convention: A Reprint of the Proceedings and Debates of the
(continued...)
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• October 4, 1859: Kansas voters ratify the Wyandotte Constitution by a vote of
10,421 to 5,530.239
• February 15, 1860: Representative Galusha A. Grow of Pennsylvania introduces
36 H.R. 23, a bill to admit Kansas to the Union.240
• April 11, 1860: House votes to pass 36 H.R. 23.241 • January 21, 1861: Senate amends 36 H.R. 23 and passes it by a 36-16 vote.242 • January 28, 1861: House votes 119-41 to suspend the rules and take up 36 H.R.
23, then agrees to the Senate’s amendments without a recorded vote.243
• January 29, 1861: President Buchanan signs 36 H.R. 23 into law, admitting
Kansas as the 34th state.244
Kentucky
• December 31, 1776: Virginia’s General
Assembly establishes Kentucky County
Kentucky: 15th State
in the western part of the
Kentucky admitted June 1, 1792 (1 Stat. 189)
commonwealth.245
• November 1, 1780: Virginia’s General Assembly splits Kentucky into multiple
counties and subsequently refers to the area as the District of Kentucky.246
• July 3, 1788: Congress, still operating under the Articles of Confederation,
decides to postpone a decision on statehood for Kentucky until the new federal government convenes in 1789.247
• December 18, 1789: Virginia’s General Assembly enacts a law “concerning the
erection of the district of Kentuckey [sic] into an independent state,” clearing the way for Kentucky to secede from Virginia and enter the Union on its own.248
Convention Which Framed the Constitution of Kansas at Wyandotte in July, 1859 (Topeka, KS: Kansas State Printing Plant, 1920), pp. 570-571.
239 Samuel Medary, “Proclamation” (November 1, 1859) in U.S. Congress, House Committee on Territories, Kansas, report to accompany H.R. 23, 36th Cong., 1st sess., H.Rept. 36-255, March 29, 1860, pp. 20-21.
240 House Journal, 36th Cong., 1st sess. (February 15, 1860), p. 294; Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 1st sess. (February 15, 1860), p. 795.
241 The House Journal reported the vote as 135-72, while the Congressional Globe reported the vote as 134-73. See House Journal, 36th Cong., 1st sess. (April 11, 1860), pp. 707-708, and Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 1st sess. (April 11, 1860), p. 1672.
242 Senate Journal, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 21, 1861), pp. 127-128; Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 21, 1861), pp. 487-489.
243 House Journal, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 28, 1861), pp. 236-237; Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 28, 1861), pp. 603-604.
244 12 Stat. 126. 245 William Waller Hening (ed.), The Statutes at Large; Being a Collection of All the Laws of Virginia, From the First
Session of the Legislature, in the Year 1619, vol. 9 (Richmond, VA: J&G Cochran, Printers, 1821), pp. 257-261.
246 Hening, Statutes at Large, vol. 10, pp. 315-317 and 436. 247 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 34 (July 3, 1788), pp. 287-294. 248 Hening, Statutes at Large, vol. 13, pp. 17-21.
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• July 28, 1790: Delegates gathered in Danville vote 24-18 that “it is expedient
for, and the will of, the good people of the District of Kentucky that the same be erected into an Independent State.”249
• December 8, 1790: President George Washington asks Congress to consider
Kentucky’s application for statehood.250
• December 14, 1790: Senate creates a committee to consider Kentucky
statehood.251
• January 3, 1791: Senator Philip Schuyler of New York reports the committee’s
recommendation that Kentucky be granted statehood.252
• January 4, 1791: Senate committee assigned to consider Kentucky statehood
reports a bill admitting Kentucky to the Union.253
• January 12, 1791: Senate passes the Kentucky bill without a recorded vote.254 • January 28, 1791: House passes the Kentucky bill without a recorded vote.255 • February 4, 1791: President Washington signs into law the act declaring that on
June 1, 1792, Kentucky will “be received and admitted into this Union, as a new and entire member of the United States of America.”256
• April 2, 1792: Delegates gather in Danville to write a state constitution.257 • April 19, 1792: Delegates in Danville adopt a state constitution for Kentucky.258 • June 1, 1792: Kentucky joins the Union as the 15th state.259
Louisiana
• April 30, 1803: Robert Livingston
Louisiana: 18th State
and James Monroe sign the Louisiana
Orleans Territory created March 26, 1804 (2 Stat. 283) Enabling law enacted February 20, 1811 (2 Stat. 641) Louisiana admitted April 30, 1812 (2 Stat. 701)
249 Letter from George Muter, President of the Ninth Kentucky Convention, to George Washington, President of the United States of America, October 4, 1790, at https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-06-02-0250.
250 Washington, “Second Annual Address to Congress” (December 8, 1790), American Presidency Project (University of California, Santa Barbara), at https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/203719.
251 Senate Journal, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (December 14, 1790), p. 222; Annals of Congress, vol. 2, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (December 14, 1790), p. 1777.
252 Senate Journal, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (January 3, 1791), pp. 228-229; Annals of Congress, vol. 2, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (January 3, 1791), pp. 1784-1785.
253 Senate Journal, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (January 4, 1791), p. 229; Annals of Congress, vol. 2, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (January 4, 1791), p. 1785.
254 Senate Journal, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (January 12, 1791), p. 232; Annals of Congress, vol. 2, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (January 12, 1791), p. 1788.
255 House Journal, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (January 28, 1791), p. 366; Annals of Congress, vol. 2, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (January 28, 1791), p. 1934.
256 1 Stat. 189. 257 Journal of the First Constitutional Convention of Kentucky (Lexington, KY: State Bar Association of Kentucky, 1942), p. 1.
258 Journal of the First Constitutional Convention of Kentucky, p. 22. 259 Stephen Asperheim, “The Commonwealth of Kentucky,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 1, pp. 460-485.
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Purchase Treaty and Conventions in Paris, France.260
• October 20, 1803: The Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase treaty by a vote of
24-7.261
• December 30, 1803: Senator John Breckinridge of Kentucky reports a bill
“erecting Louisiana into two territories,” from a committee appointed to study the issue.262
• February 18, 1804: The Senate passes an amended version of the bill “erecting
Louisiana into two Territories” by a vote of 20-5.263
• March 17, 1804: The House passes an amended version of the bill splitting the
Louisiana Purchase into two territories by a vote of 66-21.”264
• March 20, 1804: The Senate rejects several of the House’s changes to the
Louisiana bill.265
• March 21, 1804: The House requests a conference committee with the Senate to
resolve differences over the Louisiana bill.266
• March 23, 1804: House votes 51-45 to pass a compromise version of the
Louisiana bill,267 followed by a 15-9 vote in the Senate.268
• March 26, 1804: President Thomas Jefferson signs the act splitting the Louisiana
Purchase into two areas: the Territory of Orleans, including the city of New Orleans, and the District of Louisiana, covering the bulk of the land acquired from France.269
• December 27, 1810: Representative Nathaniel Macon of North Carolina
introduces a bill that would enable Orleans Territory residents to draft a constitution and form a state government in preparation for statehood.270
• January 15, 1811: House passes the Orleans Territory bill by a 77-36 vote.271
260 8 Stat. 200. 261 Senate Journal, 8th Cong., 1st sess. (October 20, 1803), p. 450. This does not appear in the Annals of Congress. 262 Senate Journal, 8th Cong., 1st sess. (December 30, 1803), p. 331; Annals of Congress, vol. 13, 8th Cong., 1st sess. (December 30, 1803), p. 223.
263 Senate Journal, 8th Cong., 1st sess. (February 18, 1804), p. 360; Annals of Congress, vol. 13, 8th Cong., 1st sess. (February 18, 1804), p. 255.
264 House Journal, 8th Cong., 1st sess. (March 17, 1804), pp. 661-662; Annals of Congress, vol. 13, 8th Cong., 1st sess. (March 17, 1804), p. 1199.
265 Senate Journal, 8th Cong., 1st sess. (March 20, 1804), pp. 384-385; Annals of Congress, vol. 13, 8th Cong., 1st sess. (March 20, 1804), pp. 288-290.
266 House Journal, 8th Cong., 1st sess. (March 21, 1804), p. 661; Annals of Congress, vol. 13, 8th Cong., 1st sess. (March 21, 1804), pp. 1206-1208.
267 House Journal, 8th Cong., 1st sess. (March 23, 1804), pp. 678-679; Annals of Congress, vol. 13, 8th Cong., 1st sess. (March 23, 1804), pp. 1229-1230.
268 Senate Journal, 8th Cong., 1st sess. (March 23, 1804), p. 391; Annals of Congress, vol. 13, 8th Cong., 1st sess. (March 23, 1804), pp. 296-297.
269 2 Stat. 283. The District of Louisiana will later become the Louisiana Territory and, in 1812, the Missouri Territory. See the “Missouri” timeline for details. 270 House Journal, 11th Cong., 3rd sess. (December 27, 1810), p. 464; Annals of Congress, vol. 22, 11th Cong., 3rd sess. (December 27, 1810), p. 466.
271 House Journal, 11th Cong., 3rd sess. (January 15, 1811), pp. 483-485; Annals of Congress, vol. 22, 11th Cong., 3rd sess. (January 15, 1811), p. 577.
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• February 7, 1811: Senate passes an amended version of the Orleans Territory
bill by a 22-10 vote.272
• February 13, 1811: House agrees to the Senate’s amendment by a 69-45 vote.273 • February 20, 1811: President James Madison signs the act enabling Orleans
Territory to prepare for statehood.274
• November 4, 1811: A constitutional convention begins in New Orleans.275 • January 22, 1812: Delegates to the New Orleans convention sign a state
constitution for Louisiana.276
• March 16, 1812: Representative John Dawson of Virginia introduces a bill to
admit Louisiana as a state.277
• March 20, 1812: House votes 79-23 to pass the Louisiana statehood bill.278 • April 1, 1812: Senate passes an amended version of the Louisiana statehood act
without a recorded vote.279
• April 6, 1812: House agrees to the Senate-amended version of the admission act
without a recorded vote.280
• April 8, 1812: President Madison signs the act admitting Louisiana into the
Union, which will take effect on April 30.281
• April 30, 1812: Louisiana becomes the 18th state.
Maine
• October 7, 1691: A new charter
Maine: 23rd State
for the Massachusetts Bay colony enlarges it to include Maine,
Maine admitted March 15, 1820 (3 Stat. 544)
among other places. Maine will remain part of Massachusetts for more than a century.282
272 Senate Journal, 11th Cong., 3rd sess. (February 7, 1811), p. 564; Annals of Congress, vol. 22, 11th Cong., 3rd sess. (February 7, 1811), p. 127.
273 House Journal, 11th Cong., 3rd sess. (February 13, 1811), pp. 549-551; Annals of Congress, vol. 22, 11th Cong., 3rd sess. (February 13, 1811), p. 964.
274 2 Stat. 641. 275 Journal de la Convention d’Orléans de 1811-12 (Jackson, LA: Jerome Bayon, 1844), p. 1. 276 Constitution or Form of Government of the State of Louisiana (New Orleans: Jo. Bar. Baird, 1812), p. 30. 277 House Journal, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (March 16, 1812), p. 248; Annals of Congress, vol. 24, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (March 16, 1812), p. 466.
278 House Journal, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (March 20, 1812), pp. 257-258; Annals of Congress, vol. 24, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (March 20, 1812), p. 1227.
279 Senate Journal, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (April 1, 1812), pp. 90-91; Annals of Congress, vol. 23, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (April 1, 1812), p. 186.
280 House Journal, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (April 6, 1812), p. 276; Annals of Congress, vol. 24, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (April 6, 1812), p. 1254.
281 2 Stat. 701. 282 “The Charter of Massachusetts Bay—1691,” in Thorpe, Federal and State Constitutions, vol. 3, pp. 1870-1886; M.H. Hoeflich, “The State of Maine,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 2, p. 513-538.
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• June 19, 1819: Massachusetts consents to Maine’s separation and statehood,
pending the outcome of a referendum vote and other steps.283
• July 26, 1819: Mainers vote in favor of separating from Massachusetts, 17,091
to 7,132. It is the sixth in a series of votes on the subject going back to 1792.284
• October 11-29, 1819: Delegates gather in Portland to write a new Maine
constitution.285
• December 6, 1819: Maine voters ratify the new state constitution by 9,040 to
796.286
• December 21, 1819: Representative John Holmes of Massachusetts reports, from
a select committee, a bill to admit Maine as a state.287
• January 3, 1820: House passes an amended version of the Maine statehood bill
without a recorded vote.288
• February 18, 1820: Senate amends and passes the Maine statehood bill without
a recorded vote on final passage.289
• March 3, 1820: House and Senate agree to a compromise version of the Maine
statehood bill, which is then passed by the House and Senate without recorded votes.290 President James Monroe signs the bill, which will take effect on March 15, 1820.291
• March 15, 1820: Maine becomes the 23rd state. Its admission is paired with the
admission of Missouri as a slave state as part of the Missouri Compromise.292
Maryland
Maryland: Seventh State
283 “An Act relating to the Separation of the District of Maine from Massachusetts Proper, and forming the same into a Separate and Independent State,” in Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Passed at the Several Sessions of
the General Court, Beginning May, 1818 and Ending February, 1822 (Boston: Russell and Gardner, 1822), pp. 248-260, at https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/110107.
284 Stephanie Kermes, Creating an American Identity: New England, 1789-1825 (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008), p. 158; Appendix V in Ronald F. Banks, Maine Becomes a State: The Movement to Separate Maine from
Massachusetts, 1785-1820 (Middleton, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 1970).
285 Journal of the Constitutional Convention of the District of Maine: With the Articles of Separation, and Governor
Brooks’ Proclamation, Prefixed (Augusta, ME: Fuller & Fuller, 1856). 286 Maine State Legislature, Amendments to the Maine Constitution, 1820-Present, November 2021, at https://www.maine.gov/legis/lawlib/lldl/constitutionalamendments; Journal of the Constitutional Convention of the
District of Maine, p. 98. This is the tally for votes “legally and seasonably returned.”
287 House Journal, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (December 21, 1819), p. 60; Annals of Congress, vol. 35, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (December 21, 1819), p. 749.
288 House Journal, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (January 3, 1820), p. 99; Annals of Congress, vol. 35, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (January 3, 1820), p. 849.
289 Senate Journal, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (February 18, 1820), pp. 169-170; Annals of Congress, vol. 35, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (February 18, 1820), p. 430.
290 House Journal, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (March 3, 1820), p. 283; Senate Journal, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (March 3, 1820), pp. 206-207; Annals of Congress, vol. 36, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (March 3, 1820), p. 1589; Annals of Congress, vol. 35, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (March 3, 1820), pp. 471-472.
291 3 Stat. 544. 292 See the “Missouri” timeline for additional information.
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• June 20, 1632: King Charles I grants
the charter for the colony of Maryland
Maryland ratified Constitution April 28, 1788
to Cecil Calvert.293
• July 4, 1776: Maryland joins 12 other colonies in declaring independence from
Great Britain.294
• March 1, 1781: Maryland signs and ratifies the Articles of Confederation.295 • May 14-September 17, 1787: Maryland’s five delegates participate in the
Constitutional Convention.296
• April 28, 1788: Maryland’s convention formally ratifies the Constitution,
following a 63-11 vote on April 26.297
Massachusetts
• March 4, 1629: A charter is given to
Massachusetts: Sixth State
the “Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England”
Massachusetts ratified Constitution February 6, 1788
by King Charles I.298
• October 7, 1691: A new charter, given by King William and Queen Mary,
enlarges Massachusetts “to include the old colony of Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth Colony, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Maine, and parts of Nova Scotia.”299
• July 4, 1776: Massachusetts joins 12 other colonies in declaring independence
from Great Britain.300
• July 9, 1778: Massachusetts signs and ratifies the Articles of Confederation.301 • May 14-September 17, 1787: Massachusetts’s four delegates participate in the
Constitutional Convention.302
• February 6, 1788: Massachusetts’s convention ratifies the Constitution by a vote
of 187-168.303
293 “The Charter of Maryland, June 20, 1632,” in Maryland State Archives, Archives of Maryland, vol. 549, p. 5, at https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/000001/000549/html/am549--5.html.
294 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 5 (July 4, 1776), pp. 510-516. 295 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 19 (March 1, 1781), pp. 213-214. 296 Farrand, Records, vol. 3, p. 558. 297 Elliot, Debates, vol. 1, pp. 324-325; Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, vol. 12, pp. 647-655.
298 “The Charter of Massachusetts—1629,” in Thorpe, Federal and State Constitutions, vol. 3, pp. 1846-1860. 299 “The Charter of Massachusetts Bay—1691,” in Thorpe, Federal and State Constitutions, vol. 3, pp. 1870-1886; Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Archives Collection, at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/archives/collections/mass-archives-collection.htm.
300 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 5 (July 4, 1776), pp. 510-516. 301 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 11 (July 9, 1778), p. 677. 302 Farrand, Records, vol. 3, p. 558. 303 Elliot, Debates, vol. 1, pp. 322-323; Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, vol. 6, pp. 1461-1462.
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Michigan
• September 3, 1783: The United
Michigan: 26th State
States acquires the land that will
Michigan Territory created June 30, 1805 (2 Stat. 309)
become Michigan from Great Britain
Enabling law enacted June 15, 1836 (5 Stat. 49)
in the Treaty of Paris.304
Michigan admitted January 26, 1837 (5 Stat. 144)
• December 14, 1804: Senator Thomas
Worthington of Ohio reports, from a committee on the subject, a bill that would divide the Indiana Territory into two separate territories.305
• December 24, 1804: Senate amends and passes the Indiana Territory bill without
a recorded vote.306
• January 7, 1805: House passes an amended version of the Indiana Territory bill
without a recorded vote.307
• January 8, 1805: Senate passes the House-amended territorial bill without a
recorded vote.308
• January 11, 1805: President Thomas Jefferson signs the act to split the Indiana
Territory in two, creating the Michigan Territory as of June 30, 1805.309
• October 5-6, 1835: Michigan’s constitution, drafted by a convention meeting in
Detroit from May 11 to June 24, 1835, is adopted by a vote of 6,752 to 1,374.310
• March 22, 1836: Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri reports 24 S. 177, a
bill that would establish the northern border of Ohio and admit Michigan as a state, from a select committee studying the issue.311
• April 2, 1836: Senate votes to pass 24 S. 177.312 • June 13, 1836: House passes 24 S. 177 without a recorded vote on final passage,
following a 153-45 procedural vote.313
• June 15, 1836: President Andrew Jackson signs 24 S. 177 into law, admitting
Michigan as a state on the condition that it accept newly defined borders.314
304 Jim Schwartz, “The State of Michigan,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 2, pp. 592-618. 305 Senate Journal, 8th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 14, 1804), p. 423; Annals of Congress, vol. 14, 8th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 14, 1804), p. 23.
306 Senate Journal. 8th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 24, 1804), p. 426; Annals of Congress, vol. 14, 8th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 24, 1804), p. 26.
307 House Journal, 8th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 7, 1805), p. 79; Annals of Congress, vol. 14, 8th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 7, 1805), p. 872.
308 Senate Journal, 8th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 8, 1805), p. 431; Annals of Congress, vol. 14, 8th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 8, 1805), p. 32.
309 2 Stat. 309. 310 Legislative Service Bureau, The Constitution of the State of Michigan, at http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(hybaug5jzbffgrpwwukidlqp))/documents/mcl/pdf/michiganconstitution1963asratified.pdf.
311 Senate Journal, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (March 22, 1836), p. 236; Congressional Globe, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (March 22, 1836), p. 275.
312 The vote was reported as 24-18 in the Senate Journal and 24-17 in the Congressional Globe. See Senate Journal, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (April 2, 1836), pp. 263-264, and Congressional Globe, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (April 2, 1836), p. 313.
313 House Journal, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (June 13, 1836), pp. 993-997 and 1002; Congressional Globe, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (June 13, 1836), pp. 550-551.
314 5 Stat. 49.
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Under the proposed compromise, Michigan would cede the disputed city of Toledo to Ohio but acquire much of the Upper Peninsula.315
• September 26-30, 1836: Delegates elected to a state convention vote 28-21 to
reject the congressional compromise over Michigan’s borders.316
• December 14-15, 1836: Delegates elected to a second state convention, known
as the “Frostbitten Convention,” vote unanimously to accept Congress’s conditions for statehood.317
• December 29, 1836: Senator Felix Grundy of Tennessee reports 24 S. 81, a bill
to admit Michigan as a state, from the Senate Judiciary Committee.318
• January 5, 1837: Senate votes 25-10 to pass 24 S. 81.319 • January 25, 1837: House votes 132-43 to pass 24 S.81.320 • January 26, 1837: President Jackson signs 24 S. 81 into law, admitting
Michigan to the Union.321
Minnesota
• October 20, 1818: The United
Minnesota: 32nd State
States acquires part of the land that will become Minnesota from
Minnesota Territory created March 3, 1849 (9 Stat. 403)
Great Britain, adding to territory
Enabling law enacted February 26, 1857 (11 Stat. 166)
obtained in the Treaty of Paris
Minnesota admitted May 11, 1858 (11 Stat. 285)
(1783) and the Louisiana Purchase (1803).322
• February 23, 1848: Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois introduces 30 S. 152,
a bill to create the Minnesota Territory.323
• January 19, 1849: Senate passes an amended version of the Minnesota Territory
bill without a recorded vote.324
315 Schwartz, “The State of Michigan,” pp. 610-611. 316 “First Convention of Assent of the Territory of Michigan,” in Michigan Manual 2015-2016 (Lansing, MI: Legislative Service Bureau, 2016), at https://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(khjikt3ukugbvxxz5sicivm3))/documents/2015-2016/michiganmanual/2015-MM-p0021-p0024.pdf.
317 “Second Convention of Assent of the Territory of Michigan,” in Michigan Manual 2015-2016, at https://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(khjikt3ukugbvxxz5sicivm3))/documents/2015-2016/michiganmanual/2015-MM-p0021-p0024.pdf.
318 Senate Journal, 24th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 29, 1836), p. 72; Congressional Globe, 24th Cong. , 2nd sess. (December 29, 1836), p. 59.
319 Senate Journal, 24th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 5, 1837), pp. 93-94; Congressional Globe, 24th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 5, 1837), p. 73.
320 House Journal, 24th Cong, 2nd sess. (January 25, 1837), pp. 284-285; Congressional Globe, 24th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 25, 1837), p. 125.
321 5 Stat. 144. 322 Jonathan Kasparek, “The State of Minnesota,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 2, pp. 619-641. 323 Senate Journal, 30th Cong., 1st sess. (February 23, 1848), p. 187. The bill’s introduction does not appear in the Congressional Globe.
324 Congressional Globe, 30th Cong. (January 19, 1849), 2nd sess., pp. 298-299. The bill’s passage does not appear in the Senate Journal.
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• February 28, 1849: House passes an amended version of the Minnesota
Territory bill without a recorded vote.325
• March 1, 1849: Senate accepts most of the House’s amendments to the
Minnesota Territory bill, but rejects one on a 30-18 vote.326
• March 3, 1849: House votes 107-70 to accept the Senate’s version of 30 S.
152.327 President James K. Polk signs the Minnesota Territory bill into law.328
• December 24, 1856: Delegate Henry Rice of Minnesota introduces 34 H.R. 642,
a bill authorizing Minnesota Territory residents to hold a constitutional convention in preparation for statehood.329
• January 31, 1857: House votes 97-75 to pass an amended version of 34 H.R.
642.330
• February 21, 1857: Senate votes 47-1 to pass an amended version of 34 H.R.
642.331
• February 25, 1857: Senate reconsiders its amendment and votes 31-22 to
approve the House-passed version.332
• February 26, 1857: President James Buchanan signs the Minnesota enabling act
into law.333
• July 13-August 29, 1857: Elected delegates assemble in St. Paul to draft the
state constitution, but the Democratic and Republican parties are so divided that two separate conventions are held and two constitutions are drafted. Eventually, a conference committee drafts a compromise document.334
• October 13, 1857: Minnesota voters ratify the new state constitution, 30,055 to
571.335
325 House Journal, 30th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 28, 1849), pp. 558-559; Congressional Globe, 30th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 28, 1849), p. 617.
326 Senate Journal, 30th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 1, 1849), pp. 288-289; Congressional Globe, 30th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 1, 1849), pp. 635-637.
327 House Journal, 30th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 3, 1849), pp. 620-621; Congressional Globe, 30th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 3, 1849), p. 693. A vote tally does not appear in the Congressional Globe.
328 9 Stat. 403. 329 House Journal, 34th Cong., 3rd sess. (December 24, 1856), p. 163; Congressional Globe, 34th Cong., 3rd sess. (December 24, 1856), p. 201.
330 House Journal, 34th Cong., 3rd sess. (January 31, 1857), pp. 328-329; Congressional Globe, 34th Cong., 3rd sess. (January 31, 1857), p. 519.
331 Senate Journal, 34th Cong., 3rd sess. (February 21, 1857), p. 237; Congressional Globe, 34th Cong., 3rd sess. (February 21, 1857), p. 814.
332 Senate Journal, 34th Cong., 3rd sess. (February 25, 1857), p. 252; Congressional Globe, 34th Cong., 3rd sess. (February 25, 1857), p. 877.
333 11 Stat. 166. 334 Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Minnesota Constitution 1858, at https://www.sos.state.mn.us/about-minnesota/minnesota-government/minnesota-constitution-1858.
335 Minnesota Constitution 1858.
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• January 26, 1858: Senator Douglas reports 35 S. 86, a bill “for the admission of
the State of Minnesota into the Union,” from the Senate Committee on Territories.336
• April 7, 1858: Senate votes 49-3 to admit Minnesota as a state.337 • May 11, 1858: House votes to admit Minnesota as a state.338 President Buchanan
signs 35 S. 86 into law, and Minnesota became a state.339
Mississippi
• September 3, 1783: The United
Mississippi: 20th State
States acquires the the land that will become Mississippi from
Mississippi Territory created April 7, 1798 (1 Stat 549)
Great Britain in the Treaty of
Enabling law enacted March 1, 1817 (3 Stat 348)
Paris.340
Mississippi admitted December 10, 1817 (3 Stat. 472.)
• February 23, 1798: Senator
James Ross of Pennsylvania reports, from a committee looking into the area south and west of Georgia, a bill to establish a new Mississippi Territory.341
• March 5, 1798: The Senate passes the Mississippi Territory bill, 20-8.342 • March 27, 1798: The House passes an amended version of the Mississippi
Territory bill without a recorded vote.343
• March 29, 1798: The Senate agrees to the House amendments without a
recorded vote.344
• April 7, 1798: President John Adams signs the Mississippi Territory bill into
law.345
• January 17, 1817: Senator Charles Tait of Georgia reports, from a select
committee studying the issue, a bill that would enable the western part of the Mississippi Territory to prepare for statehood.346
336 Senate Journal, 35th Cong., 1st sess. (January 26, 1858), p. 133; Congressional Globe, 35th Cong., 1st sess. (January 26, 1858), p. 405.
337 Senate Journal, 35th Cong., 1st sess. (April 7, 1858), p. 326; Congressional Globe, 35th Cong., 1st sess. (April 7, 1858), pp. 1511-1516.
338 The vote was reported as 157-39 in the House Journal and 157-38 in the Congressional Globe. See House Journal, 35th Cong., 1st sess. (May 11, 1858), p. 777, and Congressional Globe, 35th Cong., 1st sess. (May 11, 1858), pp. 2057-2061.
339 11 Stat. 285. 340 Deanne Stephens Nuwer, “The State of Mississippi,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 2, pp. 642-669. 341 Senate Journal, 5th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 23, 1798), p. 445; Annals of Congress, vol. 7, 5th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 23, 1798), p. 511.
342 Senate Journal, 5th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 5, 1798), p. 449; Annals of Congress, vol. 7, 5th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 5, 1798), p. 515.
343 House Journal, 5th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 27, 1798), p. 240; Annals of Congress, vol. 8, 5th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 27, 1798), p. 1318.
344 Senate Journal, 5th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 29, 1798), p. 465; Annals of Congress, vol. 7, 5th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 29, 1798), p. 533.
345 1 Stat. 549. 346 Senate Journal, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 17, 1817), p. 123; Annals of Congress, vol. 30, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 17, 1817), p. 71. The eastern part of Mississippi Territory became the Alabama Territory.
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• January 31, 1817: Senate passes an amended version of the Mississippi
Territory enabling bill without a recorded vote.347
• February 26, 1817: House amends and passes the Mississippi Territory enabling
bill without a recorded vote.348
• February 27, 1817: Senate concurs in the House’s amendments without a
recorded vote.349
• March 1, 1817: President James Madison signs the enabling act for Mississippi
statehood.350
• July-August 1817: Forty-eight delegates meet to form a constitutional
convention.351
• August 15, 1817: The delegates approve the final draft of the Mississippi
Constitution.352
• December 3, 1817: Senator James Barbour of Virginia reports, from a select
committee studying the issue, a resolution to admit Mississippi as a state. It passes the Senate without a recorded vote.353
• December 8, 1817: The House passes the resolution “on the admission of the
state of Mississippi into the Union” without a recorded vote.354
• December 10, 1817: President James Monroe signs the resolution into law and
Mississippi becomes the 20th state.355
Missouri
• April 30, 1803: The United States
acquires the land that will become
Missouri: 24th State
Missouri from France in the Louisiana
Missouri Territory created June 4, 1812 (2 Stat. 743)
Purchase. It will become part of the
Enabling law enacted March 6, 1820 (3 Stat. 545)
Louisiana Territory, while the land
Admission law enacted March 2, 1821 (3 Stat. 645)
that will become Louisiana is
Missouri admitted August 10, 1821 (3 Stat. 797)
governed as the Orleans Territory.356
347 Senate Journal, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 31, 1817), pp. 173-174; Annals of Congress, vol. 30, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 31, 1817), p. 91.
348 House Journal, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 26, 1817), p. 473-474; Annals of Congress, vol. 30, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 26, 1817), p. 1034.
349 Senate Journal, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 27, 1817), p. 330-331; Annals of Congress, vol. 30, 14th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 27, 1817), p. 184.
350 3 Stat. 348. 351 Nuwer, “The State of Mississippi,” p. 663. 352 Ibid. 353 Senate Journal, 15th Cong., 1st sess. (December 3, 1817), pp. 20-21; Annals of Congress, vol. 31, 15th Cong. (December 3, 1817), 1st sess., p. 20.
354 House Journal, 15th Cong., 1st sess. (December 8, 1817), p. 30; Annals of Congress, vol. 31, 15th Cong., 1st sess. (December 8, 1817), p. 409.
355 3 Stat. 472. 356 William L. Olbrich Jr., “The State of Missouri,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 2, pp. 670-701.
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• November 14, 1811: Representative John Rhea of Tennessee reports, from a
select committee, a bill on the Louisiana Territory’s government.357
• April 9, 1812: House passes the Louisiana Territory bill without a recorded
vote.358
• May 19, 1812: Senate passes an amended version of the Louisiana Territory bill
without a recorded vote.359
• May 21, 1812: House amends and passes the Senate-amended version of the
Louisiana Territory bill without a recorded vote.360 Senate then approves the House-amended version without a recorded vote.361
• June 4, 1812: President James Madison signs the act reorganizing the
government of Louisiana Territory and giving it a new name: Missouri Territory.362
• February 13, 1819: Representative James Tallmadge of New York proposes
gradual emancipation in Missouri as a condition for statehood, setting off a sectional controversy over slavery. The eventual resolution, known as the Missouri Compromise, includes the admission of Maine as a free state, the admission of Missouri as a slave state, and the prohibition of slavery in the remainder of the Louisiana Purchase north of Missouri’s southern boundary (36° 30’ north latitude).363
• March 1, 1820: House passes a bill, by a vote of 91 to 82, enabling Missouri to
prepare a state constitution and government.364
• March 2, 1820: Senate amends and passes the Missouri enabling bill without a
recorded vote on final passage.365 House agrees to the Senate’s amendments by votes of 90-87 and 134-42 after the question was divided.366
• March 6, 1820: President James Monroe signs the act enabling Missouri
residents to write a constitution and form a state government.367
357 House Journal, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (November 14, 1811), p. 23; Annals of Congress, vol. 23, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (November 14, 1811), p. 348.
358 House Journal, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (April 9, 1812), p. 284; Annals of Congress, vol. 24, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (April 9, 1812), p. 1279.
359 Senate Journal, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (May 19, 1812), p. 133; Annals of Congress, vol. 23, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (May 19, 1812), pp. 242-243.
360 House Journal, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (May 21, 1812), p. 347; Annals of Congress, vol. 24, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (May 21, 1812), p. 1434.
361 Senate Journal, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (May 21, 1812), p. 134; Annals of Congress, vol. 23, 12th Cong., 1st sess. (May 21, 1812), p. 244.
362 2 Stat. 743. 363 Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848 (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2007), pp. 147-155.
364 House Journal, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (March 1, 1820), pp. 269-270; Annals of Congress, vol. 36, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (March 1, 1820), pp. 1572-1573.
365 Senate Journal, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (March 2, 1820), pp. 200-203; Annals of Congress, vol. 35, 16th Cong. (March 2, 1820), 1st sess., pp. 467-469.
366 House Journal, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (March 2, 1820), pp. 274-279; Annals of Congress, vol. 36, 16th Cong., 1st sess. (March 2, 1820), pp. 1576-1588.
367 3 Stat. 545.
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• June 12, 1820: Delegates gather in St. Louis to draft a state constitution.368 • July 17, 1820: Delegates at the St. Louis convention vote 39-1 to approve a new
state constitution, which they sign two days later.369
• February 26, 1821: Representative Henry Clay of Kentucky reports, from a joint
committee appointed to consider Missouri statehood, a resolution granting conditional admission to Missouri. The House approves the resolution by a vote of 87 to 81.370
• February 28, 1821: Senate approves the resolution for conditional admission of
Missouri by a 28-14 vote.371
• March 2, 1821: President Monroe signs the resolution granting statehood to
Missouri, on the condition that its legislature agree the state constitution “shall never be construed to authorize the passage of any law, and that no law shall be passed in conformity thereto, by which any citizen … shall be excluded from the enjoyment of any of the privileges and immunities to which such citizen is entitled under the constitution of the United States.”372
• August 10, 1821: President Monroe issues a proclamation admitting Missouri as
the 24th state.373
Montana
• June 15, 1846: United
States acquires part of the
Montana: 41st State
land that will become
Montana Territory created May 26, 1864 (13 Stat. 85)
Montana from Great
Enabling and statehood law enacted February 22, 1889 (25 Stat. 676)
Britain in the Oregon
Montana admitted November 8, 1889 (26 Stat. 1551)
Treaty, adding to land acquired from France in 1803 via the Louisiana Purchase.374
• December 14, 1863: Representative James M. Ashley of Ohio introduces 38
H.R. 15, a bill to create a new Territory of Montana.375
• March 17, 1864: House amends and passes 38 H.R. 15 without a recorded
vote.376
368 Journal of the Missouri State Convention (St. Louis, MO: I.N. Henry and Co., 1820), p. 3. 369 Journal of the Missouri State Convention, pp. 46-48. 370 House Journal, 16th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 26, 1821), pp. 270-271 and 274-278; Annals of Congress, vol. 37, 16th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 26, 1821), pp. 1228 and 1236-1240.
371 Senate Journal, 16th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 28, 1821), pp. 239-240; Annals of Congress, vol. 37, 16th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 28, 1821), p. 390.
372 3 Stat. 645. 373 3 Stat. 797. 374 Harry W. Fritz, “The State of Montana,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 2, pp. 702-724. 375 House Journal, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (December 14, 1863), p. 44; Congressional Globe, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (December 14, 1863), p. 20.
376 House Journal, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (March 17, 1864), p. 400; Congressional Globe, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (March 17, 1864), pp. 1168-1169.
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• March 31, 1864: Senate amends 38 H.R. 15 and votes 29-8 to pass it.377 • May 19, 1864: Senate votes 26-13 to approve a compromise version of 38 H.R.
15.378
• May 20, 1864: House votes 102-26 to approve a compromise version of 38 H.R.
15.379
• May 26, 1864: President Abraham Lincoln signs 38 H.R. 15 into law, creating
the Montana Territory.380
• December 12, 1887: Senator Charles F. Manderson of Nebraska introduces 50 S.
185, a bill to admit southern Dakota Territory as the State of Dakota and create a new Territory of Lincoln in northern Dakota Territory.381
• April 19, 1888: Senate votes 26-23 to pass an amended version of 50 S. 185 that
would create a State of South Dakota and a new Territory of North Dakota.382
• January 18, 1889: Houses votes 145-98 to pass an amended version of 50 S.
185. This new version would clear the way to admit Montana, New Mexico, Washington, and—depending on the results of a referendum on division—either a combined state of Dakota or separate states of North Dakota and South Dakota.383
• February 20, 1889: House and Senate agree to a compromise version of 50 S.
185 that allows the creation and admission of four new states: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington. Both chambers pass the bill without recorded votes.384
• February 22, 1889: President Grover Cleveland signs 50 S. 185, enabling
statehood for Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington.385
• July 4, 1889: Delegates gather in Helena to write a state constitution for
Montana.386
• August 17, 1889: Delegates to the Helena convention vote 61-2 to adopt the new
Montana state constitution.387
377 Senate Journal, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (March 31, 1864), p. 290; Congressional Globe, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (March 31, 1864), pp. 1361-1364.
378 Senate Journal, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (May 19, 1864), pp. 455-456; Congressional Globe, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (May 19, 1864), pp. 2347-2351.
379 House Journal, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (May 20, 1864), pp. 680-681; Congressional Globe, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (May 20, 1864), pp. 2385-2386.
380 13 Stat. 85. 381 Senate Journal, 50th Cong., 1st sess. (December 12, 1887), p. 33; Congressional Record, vol. 19, part 1 (December 12, 1887), p. 22.
382 Senate Journal, 50th Cong., 1st sess. (April 19, 1888), pp. 695-696; Congressional Record, vol. 19, part 4 (April 19, 1888), pp. 3139-3140.
383 House Journal, 50th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 18, 1889), pp. 290-298; Congressional Record, vol. 20, part 1 (January 18, 1889), pp. 951-952.
384 House Journal, 50th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 20, 1889), pp. 561-570; Senate Journal, 50th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 20, 1889), pp. 357-366; Congressional Record, vol. 20, part 3 (February 20, 1889), pp. 2104 and 2116.
385 25 Stat. 676. 386 Proceedings and Debates of the Constitutional Convention Held in the City of Helena, Montana, July 4th, 1889,
August 17th, 1889 (Helena, MT: State Publishing Co., 1921), p. 13.
387 Proceedings and Debates of the Constitutional Convention Held in the City of Helena, p. 971.
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• October 1, 1889: Montana voters ratify the new state constitution, 24,676 to
2,274.388
• November 8, 1889: President Benjamin Harrison issues a proclamation
admitting Montana as the 41st state.389
Nebraska
• April 30, 1803: United States
acquires the land that will become
Nebraska: 37th State
Nebraska from France in the
Nebraska Territory created May 30, 1854 (10 Stat. 277)
Louisiana Purchase.390
Enabling law enacted April 19, 1864 (13 Stat. 47)
•
Admission law enacted February 9, 1867 (14 Stat. 391)
December 14, 1853: Senator
Augustus Caesar Dodge of Iowa
Nebraska admitted March 1, 1867 (14 Stat. 820)
introduces 33 S. 22, a bill to create a new Nebraska Territory.391
• January 31, 1854: Representative William A. Richardson of Illinois reports 33
H.R. 236, a bill creating new territorial governments for Kansas and Nebraska, from the House Committee on Territories.392
• March 3, 1854: Senate votes 37-14 to pass 33 S. 22, which as amended would
create two new territories, Kansas and Nebraska.393
• May 22, 1854: House passes an amended version of 33 H.R. 236 on a 113-100
vote, in lieu of voting on the Senate-passed 33 S. 22.394
• May 25, 1854: Senate passes 33 H.R. 236 on a 35-13 vote.395 • May 30, 1854: President Franklin Pierce signs 33 H.R. 236 into law, creating the
Kansas and Nebraska territories and repealing the 1820 Missouri Compromise that would have barred slavery there. Instead, the Kansas-Nebraska Act leaves residents of the two territories “perfectly free to form and regulate their domestic institutions in their own way.”396
388 Ellis L. Waldron, Montana Politics Since 1864: An Atlas of Elections (Missoula, MT: Montana State University Press, 1958), p. 54.
389 26 Stat. 1551. 390 Mark R. Ellis, “The State of Nebraska,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 2, pp. 725-752. 391 Senate Journal, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (December 14, 1853), p. 44; Congressional Globe, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (December 14, 1853), p. 44.
392 House Journal, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (January 31, 1854), p. 296; Congressional Globe, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (January 31, 1854), pp. 294-297.
393 Senate Journal, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (March 3, 1854), pp. 236-237; Congressional Globe, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (March 3, 1854), pp. 531-532.
394 House Journal, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (May 22, 1854), pp. 923-924; Congressional Globe, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (May 22, 1854), p. 1254.
395 Senate Journal, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (May 25, 1854), pp. 412-413; Congressional Globe, 33rd Cong., 1st sess. (May 25, 1854), p. 1321.
396 10 Stat. 277. Additional documents related to the Kansas-Nebraska Act are available in the Library of Congress research guide “Kansas-Nebraska Act: Primary Documents in American History,” at https://guides.loc.gov/kansas-nebraska-act.
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• December 14, 1863: Representative James M. Ashley of Ohio introduces 38
H.R. 14½, a bill to enable the people of Nebraska to write a constitution and form a state government.397
• March 17, 1864: House passes 38 H.R. 14½ without a recorded vote.398 • April 14, 1864: Senate passes 38 H.R. 14½ without a recorded vote.399 • April 19, 1864: President Abraham Lincoln signs the Nebraska enabling act into
law.400
• June 2, 1866: Following an abortive constitutional convention in 1864, Nebraska
voters ratify a state constitution written by the territorial legislature, 3,938 to 3,838.401
• December 5, 1866: Senator Benjamin Wade of Ohio introduces 39 S. 456, a bill
to admit Nebraska as a state.402
• January 9, 1867: Senate votes 24-15 to pass an amended version of 39 S. 456.403 • January 15, 1867: House votes 103-55 to pass an amended version of 39 S.
456.404
• January 16, 1867: Senate votes 28-14 to accept the House’s version of 39 S.
456.405
• January 30, 1867: President Andrew Johnson vetoes 39 S. 456, the Nebraska
statehood act. He objected to its requirement that “there shall be no denial of the elective franchise, or of any other right, to any person, by reason of race or color” in Nebraska.406
• February 8, 1867: Senate overrides President Johnson’s veto of 39 S. 456 by a
31-9 vote.407
397 House Journal, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (December 14, 1863), p. 44; Congressional Globe, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (December 14, 1863), pp. 19-20.
398 House Journal, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (March 17, 1864), pp. 399-400; Congressional Globe, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (March 17, 1864), p. 1167.
399 Senate Journal, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (April 14, 1864), p. 324; Congressional Globe, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (April 14, 1864), p. 1607.
400 13 Stat. 47. 401 Addison E. Sheldon (ed.), Nebraska Constitutions of 1866, 1871 & 1875 and Proposed Amendments Submitted to
the People September 21, 1920 (Lincoln, NE: Nebraska Legislative Reference Bureau and Nebraska State Historical Society, 1920), p. 2.
402 Senate Journal, 39th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 5, 1866), p. 19; Congressional Globe, 39th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 5, 1866), p. 13.
403 Senate Journal, 39th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 9, 1867), pp. 81-83; Congressional Globe, 39th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 9, 1867), p. 360.
404 House Journal, 39th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 15, 1867), pp. 172-174; Congressional Globe, 39th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 15, 1867), p. 481.
405 Senate Journal, 39th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 16, 1867), pp. 104-106; Congressional Globe, 39th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 16, 1867), pp. 484-487.
406 Poore, Veto Messages, p. 337-340. 407 Senate Journal, 39th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 8, 1867), p. 228; Congressional Globe, 39th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 8, 1867), p. 1096.
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• February 9, 1867: House overrides President Johnson’s veto of 39 S. 456 by a
120-44 vote, enacting it into law.408
• March 1, 1867: President Johnson issues a proclamation admitting Nebraska as
the 37th state.409
Nevada
• February 2, 1848: The
United States acquires the
Nevada: 36th State
land that will become Nevada
Nevada Territory created March 2, 1861 (12 Stat. 209)
from Mexico in the Treaty of
Enabling and admission law enacted March 21, 1864 (13 Stat. 30)
Guadalupe Hidalgo.410
Nevada admitted October 31, 1864 (13 Stat. 749)
• February 14, 1861: Senator
James S. Green of Missouri reports 36 S. 563, a bill creating the Nevada Territory, from the Senate Committee on Territories.411
• February 26, 1861: Senate amends 36 S. 563 and passes it without a recorded
vote.412
• March 1, 1861: House votes to pass 36 S. 563.413 • March 2, 1861: President James Buchanan signs 36 S. 563, creating the Nevada
Territory.414
• February 8, 1864: Senator James R. Doolittle of Wisconsin introduces 38 S. 96,
a bill that would enable Nevada residents to write a constitution and form a state government, followed by its admission as a state.415
• February 24, 1864: Senate amends and passes 38 S. 96 without a recorded
vote.416
• March 17, 1864: House passes 38 S. 96 without a recorded vote.417 • March 21, 1864: President Abraham Lincoln signs 38 S. 96 into law.418
408 House Journal, 39th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 9, 1867), p. 354; Congressional Globe, 39th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 9, 1867), pp. 1120-1122; 14 Stat. 391.
409 14 Stat. 820. 410 Jeffrey M. Kintop, “The State of Nevada,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 2, pp. 753-788. 411 Senate Journal, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 14, 1861), p. 228; Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 14, 1861), p. 897.
412 Senate Journal, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 26, 1861), pp. 314-316; Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 26, 1861), pp. 1206-1207.
413 The House Journal reports the vote as 92-52, while the Congressional Globe reports the vote as 91-52. See House
Journal, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 1, 1861), pp. 450-452, and Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 1, 1861), p. 1334.
414 12 Stat. 209. 415 Senate Journal, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (February 8, 1864), p. 133; Congressional Globe, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (February 8, 1864), p. 521.
416 Senate Journal, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (February 24, 1864), p. 184; Congressional Globe, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (February 24, 1864), pp. 787-788.
417 House Journal, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (March 17, 1864), p. 398; Congressional Globe, 38th Cong., 1st sess. (March 17, 1864), p. 1166.
418 13 Stat. 30.
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• July 4, 1864: Delegates gather in Carson City to write a state constitution for
Nevada.419
• July 27, 1864: Delegates at the Carson City convention vote 19-2 to approve the
state constitution.420
• September 7, 1864: Nevada voters ratify the state constitution, 10,375-1,284.421 • October 31, 1864: President Lincoln issues a proclamation admitting Nevada as
the 36th state.422
New Hampshire
• September 18, 1679: King Charles II
New Hampshire: Ninth State
appoints a government for the “Province of New-Hampshire.”423
New Hampshire ratified Constitution June 21, 1788
• July 4, 1776: New Hampshire joins
12 other colonies in declaring independence from Great Britain.424
• July 9, 1778: New Hampshire signs the Articles of Confederation.425 • May 14-September 17, 1787: Two of New Hampshire’s four delegates
participate in the Constitutional Convention.426
• June 21, 1788: New Hampshire’s convention ratifies the Constitution by a 57-47
vote, achieving Article VII’s nine-state threshold for implementation.427
New Jersey
• April 17, 1702: Queen Anne
establishes British royal control over
New Jersey: Third State
New Jersey.428
New Jersey ratified Constitution December 18, 1787
• July 4, 1776: New Jersey joins 12
other colonies in declaring independence from Great Britain.429
419 Andrew J. Marsh, Official Report of the Debates and Proceedings in the Constitutional Convention of the State of
Nevada, Assembled at Carson City, July 4th 1864, to Form a Constitution and State Government (San Francisco: Frank Eastman, 1866), p. 1.
420 Marsh, Official Report, p. 827. 421 Russell R. Elliott with the assistance of William D. Rowley, History of Nevada, 2nd ed. (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1987), p. 88.
422 13 Stat. 749. 423 “The Commission Constituting a President and Council for the Province of New-Hampshire, in New England,” in Provincial Papers. Documents and Records Relating to the Province of New-Hampshire, From the Earliest Period of
Its Settlement: 1623-1686, vol. 1, ed. Nathaniel Bouton (Concord, NH: George E. Jenks, 1867), pp. 373-382.
424 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 5 (July 4, 1776), pp. 510-516. 425 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 11 (July 9, 1778), p. 677. 426 Farrand, Records, vol. 3, p. 557. 427 Elliot, Debates, vol. 1, pp. 325-327; Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, vol. 28, pp. 375-376.
428 “The Queen’s Acceptance of the Surrender of Government” and “Surrender from the Proprietors of East and West New Jersey, of Their Pretended Right of Government to Her Majesty,” in Thorpe, Federal and State Constitutions, vol. 5, pp. 2584-2590.
429 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 5 (July 4, 1776), pp. 510-516.
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• November 26, 1778: New Jersey signs the Articles of Confederation.430 • May 14-September 17, 1787: Five of New Jersey’s seven delegates participate
in the Constitutional Convention.431
• December 18, 1787: New Jersey’s convention votes 38-0 to ratify the
Constitution, making it the third state to join the new federal government.432
New Mexico
• December 29, 1845: The
United States acquires part of
New Mexico: 47th State
the land that will become New
New Mexico Territory created September 9, 1850 (9 Stat. 446)
Mexico through the annexation
Enabling law enacted June 20, 1910 (36 Stat. 557)
of Texas, with additional territory to come in the 1848
Admission law enacted August 21, 1911 (37 Stat. 39)
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
New Mexico admitted January 6, 1912 (37 Stat. 1723)
and the 1854 Gadsden Purchase.433
• January 29, 1850: Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky proposes what becomes the
Compromise of 1850, a legislative package that includes organizing a territorial government for New Mexico and settling the Texas-New Mexico border.434
• August 5, 1850: Senator James A. Pearce of Maryland introduces 31 S. 307, a
bill to settle the northern and western borders of Texas.435
• August 9, 1850: Senate amends and passes 31 S. 307 by a vote of 30 to 20.436 • September 6, 1850: House votes 108-97 to pass an amended version of 31 S.
307, adding language to create the New Mexico Territory.437
• September 9, 1850: Senate endorses the House’s amendment to 31 S. 307 on a
31-10 vote.438 President Millard Fillmore signs 31 S. 307 into law, creating the New Mexico Territory.439
430 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 12 (November 26, 1778), p. 1164. 431 Farrand, Records, vol. 3, p. 557. 432 Elliot, Debates, vol. 1, pp. 320-321; Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, vol. 3, pp. 177-191.
433 Agnesa Reeve, “The State of New Mexico,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 2, pp. 842-869. 434 McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, pp. 70-75. 435 Senate Journal, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (August 5, 1850), p. 522; Congressional Globe, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (August 5, 1850), pp. 1520-1521.
436 Senate Journal, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (August 9, 1850), pp. 538-543; Congressional Globe, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (August 9, 1850), pp. 1554-1556.
437 House Journal, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (September 6, 1850), pp. 1404-1413; Congressional Globe, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (September 6, 1850), pp. 1762-1765.
438 Senate Journal, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (September 9, 1850), pp. 606-613; Congressional Globe, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (September 9, 1850), p. 1784.
439 9 Stat. 446.
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• January 14, 1910: Representative Edward L. Hamilton of Michigan introduces
61 H.R. 18166, which would enable Arizona and New Mexico to write constitutions in preparation for statehood.440
• January 17, 1910: House suspends the rules and passes 61 H.R. 18166 without a
recorded vote.441
• June 16, 1910: Senate amends 61 H.R. 18166, then passes it on a 65-0 vote.442 • June 18, 1910: House passes Senate-amended version of 61 H.R. 18166 without
a recorded vote.443
• June 20, 1910: President William Howard Taft signs 61 H.R. 18166 into law,
enabling Arizona and New Mexico to form constitutions and state governments.444
• October 3, 1910: Delegates gather in Santa Fe to write a state constitution for
New Mexico.445
• November 21, 1910: Delegates to the Santa Fe convention vote 79-18 to adopt a
state constitution.446
• January 21, 1911: New Mexico voters ratify the state constitution by a vote of
31,742 to 13,399.447
• August 15, 1911: President Taft vetoes 62 H.J.Res. 14, a joint resolution to admit
Arizona and New Mexico as states, objecting to the provision of Arizona’s constitution that allows voters to recall judges.448
• August 17, 1911: Senator William A. Smith of Michigan reports 62 S.J.Res. 57
from the Senate Committee on Territories. This joint resolution would admit Arizona and New Mexico as states but would first require Arizona to remove judicial recall from its state constitution.449
• August 18, 1911: Senate debates and passes 62 S.J.Res. 57 on a 53-9 vote.450
440 House Journal, 61st Cong., 2nd sess. (January 14, 1910), p. 168; Congressional Record, vol. 45, part 1 (January 14, 1910), p. 654.
441 House Journal, 61st Cong., 2nd sess. (January 17, 1910), pp. 175-176; Congressional Record, vol. 45, part 1 (January 17, 1910), pp. 702-714.
442 Senate Journal, 61st Cong., 2nd sess. (June 16, 1910), pp. 452-453; Congressional Record, vol. 45, part 8 (June 16, 1910), pp. 8225-8237.
443 House Journal, 61st Cong., 2nd sess. (June 18, 1910), p. 803; Congressional Record, vol. 45, part 8 (June 18, 1910), pp. 8485-8487.
444 36 Stat. 557. 445 Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of the Proposed State of New Mexico Held at Santa Fe, New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM: Press of the Morning Journal, 1910), p. 3.
446 Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of the Proposed State of New Mexico, p. 252. 447 William J. Mills, Report of the Governor of New Mexico to the Secretary of the Interior for the Fiscal Year Ended
June 30, 1911 (Washington: GPO, 1911), p. 9.
448 Taft, Special Message of the President of the United States Returning Without Approval House Joint Resolution No.
14, H. Doc. 62-106 (Washington: GPO, 1911).
449 Senate Journal, 62nd Cong., 1st sess. (August 17, 1911), p. 178; Congressional Record, vol. 47, part 4 (August 17, 1911), p. 4061.
450 Senate Journal, 62nd Cong., 1st sess. (August 18, 1911), p. 185; Congressional Record, vol. 47, part 4 (August 18, 1911), pp. 4118-4141.
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• August 19, 1911: House debates and passes 62 S.J.Res. 57 without a recorded
vote.451
• August 21, 1911: President Taft signs 62 S.J.Res. 57 into law, admitting New
Mexico and Arizona as states once certain conditions have been met, including a vote on a change to the New Mexico constitution’s amendment process.452
• November 7, 1911: New Mexico voters approve the congressionally-proposed
constitutional amendment by a vote of 34,897 to 22,831.453
• January 6, 1912: President Taft issues a proclamation formally admitting New
Mexico as the 47th state.454
New York
• September 8, 1664: English forces
New York: 11th State
capture New Amsterdam, renaming it
New York ratified Constitution July 26, 1788
New York, during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. The Treaty of Breda in 1667 confirms English control of the New Netherland colony.455
• July 15, 1776: New York, after earlier abstaining, informs the Continental
Congress that it joins its 12 fellow colonies in declaring independence from Great Britian.456
• July 9, 1778: New York signs the Articles of Confederation.457 • May 14-September 17, 1787: New York’s three delegates participate in the
Constitutional Convention.458
• July 26, 1788: New York’s convention ratifies the Constitution by a 30-27 vote,
making it the 11th state to join the new federal government.459
North Carolina
• March 24, 1663: King Charles II
North Carolina: 12th State
grants a charter to eight men, later known as the “Lords Proprietors,”
North Carolina ratified Constitution November 21, 1789
451 House Journal, 62nd Cong., 1st sess. (August 19, 1911), p. 390; Congressional Record, vol. 47, part 5 (August 19, 1911), pp. 4217-4242.
452 37 Stat. 39. 453 Annotations for Article XIX (Amendments) in Constitution of the State of New Mexico, New Mexico Compilation Commission, at https://nmonesource.com/nmos/c/en/item/5916/index.do#!b/aXIX.
454 37 Stat. 1723. 455 Charles T. Gehring, “New Netherland, Surrender of (1664),” in Colonial Wars of North America, 1512-1763: An
Encyclopedia, ed. Alan Gallay (New York and London: Garland Publishing, 1996), pp. 489-491.
456 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 5 (July 4 and July 15, 1776), pp. 516 and 560. 457 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 11 (July 9, 1778), p. 677. 458 Farrand, Records, vol. 3, p. 557. 459 Elliot, Debates, vol. 1, pp. 327-331; Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, vol. 23, pp. 2321-2326.
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to create the Carolina colony.460 In the early 18th century, the colony splits into North and South Carolina.461
• July 25, 1729: Seven of the Lords Proprietors sell North Carolina to King
George II.462
• July 4, 1776: North Carolina joins 12 other colonies in declaring independence
from Great Britain.463
• July 21, 1778: North Carolina signs and ratifies the Articles of Confederation.464 • May 14-September 17, 1787: Five delegates from North Carolina participate in
the Constitutional Convention.465
• August 2, 1788: North Carolina’s ratification convention votes 184-83 to
demand amendments to the Constitution, including a declaration of rights.466
• November 21, 1789: At a second convention, North Carolina delegates vote 194-
77 to ratify the Constitution and join the new government as the 12th state.467
North Dakota
• April 30, 1803: The United
States acquires part of the
North Dakota: 39th State
land that will become North
Dakota Territory created March 2, 1861 (12 Stat. 239)
Dakota from France in the
Enabling and statehood law enacted February 22, 1889 (25 Stat. 676)
Louisiana Purchase, with
North Dakota admitted November 2, 1889 (26 Stat. 1548)
additional territory acquired in 1818 from Great Britain.468
• February 14, 1861: Senator James S. Green of Missouri reports 36 S. 562, a bill
to create the Territory of Dakota, from the Senate Committee on Territories.469
• February 26, 1861: Senate passes an amended version of 36 S. 562 without a
recorded vote.470
• March 1, 1861: House passes 36 S. 562 without a recorded vote.471
460 “Charter of Carolina,” in Thorpe, Federal and State Constitutions, vol. 5, pp. 2743-2753. 461 Chad Morgan, “The State of North Carolina,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 2, pp. 898-920. 462 “Grant From King George the Second, to John Lord Carteret, Afterwards Earl Granville,” in The Revised Statutes of
the State of North Carolina, vol. 2, eds. Frederick Nash, James Iredell, and William H. Battle (Raleigh, NC: Turner and Hughes, 1837), pp. 15-30.
463 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 5 (July 4, 1776), pp. 510-516. 464 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 11 (July 21, 1778), p. 709. 465 Farrand, Records, vol. 3, p. 559. 466 Elliot, Debates, vol. 1, pp. 331-332; Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, vol. 30, pp. 463-471.
467 Elliot, Debates, vol. 1, p. 333; Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, vol. 31, pp. 762-773. 468 David B. Danbom, “The State of North Dakota,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 2, pp. 921-940. 469 Senate Journal, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 14, 1861), p. 228; Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 14, 1861), p. 897.
470 Senate Journal, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 26, 1861), pp. 316-317; Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 26, 1861), pp. 1207-1208.
471 House Journal, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 1, 1861), p. 452; Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 1, 1861), pp. 1334-1335.
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• March 2, 1861: President James Buchanan signs 36 S. 562, creating the Territory
of Dakota.472
• November 8, 1887: Dakota Territory voters endorse splitting the territory into
northern and southern entities, with 37,784 voting in favor of division and 32,913 voting against division.473
• December 12, 1887: Senator Charles F. Manderson of Nebraska introduces 50 S.
185, a bill to admit the southern Dakota Territory as the State of Dakota and create a new Territory of Lincoln in northern Dakota Territory.474
• April 19, 1888: Senate votes 26-23 to pass an amended version of 50 S. 185 that
would create a State of South Dakota and a new Territory of North Dakota.475
• January 18, 1889: House votes 145-98 to pass an amended version of 50 S. 185.
This new version would clear the way to admit Montana, New Mexico, Washington, and—depending on the results of a referendum on division—either a combined state of Dakota or separate states of North Dakota and South Dakota.476
• February 20, 1889: House and Senate agree to a compromise version of 50 S.
185 that allows the creation and admission of four new states: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington. Both chambers pass the bill without recorded votes.477
• February 22, 1889: President Grover Cleveland signs 50 S. 185, enabling
statehood for Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington.478
• July 4, 1889: Delegates gather in Bismarck to write a state constitution for North
Dakota.479
• August 17, 1889: Delegates to the Bismarck convention vote 40-23 to adopt a
state constitution for North Dakota.480
• October 1, 1889: North Dakota voters ratify the state constitution, 27,441 to
8,107.481
472 12 Stat. 239. 473 Louis K. Church, “A Proclamation. By the Governor of the Territory of Dakota” (January 12, 1888) in Bismarck
Weekly Tribune, January 20, 1888, p. 6.
474 Senate Journal, 50th Cong., 1st sess. (December 12, 1887), p. 33; Congressional Record, vol. 19, part 1 (December 12, 1887), p. 22.
475 Senate Journal, 50th Cong., 1st sess. (April 19, 1888), pp. 695-696; Congressional Record, vol. 19, part 4 (April 19, 1888), pp. 3139-3140.
476 House Journal, 50th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 18, 1889), pp. 290-298; Congressional Record, vol. 20, part 1 (January 18, 1889), pp. 951-952.
477 House Journal, 50th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 20, 1889), pp. 561-570; Senate Journal, 50th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 20, 1889), pp. 357-366; Congressional Record, vol. 20, part 3 (February 20, 1889), pp. 2104 and 2116.
478 25 Stat. 676. 479 Journal of the Constitutional Convention for North Dakota, Held at Bismarck, Thursday, July 4 to Aug. 17, 1889,
Together With the Enabling Act of Congress and the Proceedings of the Joint Commission Appointed for the Equitable
Division of Territorial Property (Bismarck, ND: Tribune, 1889), p. 1.
480 Journal of the Constitutional Convention for North Dakota, pp. 399-400. 481 Laws Passed at the First Session of the Legislative Assembly of the State of North Dakota (Bismarck, ND: Tribune, 1890), p. 15.
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• November 2, 1889: President Benjamin Harrison issues a proclamation
admitting North Dakota.482
Ohio
• September 3, 1783: The United
States acquires the land that will
Ohio: 17th State
become Ohio from Great Britain in the Treaty of Paris.
Northwest Territory created July 13, 1787 (1 Stat. 50)
483
Enabling law enacted April 30, 1802 (2 Stat. 173)
• July 13, 1787: Congress,
Ohio admitted March 1, 1803 (67 Stat. 407)
operating under the Articles of Confederation, passes the Northwest Ordinance, establishing the Territory of the United States North West of the River Ohio (often shortened to “the Northwest Territory”).484
• July 21, 1789: With the Constitution in effect, the House passes a bill, without a
recorded vote, to keep the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 in effect.485
• August 4, 1789: The Senate amends and passes the Northwest Ordinance bill
without a recorded vote.486
• August 5, 1789: House agrees to the Senate’s amendments on the Northwest
Ordinance bill without a recorded vote.487
• August 7, 1789: President George Washington signs the act to keep the
Northwest Ordinance of 1787 in effect.488
• April 2, 1802: Representative William B. Giles of Virginia introduces a bill
enabling residents in the eastern part of the Northwest Territory to write a constitution and form a state government.489
• April 9, 1802: House passes the Northwest Territory enabling bill on a 47-29
vote.490
• April 28, 1802: Senate passes an amended version of the Northwest Territory
enabling bill on a 16-6 vote.491
482 26 Stat. 1548. 483 Michael Mangus and Susan Mangus, “The State of Ohio,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 2, pp. 941-966. 484 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 32 (July 13, 1787), pp. 334-343. For more information, see Peter S. Onuf, Statehood and Union: A History of the Northwest Ordinance (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1987).
485 House Journal, 1st Cong., 1st sess. (July 21, 1789), p. 63; Annals of Congress, vol. 1, 1st Cong., 1st sess. (July 21, 1789), p. 685.
486 Senate Journal, 1st Cong., 1st sess. (August 4, 1789), p. 52; Annals of Congress, vol. 1, 1st Cong., 1st sess. (August 4, 1789), p. 57.
487 House Journal, 1st Cong., 1st sess. (August 5, 1789), pp. 71-72; Annals of Congress, vol. 1, 1st Cong., 1st sess. (August 5, 1789), p. 702.
488 1 Stat. 50. 489 House Journal, 7th Cong., 1st sess. (April 2, 1802), p. 174; Annals of Congress, vol. 11, 7th Cong., 1st sess. (April 2, 1802), p. 1128.
490 House Journal, 7th Cong., 1st sess. (April 9, 1802), pp. 188-189; Annals of Congress, vol. 11, 7th Cong., 1st sess. (April 9, 1802), pp. 1161-1162.
491 Senate Journal, 7th Cong., 1st sess. (April 28, 1802), pp. 225-226; Annals of Congress, vol. 11, 7th Cong., 1st sess. (April 28, 1802), pp. 296-297.
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• April 29, 1802: House passes the Senate-amended version of the Northwest
Territory enabling bill without a recorded vote.492
• April 30, 1802: President Thomas Jefferson signs the act, enabling residents in
the eastern part of the Northwest Territory to write a constitution and form a state government.493
• November 1, 1802: Delegates gather in Chillicothe to write a state
constitution.494
• November 29, 1802: Delegates at the Chillicothe convention approve a state
constitution for Ohio.495
• February 19, 1803: President Jefferson signs an act to enforce federal law in the
new state of Ohio. However, it does not explicitly enact Ohio’s admission as a state.496
• March 1, 1803: Ohio marks its admission as the 17th state.497 This statehood date
is retroactively established 150 years later by P.L. 83-204.498
• January 13, 1953: Representative George H. Bender of Ohio introduces 83
H.J.Res 121, resolving that “the State of Ohio, shall be one, and is hereby declared to be one, of the United States of America, and is admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States, in all respects whatever”—with an effective date of March 1, 1803.499
• May 19, 1953: House adopts 83 H.J.Res. 121 without a recorded vote.500 • August 1, 1953: Senate adopts 83 H.J.Res. 121 without a recorded vote.501 • August 7, 1953: President Dwight Eisenhower signs 83 H.J.Res. 121 into law.502
492 House Journal, 7th Cong., 1st sess. (April 29, 1802), p. 226; Annals of Congress, vol. 11, 7th Cong., 1st sess. (April 29, 1802), p. 1252.
493 2 Stat. 173. 494 Journal of the Convention of the Territory of the United States North-west of the Ohio, Begun and Held at
Chillicothe, on Monday the First Day of November, A.D. One Thousand Eight Hundred and Two, and of the
Independence of the United States the Twenty-Seventh (Chillicothe, OH: N. Willis, 1802), p. 3.
495 Journal of the Convention of the Territory of the United States North-west of the Ohio, p. 45. 496 2 Stat. 201. For discussion, see Allan Walker Vestal, “Were the Tax Protesters Right About Ohio Statehood?,” University of Pittsburgh Law Review, vol. 83, no. 4 (Summer 2022), pp. 731-778.
497 “The date of March 1, 1803 was when the Ohio legislature met for the first time,” according to National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Center for Legislative Archives, 200th Anniversary of Ohio Statehood, at https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/ohio-statehood.
498 67 Stat. 407. 499 House Journal, 83rd Cong., 1st sess. (January 13, 1953), p. 102; Congressional Record, vol. 99, part 1 (January 13, 1953), p. 380. The intention was “to end confusion as to the exact date on which Ohio entered the Union,” according to U.S. Congress, House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, Admitting the State of Ohio into the Union, report to accompany H.J.Res. 121, 83rd Cong., 1st sess., H.Rept. 83-343, May 5, 1953, p. 1.
500 House Journal, 83rd Cong., 1st sess. (May 19, 1953), p. 367; Congressional Record, vol. 99, part 4 (May 19, 1953), pp. 5119-5120.
501 Senate Journal, 83rd Cong., 1st sess. (August 1, 1953), p. 570; Congressional Record, vol. 99, part 8 (August 1, 1953), pp. 10799-10800.
502 67 Stat. 407.
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Oklahoma
• April 30, 1803: The United
States acquires territory from
Oklahoma: 46th State
France that includes a portion of the land that will become
Oklahoma Territory created May 2, 1890 (26 Stat. 81)
the state of Oklahoma through
Enabling and admission law enacted June 16, 1906 (34 Stat. 267)
the Louisiana Purchase.503
Oklahoma admitted November 16, 1907 (35 Stat. 2160)
• 1820s: The U.S. government
sets aside land in the current states of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska to form an “Indian Country” (or “Indian Territory”). Many American Indians are relocated to this territory through various actions, including the Indian Removal Act, passed by Congress in 1830 (4 Stat. 411).504
• December 29, 1845: Through the annexation of Texas, the United States obtains
additional lands, known as the Oklahoma Panhandle, that will later comprise the seventh county of the Oklahoma Territory.505
• February 2, 1848: Representatives of the United States and Mexico sign the
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, through which Mexico officially recognizes the annexation of Texas that occurred nearly three years prior.506
• December 9, 1889: Senator Orville Platt of Connecticut introduces 51 S. 895, a
bill to create the Oklahoma Territory.507
• February 13, 1890: Senate amends and passes 51 S. 895 without a recorded
vote.508
• April 21, 1890: House passes, without a recorded vote, a compromise version of
the Oklahoma Organic Act (51 S. 895) to form the Territory of Oklahoma from the western portion of the Indian Territory.509
• April 23, 1890: Senate agrees to the conference report on 51 S. 895 by a vote of
50-5.510
503 Kerry Wynn, “The State of Oklahoma,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 3, p. 968; 8 Stat. 200. 504 Wynn, “The State of Oklahoma,” p. 971. 505 Wynn, “The State of Oklahoma,” p. 968; “The Annexation of Texas, the Mexican-American War, and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, 1845-1848,” in U.S. State Department, Office of the Historian, Milestones in the History of U.S.
Foreign Relations, at https://history.state.gov/milestones/1830-1860/texas-annexation.
506 9 Stat. 922; David Pletcher, “Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,” in Texas State Historical Association, Handbook of
Texas, at https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/treaty-of-guadalupe-hidalgo; Judith Morgan, “A Bibliographic Essay on Prestatehood Legal Research for the State of Oklahoma,” in Chiorazzi and Most, Prestatehood Legal
Materials, vol. 2, pp. 897-956.
507 Senate Journal, 51st Cong., 1st sess. (December 9, 1889), p. 31; Congressional Record, vol. 21, part 1 (December 9, 1889), p. 123.
508 Senate Journal, 51st Cong., 1st sess. (February 13, 1890), p. 118; Congressional Record, vol. 21, part 2 (February 13, 1890), p. 1279.
509 House Journal, 51st Cong., 1st sess. (April 21, 1890), p. 503; Congressional Record, vol. 21, part 4 (April 21, 1890), p. 3628; Wynn, “The State of Oklahoma,” p. 970. 510 Senate Journal, 51st Cong., 1st sess. (April 23, 1890), p. 256; Congressional Record, vol. 21, part 4 (April 23, 1890), pp. 3708-3721.
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• May 2, 1890: President Benjamin Harrison signs the Oklahoma Organic Act into
law, formally creating the Territory of Oklahoma.511
• November 7, 1905: The people of the remaining Indian Territory vote to approve
a constitution written by delegates to create the state of Sequoyah—separate from the newly formed Oklahoma Territory—by a vote of 56,279 to 9,073.512
• December 1905-January 1906: Bills are introduced in the House (59 H.R. 79)
and the Senate (59 S. 3680) “to provide for the admission of the State of Sequoyah into the Union,” but both bills are tabled.513
• January 22, 1906: Representative Edward Hamilton of Michigan introduces a
bill (59 H.R. 12707) enabling the people of Oklahoma and the Indian Territory to form a constitution and state government and be admitted into the Union as one state.514
• June 13, 1906: Senate passes a compromise version of 59 H.R. 12707 without a
recorded vote.515
• June 14, 1906: House passes the compromise version of 59 H.R. 12707 without
a recorded vote.516
• June 16, 1906: President Theodore Roosevelt signs the enabling bill.517 • November 20, 1906-September 16, 1907: Elected delegates from the Oklahoma
and Indian Territories convene the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention to draft a state constitution.518
• July 16, 1907: Eighty-six delegates to the convention sign an amended version
of the Oklahoma state constitution.519
• September 17, 1907: The people of the Oklahoma and Indian Territories vote in
favor of ratifying the state constitution, by a vote of 180,333 to 73,059.520
• November 16, 1907: President Roosevelt issues Presidential Proclamation 780,
admitting Oklahoma as the 46th state.521
511 26 Stat. 81. 512 Morgan, “Prestatehood Legal Research,” pp. 926-927; Richard Mize, “Sequoyah Convention,” in The Encyclopedia
of Oklahoma History and Culture, at https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=SE021; “Memorial from citizens of Indian Territory, praying for admission into Union as State of Sequoyah,” S. Doc. 59-143, January 16, 1906, p. 26.
513 Morgan, “Prestatehood Legal Research,” p. 927; Congressional Record, vol. 40, part 1 (December 4, 1905), p. 47 and vol. 40, part 2 (January 25, 1906), p. 1527.
514 House Journal, 59th Cong., 1st sess. (January 22, 1906), p. 314; Congressional Record, vol. 40, part 2 (January 22, 1906), p. 1407.
515 Senate Journal, 59th Cong., 1st sess. (June 13, 1906), p. 606; Congressional Record, vol. 40, part 9 (June 13, 1906), p. 8403.
516 House Journal, 59th Cong., 1st sess. (June 14, 1906), p. 1178; Congressional Record, vol. 40, part 9 (June 14, 1906), p. 8529.
517 34 Stat. 267. 518 Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of the proposed state of Oklahoma: held at Guthrie, Oklahoma,
November 20, 1906 to November 16, 1907 (Muskogee, OK.: Muskogee Ptg Co., 1907), pp. 5 and 467.
519 Albert H. Ellis, A History of the Constitutional Convention of the State of Oklahoma (Muskogee: Economy Printing Co., 1923), pp. 113-114.
520 Ellis, History of the Constitutional Convention, p. 127; Morgan, “Prestatehood Legal Research,” p. 939. 521 “Presidential Proclamation 780 of November 16, 1907,” by President Theodore Roosevelt, declaring the state of (continued...)
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Oregon
• October 20, 1818: U.S. envoys
Albert Gallatin and Richard Rush
Oregon: 33rd State
sign a convention with Great
Oregon Territory created August 14, 1848 (9 Stat. 323)
Britain agreeing to jointly occupy
Oregon admitted February 14, 1859 (11 Stat. 383)
the Oregon Territory.522
• June 15, 1846: Secretary of State James Buchanan signs the Oregon Treaty with
Great Britain, allowing the United States to acquire all land in the Oregon Territory south of the 49th parallel.523
• February 9, 1848: Representative Caleb B. Smith of Indiana reports 30 H.R.
201, a bill to create a territorial government in Oregon, from the House Committee on Territories.524
• August 2, 1848: House passes an amended version of the Oregon Territory Act
(30 H.R. 201).525
• August 12, 1848: Senate agrees to the House version of the Oregon Territory
Act, voting 31-23 and 29-25 after the question was divided.526
• August 14, 1848: President James Polk signs the Oregon Territory Act, creating
the Oregon territory.527
• June 1857: The eligible voters of the Oregon Territory support statehood in a
referendum by a vote of 7,617 to 1,679.528
• August 17-September 18, 1857: Elected territorial delegates convene at the
courthouse in Salem to draft a state constitution.529
• September 18, 1857: The convention delegates approve the draft constitution by
a vote of 35-10.530
• November 9, 1857: The Oregon Territory’s electorate approves the state
constitution by a vote of 7,195 to 3,215.531
Oklahoma’s admission to the Union, NARA, Record Group 11, Presidential Proclamations, at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/299964; 35 Stat. 2160.
522 8 Stat. 248. 523 9 Stat. 869; William L. Lang, “Oregon Treaty, 1846,” in Oregon Historical Society, Oregon Encyclopedia, at https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/oregon-treaty.
524 House Journal, 30th Cong., 1st sess. (February 9, 1848), p. 382; Congressional Globe, 30th Cong., 1st sess. (February 9, 1848), p. 322.
525 The House Journal reported the vote as 128-71, while the Congressional Globe reported it as 129-71. See House
Journal, 30th Cong., 1st sess. (August 2, 1848), p. 1155, and Congressional Globe, 30th Cong., 1st sess. (August 2, 1848), p. 1027.
526 Senate Journal, 30th Cong., 1st sess. (August 12, 1848), pp. 589-590; Congressional Globe, 30th Cong., 1st sess. (August 12, 1848), p. 1078.
527 9 Stat. 323. 528 Charles Henry Carey (ed.), The Oregon Constitution and Proceedings and Debates of the Constitutional Convention
of 1857 (Salem, OR: Oregon Historical Society, 1926), pp. 21 and 26.
529 Carey, Oregon Constitution, p. 27. 530 Carey, Oregon Constitution, p. 397. 531 Carey, Oregon Constitution, p. 27.
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• April 5, 1858: Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois reports 35 S. 239, a bill to
admit Oregon into the Union, from the Senate Committee on Territories.532
• May 18, 1858: Senate passes 35 S. 239 by a vote of 35-17.533 • February 12, 1859: House passes 35 S. 239 by a vote of 114-103.534 • February 14, 1859: President James Buchanan signs 35 S. 239, admitting
Oregon into the Union as the 33rd state.535
Pennsylvania
• 1681: King Charles II grants a charter
to William Penn to create a colony in
Pennsylvania: Second State
a portion of present-day
Pennsylvania ratified Constitution December 12, 1787
Pennsylvania.536
• July 4, 1776: Pennsylvania joins 12 other colonies in declaring independence
from Great Britain.537
• July 9, 1778: Pennsylvania’s delegates sign and ratify the Articles of
Confederation.538
• May 14-September 17, 1787: Pennsylvania’s eight delegates participate in the
Constitutional Convention.539
• December 12, 1787: Pennsylvania convention ratifies the Constitution by a vote
of 46-23.540
Rhode Island
• July 15, 1663: King Charles II grants
a charter to create the Colony of
Rhode Island: 13th State
Rhode Island and Providence
Rhode Island ratified Constitution May 29, 1790
Plantations.541
• July 4, 1776: Rhode Island joins 12 other colonies in declaring independence
from Great Britain.542
532 Senate Journal, 35th Cong., 1st sess. (April 5, 1858), pp. 318-319; Congressional Globe, 35th Cong., 1st sess. (April 5, 1858), p. 1474.
533 Senate Journal, 35th Cong., 1st sess. (May 18, 1858), p. 477; Congressional Globe, 35th Cong., 1st sess. (May 18, 1858), p. 2209.
534 House Journal, 35th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 12, 1859), pp. 398-399; Congressional Globe, 35th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 12, 1859), p. 1011.
535 11 Stat. 383. 536 “Charter for the Province of Pennsylvania—1681,” in Thorpe, Federal and State Constitutions, vol. 5, pp. 3035-3044.
537 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 5 (July 4, 1776), pp. 510-516. 538 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 11 (July 9, 1778), p. 677. 539 Farrand, Records, vol. 3, pp. 557-558. 540 Elliot, Debates, vol. 1, pp. 319-320; Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, vol. 2, pp. 590-591.
541 “Charter of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations—1663,” in Thorpe, Federal and State Constitutions, vol. 6, pp. 3211-3222.
542 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 5 (July 4, 1776), pp. 510-516.
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• July 9, 1778: Delegates of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
sign and ratify the Articles of Confederation.543
• May 14-September 17, 1787: Rhode Island does not send delegates to
participate in the Constitutional Convention.544
• May 29, 1790: Rhode Island’s convention ratifies the Constitution by a vote of
34-32, after a number of failed attempts.545
South Carolina
• March 24, 1663: King Charles II
grants a charter to eight men, later
South Carolina: Eighth State
known as the “Lords Proprietors,” to
South Carolina ratified Constitution May 23, 1788
create the Carolina colony.546 In the early 18th century, the colony would split into North and South Carolina.547
• July 25, 1729: Seven of the Lords Proprietors sell South Carolina to King
George II.548
• July 4, 1776: South Carolina joins 12 other colonies in declaring independence
from Great Britain.549
• July 9, 1778: South Carolina signs and ratifies the Articles of Confederation.550 • May 14-September 17, 1787: Four of South Carolina’s five delegates participate
in the Constitutional Convention.551
• May 23, 1788: South Carolina convention ratifies the Constitution by a vote of
149-73.552
South Dakota
• April 30, 1803: The United
States acquires part of the
South Dakota: 40th State
land that will become South
Dakota Territory created March 2, 1861 (12 Stat. 239)
Dakota from France in the
Enabling and statehood law enacted February 22, 1889 (25 Stat. 676)
Louisiana Purchase, with
South Dakota admitted November 2, 1889 (26 Stat. 1549)
543 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 11 (July 9, 1778), p. 677. 544 Farrand, Records, vol. 3, p. 557. 545 Elliot, Debates, vol. 1, pp. 334-337; Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, vol. 26, p. 989. For details on the yearslong debate over ratification in Rhode Island, see University of Wisconsin-Madison, Center for the Study of the American Constitution, Rhode Island Ratification, at https://csac.history.wisc.edu/states-and-ratification/rhode-island.
546 “Charter of Carolina,” in Thorpe, Federal and State Constitutions, vol. 5, pp. 2743-2753. 547 Chad Morgan, “The State of North Carolina,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 2, pp. 898-920. 548 “Grant From King George the Second, to John Lord Carteret, Afterwards Earl Granville,” in The Revised Statutes of
the State of North Carolina, vol. 2, eds. Frederick Nash, James Iredell, and William H. Battle (Raleigh, NC: Turner and Hughes, 1837), pp. 15-30.
549 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 5 (July 4, 1776), pp. 510-516. 550 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 11 (July 9, 1778), p. 677. 551 Farrand, Records, vol. 3, p. 559. 552 Elliot, Debates, vol. 1, p. 325; Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, vol. 27, pp. 393-397.
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additional territory acquired in 1818 from Great Britain.553
• February 14, 1861: Senator James S. Green of Missouri reports 36 S. 562, a bill
to create the Territory of Dakota, from the Senate Committee on Territories.554
• February 26, 1861: Senate passes an amended version of 36 S. 562 without a
recorded vote.555
• March 1, 1861: House passes 36 S. 562 without a recorded vote.556 • March 2, 1861: President James Buchanan signs 36 S. 562, creating the Territory
of Dakota.557
• November 8, 1887: Dakota Territory voters endorse splitting the territory into
northern and southern entities, with 37,784 voting in favor of division and 32,913 voting against division.558
• December 12, 1887: Senator Charles F. Manderson of Nebraska introduces 50 S.
185, a bill to admit southern Dakota Territory as the State of Dakota and create a new Territory of Lincoln in northern Dakota Territory.559
• April 19, 1888: Senate votes 26-23 to pass an amended version of 50 S. 185 that
would create a State of South Dakota and a new Territory of North Dakota.560
• January 18, 1889: Houses votes 145-98 to pass an amended version of 50 S.
185. This new version would clear the way to admit Montana, New Mexico, Washington, and—depending on the results of a referendum on division—either a combined state of Dakota or separate states of North Dakota and South Dakota.561
• February 20, 1889: House and Senate agree to a compromise version of 50 S.
185 that allows the creation and admission of four new states: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington. Both chambers pass the bill without recorded votes.562
• February 22, 1889: President Grover Cleveland signs 50 S. 185, enabling
statehood for Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington.563
553 John E. Miller, “The State of South Dakota,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 3, pp. 1103-1128. 554 Senate Journal, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 14, 1861), p. 228; Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 14, 1861), p. 897.
555 Senate Journal, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 26, 1861), pp. 316-317; Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 26, 1861), pp. 1207-1208.
556 House Journal, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 1, 1861), p. 452; Congressional Globe, 36th Cong., 2nd sess. (March 1, 1861), pp. 1334-1335.
557 12 Stat. 239. 558 Louis K. Church, “A Proclamation. By the Governor of the Territory of Dakota” (January 12, 1888), in Bismarck
Weekly Tribune, January 20, 1888, p. 6.
559 Senate Journal, 50th Cong., 1st sess. (December 12, 1887), p. 33; Congressional Record, vol. 19, part 1 (December 12, 1887), p. 22.
560 Senate Journal, 50th Cong., 1st sess. (April 19, 1888), pp. 695-696; Congressional Record, vol. 19, part 4 (April 19, 1888), pp. 3139-3140.
561 House Journal, 50th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 18, 1889), pp. 290-298; Congressional Record, vol. 20, part 1 (January 18, 1889), pp. 951-952.
562 House Journal, 50th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 20, 1889), pp. 561-570; Senate Journal, 50th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 20, 1889), pp. 357-366; Congressional Record, vol. 20, part 3 (February 20, 1889), pp. 2104 and 2116.
563 25 Stat. 676.
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• July 4, 1889: Delegates gather in Sioux Falls to write a state constitution for
South Dakota.564
• August 5, 1889: Delegates to the Sioux Falls convention vote 72-0 to adopt a
state constitution for South Dakota.565
• October 1, 1889: South Dakota voters ratify the state constitution, 70,131 to
3,267.566
• November 2, 1889: President Benjamin Harrison issues a proclamation
admitting South Dakota as the 40th state.567
Tennessee
• September 3, 1783: Great Britain
cedes territory, including the land
Tennessee: 16th State
that will become the state of
Southwest Territory created May 26, 1790 (1 Stat. 123)
Tennessee, to the United States in
Tennessee admitted June 1, 1796 (1 Stat. 491)
the Treaty of Paris.568
• December 22, 1789: North Carolina General Assembly agrees to cede its
western lands to the U.S. government.569
• April 2, 1790: Congress accepts the western lands ceded by North Carolina to
the newly-formed federal government.570
• April 7, 1790: Senate forms a select committee to “bring in a bill for the
government of the territory of the United States south of the river Ohio.”571
• April 9, 1790: Senate select committee reports “A bill for the government of the
territory of the United States south of the river Ohio.”572
• April 27, 1790: Senate passes the bill without a recorded vote.573 • April 29, 1790: House passes an amended version of the bill without a recorded
vote.574
564 Journal of the Constitutional Convention of South Dakota (Sioux Falls, SD: Brown & Saenger, 1889), p. 3. 565 Journal of the Constitutional Convention of South Dakota, pp. 161-162. 566 Official Vote of South Dakota by Counties From October, 1889, to November, 1914 (Sioux Falls, SD: Mark D. Scott Print, 1914), p. 5.
567 26 Stat. 1549. 568 “Treaty of Paris (1783),” Milestone Documents, National Archives and Records Administration, https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/treaty-of-paris.
569 “An Act for the Purpose of Ceding to the United States of America, Certain Western Lands Therein Described,” in Walter Clark (ed.), The State Records of North Carolina, vol. 25 (Goldsboro, NC: Nash Brothers, 1906), pp. 4-6; Lynn E. Murray, “Tennessee Prestatehood Legal Materials,” in Chiorazzi and Most, Prestatehood Legal Materials, vol. 2, pp. 1175-1196; Territorial Papers of the United States, vol. 4, p. 3.
570 1 Stat. 106. 571 Senate Journal, 1st Cong., 2nd sess. (April 7, 1790), p. 130; Annals of Congress, vol. 2, 1st Cong., 2nd sess. (April 7, 1790), p. 998.
572 Senate Journal, 1st Cong., 2nd sess. (April 9, 1790), p. 130; Annals of Congress, vol. 2, 1st Cong., 2nd sess. (April 9, 1790), vol. 2, p. 999.
573 Senate Journal, 1st Cong., 2nd sess. (April 27, 1790), p. 132. The vote does not appear in the Annals of Congress. 574 House Journal, 1st Cong., 2nd sess. (April 29, 1790), p. 204; Annals of Congress, vol. 2, 1st Cong., 2nd sess. (April 29, 1790), p. 1602.
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• May 4, 1790: Senate rejects the House-amended version of the territorial bill
without a recorded vote.575
• May 5, 1790: House agrees to the Senate-passed version of the territorial bill
without a recorded vote.576
• May 26, 1790: President George Washington signs the bill to organize the
western lands ceded to the federal government by North Carolina into the “territory of the United States, south of the river Ohio” (often shortened to “the Southwest Territory”).577
• September 15-November 15, 1795: A census conducted in the Southwest
Territory polls free adult males on the following question: “Is it your wish if, on taking the enumeration, there should prove to be less than sixty thousand inhabitants, that the Territory shall be admitted as a State in to the Federal Union with such less number or not?” Those polled affirmed the population’s desire to join the Union by a vote of 6,504 to 2,562. Voters also agree to hold a Constitutional Convention, should the census count a minimum of 60,000 inhabitants.578
• November 28, 1795: Governor William Blount calls for the election of delegates
to a constitutional convention.579
• January 11, 1796: Elected delegates convene a constitutional convention in
Knoxville.580
• February 6, 1796: The convention unanimously approves the state constitution
drafted during the convention.581
• May 18, 1796: Senator Rufus King of New York reports a statehood bill from
committee.582
• May 26, 1796: Senate passes an amended version of the statehood bill by a vote
of 15-8.583
575 Senate Journal, 1st Cong., 2nd sess. (May 4, 1790), p. 137; Annals of Congress, vol. 2, 1st Cong., 2nd sess. (May 4, 1790), p. 1006.
576 House Journal, 1st Cong., 2nd sess. (May 5, 1790), p. 209. The vote does not appear in the Annals of Congress. 577 1 Stat. 123. 578 Results of the vote can be found in the “Census Schedule,” in Territorial Papers of the United States, vol. 4, pp. 404-405. For the language of the census question, see “An Act for the Enumeration of the Inhabitants of the Territory of the United States of America South of the River Ohio,” p. 8, in Tennessee Virtual Archive, Tennessee Founding and
Landmark Documents, https://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/tfd/id/548.
579 “Proclamation by William Blount, November 28, 1795,” in Territorial Papers of the United States, vol. 4, pp. 407-408.
580 Journal of the Proceedings of a Convention, Began and Held at Knoxville, on The Eleventh Day of January, One
Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety Six, for the Purpose of Forming a Constitution, or Form of Government, for the
Permanent Government of the People, in LLMC Digital database, at https://llmc.com/docDisplay5.aspx?set=00102t&volume=0001&part=001, p. 3.
581 Journal of the Proceedings of a Convention, p. 37. 582 Senate Journal, 4th Cong., 1st sess. (May 18, 1796), p. 264; Annals of Congress, vol. 5, 4th Cong., 1st sess. (May 18, 1796), p. 97.
583 Senate Journal, 4th Cong., 1st sess. (May 26, 1796), p. 275; Annals of Congress, vol. 5, 4th Cong., 1st sess. (May 26, 1796), p. 109.
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• May 30, 1796: House passes an amended version of the bill without a recorded
vote.584
• May 31, 1796: Senate agrees to the House version of the bill without a recorded
vote.585
• June 1, 1796: President Washington signs the bill, bringing Tennessee into the
Union as the 16th state.586
Texas
• April 30, 1803: The United States
Texas: 28th State
acquires northern portions of the land
Annexation law enacted March 1, 1845 (5 Stat. 797)
that will become the state of Texas
Texas admitted December 29, 1845 (9 Stat. 108)
from France via the Louisiana Purchase.587
• March 1-17, 1836: Fifty-nine delegates representing settlements in Texas meet
in Washington-on-the-Brazos for a general convention to draft a declaration of independence from Mexico and form a government for the independent Republic of Texas.588
• March 2, 1836: The delegates to the general convention sign the Texas
Declaration of Independence.589
• March 16, 1836: The delegates in Washington-on-the-Brazos finalize and adopt
a constitution for the Republic of Texas.590
• April 21, 1836: The Republic of Texas wins independence from Mexico after
defeating Mexican forces in a final battle along the San Jacinto River.591
• September 1836: Eligible voters ratify the Republic’s constitution and vote
3,277 to 91 in favor of Texas joining the United States.592
584 House Journal, 4th Cong., 1st sess. (May 30, 1796), p. 590; Annals of Congress, vol. 5, 4th Cong., 1st sess. (May 30, 1796), p. 1474.
585 Senate Journal, 4th Cong., 1st sess. (May 31, 1796), p. 284; Annals of Congress, vol. 5, 4th Cong., 1st sess. (May 31, 1796), p. 117.
586 1 Stat. 491. 587 “Louisiana Purchase Treaty (1803),” in NARA, Milestone Documents, at https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/louisiana-purchase-treaty.
588 Journals of the Convention of the Free, Sovereign, and Independent People of Texas, in General Convention,
Assembled, 1836, in H.P.H. Gammel, The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897, vol. 1 (Austin, TX: Gammel Book Co., 1898), pp. 821-904; Texas State Library and Archives Commission, “Texas Declaration of Independence,” at https://www.tsl.texas.gov/treasures/republic/declare-01.html.
589 “Texas Declaration of Independence.” 590 “Constitution of Republic of Texas,” in Laws of the Republic of Texas, in Two Volumes, vol. 1 (Houston: Printed at the Office of the Telegraph, 1838), pp. 9-25.
591 Texas State Library and Archives Commission, “The Public Treaty of Velasco,” at https://www.tsl.texas.gov/exhibits/texas175/velasco.html.
592 John Sayles, The Constitutions of the State of Texas, With The Reconstruction Acts of Congress, the Constitution of
the Confederate States, and of the United States, Annotated, 4th ed. (St. Louis: Gilbert Book Co., 1893), p. 155; Eugene C. Barker, “The Annexation of Texas,” The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, vol. 50, no. 1 (July 1946), pp. 49-74.
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• March 3, 1837: The U.S. government officially recognizes the Republic of Texas
when President Andrew Jackson appoints Alcée Louis La Branche as Chargé d’Affaires in Houston.593
• January 25, 1845: House passes a joint resolution (28 H.J.Res. 46) to annex
Texas by a vote of 120-98.594
• February 27, 1845: Senate passes an amended version of the annexation
resolution following a preliminary vote of 27-25.595
• February 28, 1845: House passes the Senate version of the resolution.596 • March 1, 1845: President John Tyler signs the joint resolution to annex Texas to
the United States.597
• July 4, 1845: A special convention of delegates elected by the people of the
Republic of Texas meet to consider the joint resolution offered by the U.S. Congress to annex the Republic. The delegates vote to accept the U.S. government’s offer of annexation and membership into the Union.598
• July 4-August 28, 1845: Delegates meet in Austin to draft a state constitution.599 • August 28, 1845: Delegates sign the new Texas state constitution.600 • October 13, 1845: In a popular referendum, Texas voters approve annexation by
a vote of 7,664 to 430 and approve the state constitution by a vote of 7,527 to 536.601
• December 10, 1845: House Committee on Territories reports a joint resolution,
29 H.J.Res. 2, “for the admission of the State of Texas to the Union.”602
• December 16, 1845: House approves the joint resolution to admit Texas to the
Union.603
593 U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, “A Guide to the United States’ History of Recognition, Diplomatic, and Consular Relations, by Country, since 1776: Texas,” at https://history.state.gov/countries/texas.
594 House Journal, 28th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 25, 1845), p. 264; Congressional Globe, 28th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 25, 1845), p. 194.
595 Senate Journal, 28th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 27, 1845), pp. 220-221; Congressional Globe, 28th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 27, 1845), p. 362.
596 The vote was reported as 134-77 in the House Journal and 132-76 in the Congressional Globe. See House Journal, 28th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 28, 1845), p. 527, and Congressional Globe, 28th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 28, 1845), p. 372.
597 Texas State Library and Archives Commission, “Joint Resolution for Annexing Texas to the United States Approved March 1, 1845,” at https://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/abouttx/annexation/march1845.html; 5 Stat. 797. 598 “Ordinance of the Convention of Texas, July 4, 1845,” Yale Law School, Avalon Project, at https://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/texan03.asp; Ralph W. Steen, “Convention of 1845,” in Handbook of Texas, at https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/convention-of-1845.
599 Journals of the Convention, assembled at the city of Austin on the Fourth of July, 1845, for the purpose of framing a
constitution for the State of Texas (Austin, TX: Miner & Cruger, 1845).
600 Journals of the Convention, pp. 366-367. 601 Texas State Library and Archives Commission, “Ratification of Texas Annexation, 1845 Vote Totals,” at https://www.tsl.texas.gov/treasures/earlystate/annex-doc.html.
602 House Journal, 29th Cong., 1st sess. (December 10, 1845), p. 71; Congressional Globe, 29th Cong., 1st sess. (December 10, 1845), pp. 39-40.
603 The vote was reported as 141-57 in the House Journal and 141-56 in the Congressional Globe. See House Journal, 29th Cong., 1st sess. (December 16, 1845), p. 110, and Congressional Globe, 29th Cong., 1st sess. (December 16, 1845), p. 65.
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• December 22, 1845: Senate passes the joint resolution to admit Texas.604 • December 29, 1845: President James K. Polk signs the resolution admitting
Texas into the Union as the 28th state.605
Utah
• February 2, 1848: The United
Utah: 45th State
States, through the Treaty of
Utah Territory created September 9, 1850 (9 Stat. 453)
Guadalupe Hidalgo, acquires
Enabling and statehood law enacted July 16, 1894 (28 Stat. 107)
from Mexico the land that will
Utah admitted January 4, 1896 (29 Stat. 876)
become Utah.606
• January 29, 1850: Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky proposes what will later
become the Compromise of 1850. While not part of his original proposal, the eventual legislative package includes organizing a territorial government for Utah.607
• May 8, 1850: The “Senate Select Committee of Thirteen” reports 31 S. 225, a
bill that would admit California to statehood, create territorial governments for New Mexico and Utah, and revise the borders of Texas.608
• August 1, 1850: Senate passes an amended version of the bill with no recorded
vote on final passage. It is now a narrower piece of legislation that would create the Territory of Utah.609
• September 7, 1850: The House passes the Utah Territory bill by a vote of 97-
85.610
• September 9, 1850: President Millard Fillmore signs the Utah Territory bill into
law. It is one of five bills that make up the Compromise of 1850.611
• September 6, 1893: Delegate Joseph L. Rawlins of Utah introduces a bill for
Utah’s admission to the Union (53 H.R. 352).612 It is the latest in decades of attempts by Utah to secure statehood.613
604 The Congressional Globe records the vote to adopt the resolution as 31-14, but the Senate Journal does not record a vote. Instead, the Senate Journal records a vote of 31-13 to read the bill for a third time. Senate Journal, 29th Cong., 1st sess. (December 22, 1845), p. 64; Congressional Globe, 29th Cong., 1st sess. (December 22, 1845), p. 92.
605 9 Stat. 108. 606 “Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848),” in NARA, Milestone Documents, at https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/treaty-of-guadalupe-hidalgo; 9 Stat. 922.
607 McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, pp. 70-75. 608 U.S. Congress, Senate Committee of Thirteen, report to accompany S. 225 and S. 226, 31st Cong., 1st sess., S. Rept. 31-123, May 8, 1850; Congressional Globe, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (May 8, 1850), pp. 944-948.
609 Senate Journal, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (August 1, 1850), p. 518; Congressional Globe, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (August 1, 1850), p. 1504.
610 House Journal, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (September 7, 1850), p. 1425; Congressional Globe, 31st Cong. 1st sess. (September 7, 1850), p. 1776.
611 “Introduction,” in Library of Congress, Compromise of 1850: Primary Documents in American History, at https://guides.loc.gov/compromise-1850; 9 Stat. 453.
612 House Journal, 53rd Cong., 1st sess. (September 6, 1893), p. 37; Congressional Record, vol. 25, part 1 (September 6, 1893), p. 1276.
613 Robert Lee Warthen, “Legal Research in the State of Deseret and the Utah Territory, 1847-1896,” in Chiorazzi and Most, Prestatehood Legal Materials, vol. 2, pp. 1217-1270.
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• December 13, 1893: House Committee on Territories reports the bill favorably
with amendments. The House agrees to the amendments and passes the bill without a recorded vote.614
• July 10, 1894: The Senate passes the Utah bill without a recorded vote.615 • July 16, 1894: President Grover Cleveland signs the Utah Enabling Act into
law.616
• November 1894: Eligible voters in Utah select 107 delegates to a constitutional
convention.617
• March 4-May 8, 1895: The delegates meet in Salt Lake City to write the state
constitution.618
• May 8, 1895: The delegates approve the constitution by a vote of 99 to 0.619 • November 5, 1895: Utah’s eligible voters approve the constitution 31,305 to
7,607.620
• January 4, 1896: President Cleveland issues a proclamation of statehood, and
Utah is admitted to the Union as the 45th state.621
Vermont
• July 20, 1764: King George III, in a
King-in-Council order, declares the
Vermont: 14th State
Connecticut River is the border between New York and New Hampshire, leaving
Vermont admitted March 4, 1791 (1 Stat. 191)
the disputed territory known as the New Hampshire Grants inside the borders of New York.622
• January 15, 1777: Delegates meeting in Westminster declare the New
Hampshire Grants are a “free and independent state.”623
614 House Journal, 53rd Cong., 2nd sess. (December 13, 1893), p. 29; Congressional Record, vol. 26, part 1 (December 13, 1893), p. 220.
615 Senate Journal, 53rd Cong., 2nd sess. (July 10, 1894), p. 283; Congressional Record, vol. 26, part 7 (July 10, 1894), p. 7251.
616 28 Stat. 107. 617 Official Report of the Proceedings and Debates of the Convention Assembled at Salt Lake City on the Fourth Date
of March, 1895, to Adopt A Constitution for the State of Utah, vol. 1 (Salt Lake City, UT: Star Printing Company, 1898), pp. 3-4.
618 Official Report of the Proceedings and Debates, vols. 1-2. 619 Official Report of the Proceedings and Debates, vol. 2, pp. 1850-1851. 620 “Utah State Constitution,” in Utah Division of Archives and Records Service, Utah’s Road to Statehood, at https://archives.utah.gov/research/exhibits/Statehood/conintro.htm; Stanley S. Ivans, “A Constitution for Utah,” Utah
Historical Quarterly, vol. 25 (1957), pp. 94-116.
621 29 Stat. 876. 622 Vermont v. New Hampshire, 289 U.S. 593 (1933), pp. 596 and 598-600. 623 “New-Hampshire Grants. Westminster Court-House, January 15th, 1777,” and “The Declaration and Petition of the Inhabitants of the New-Hampshire Grants, to Congress, announcing the District to be a Free and Independent State,” in Vermont State Papers; Being a Collection of Records and Documents, Connected with the Assumption and
Establishment of Government by the People of Vermont, ed. William Slade Jr. (Middlebury, VT: J.W. Copeland, 1823), pp. 68-73.
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• July 2-8, 1777: Delegates meet in Windsor and write a constitution for the
“Commonwealth or State of Vermont.”624
• August 20-21, 1781: Congress, operating under the Articles of Confederation,
says it will consider admitting Vermont as a state only after settlement of its borders.625 During this period, Vermont “existed in something of a political netherworld, not really a state, and not really an independent country.”626
• October 28, 1790: Vermont agrees to settle land claims and its border dispute
with New York.627
• January 10, 1791: Delegates in Bennington vote 105-4 to ratify the U.S.
Constitution.628
• February 9, 1791: President George Washington sends to Congress copies of
“authentic documents, expressing the consent of the Legislatures of New York and of the territory of Vermont, that the said territory shall be admitted to be a distinct member of our Union.” Senate and House each refer the papers to a select committee for consideration.629
• February 10, 1791: Senator Rufus King of New York reports from the Senate
select committee a bill admitting Vermont “as a new and entire member of the United States of America.”630
• February 12, 1791: Senate passes the Vermont bill without a recorded vote.631 • February 14, 1791: House passes the Vermont bill without a recorded vote.632 • February 18, 1791: President Washington signs the Vermont bill, making its
admission effective on March 4.633
• March 4, 1791: Vermont becomes the 14th state.634
624 “Constitution of Vermont” (1777) in Thorpe, Federal and State Constitutions, vol. 6, pp. 3737-3749. 625 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 21 (August 20-21, 1781), pp. 887-888 and 892-893. 626 Peverill Squire, The Evolution of American Legislatures: Colonies, Territories, and States, 1619-2009 (Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press, 2012), p. 159.
627 “An Act directing the payment of thirty thousand Dollars to the State of Newyork, and declaring what shall be the Boundary line between the State of Vermont and State of Newyork—and declaring certain grants therein mentioned, extinguished,” in Acts and Laws, Passed by the Legislature of the State of Vermont, at their session at Castleton, the
second Thursday of October, 1790 (Windsor, VT: Alden Spooner, 1790), pp. 9-10.
628 Elliot, Debates, vol. 1, pp. 337-338; “State of Vermont. In Convention of the Delegates of the people of the State of Vermont,” in Slade, Vermont State Papers, pp. 194-195. 629 There are slight differences in punctuation and capitalization of the presidential message in the various sources. See House Journal, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (February 9, 1791), p. 373; Senate Journal, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (February 9, 1791), pp. 241-246; and Annals of Congress, vol. 2, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (February 9, 1791), pp. 1798 and 2013.
630 Senate Journal, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (February 10, 1791), p. 247; Annals of Congress, vol. 2, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (February 10, 1791), p. 1798.
631 Senate Journal, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (February 12, 1791), p. 262; Annals of Congress, vol. 2, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (February 12, 1791), p. 1800.
632 House Journal, 1st Cong., 3rd sess. (February 14, 1791), p. 378. The Annals of Congress does not report House passage of the bill.
633 1 Stat. 191. 634 Samuel B. Hand and H. Nicholas Muller III, “The State of Vermont,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 3, pp. 1215-1245.
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Virginia
• April 10, 1606: King James I grants a
Virginia: 10th State
charter to the Virginia Company to
Virginia ratified Constitution June 25, 1788
create a colony in “that part of America commonly called Virginia.”635
• July 4, 1776: Virginia joins 12 other colonies in declaring independence from
Great Britain.636
• July 9, 1778: Virginia signs the Articles of Confederation.637 • May 14-September 17, 1787: Seven of Virginia’s 10 delegates participate in the
Constitutional Convention.638
• June 25, 1788: Virginia’s convention ratifies the Constitution by a vote of
89-79.639
Washington
• October 20, 1818: U.S.
Washington: 42nd State
envoys Albert Gallatin and
Washington Territory created March 2, 1853 (10 Stat. 172)
Richard Rush sign a
Enabling and statehood law enacted February 22, 1889 (25 Stat. 676)
convention with Great
Washington admitted November 11, 1889 (26 Stat. 1552)
Britain agreeing to jointly occupy the Oregon Territory. This area includes land that will become the state of Washington.640
• June 15, 1846: Secretary of State James Buchanan signs the Oregon Treaty with
Great Britain, allowing the United States to acquire all land in the Oregon Territory south of the 49th parallel.641
• November 25-28, 1852: Forty-four delegates meet in Monticello, at the mouth of
the Cowlitz River in the Oregon Territory, to draft and sign a memorial petitioning Congress to divide the Oregon Territory and create the separate territory of Columbia.642
• January 25, 1853: Representative Charles Stuart of Michigan reports, from the
House Committee on Territories, a bill (32 H.R. 348) to establish a new Columbia Territory.643
635 “The First Charter of Virginia—1606,” in Thorpe, Federal and State Constitutions, vol. 7, pp. 3783-3789. 636 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 5 (July 4, 1776), pp. 510-516. 637 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 11 (July 9, 1778), p. 677. 638 Farrand, Records, p. 558. 639 Elliot, Debates, vol 1., p. 327; Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, vol. 10, pp. 1540-1545. 640 8 Stat. 248. 641 9 Stat. 869; Lang, “Oregon Treaty, 1846.” 642 Dennis P. Weber, “The Creation of Washington: Securing Democracy North of the Columbia,” Columbia: The
Magazine of Northwest History, vol. 17, no. 3 (Fall 2003), pp. 27-34; Washington State Archives, Territorial Timeline, at https://www.sos.wa.gov/archives/timeline/detail.aspx?id=214.
643 House Journal, 32nd Cong., 2nd sess. (January 25, 1853), p. 185; Congressional Globe, 32nd Cong., 2nd sess. (January 25, 1853), p. 402.
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• February 10, 1853: House passes 32 H.R. 348, amended to change the new
territory’s name to Washington.644
• March 2, 1853: Senate passes 32 H.R. 348 without a recorded vote.645 President
Millard Fillmore signs it into law.646
• December 12, 1887: Senator Charles F. Manderson of Nebraska introduces 50 S.
185, a bill to “provide for the division of Dakota into two States and to enable the people of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington to form constitutions and State governments and to be admitted into the Union.”647
• April 19, 1888: Senate votes 26-23 to pass an amended version of 50 S. 185 that
would enable the Washington Territory to create a constitution, form a state government, and join the Union.648
• January 18, 1889: The House votes 145-98 to pass an amended version of 50 S.
185. This new version would clear the way to admit Montana, New Mexico, Washington, and—depending on the results of a referendum on division—either a combined state of Dakota or separate states of North Dakota and South Dakota.649
• February 20, 1889: The House and Senate agree to a compromise version of 50
S. 185 that allows the creation and admission of four new states: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington. Both chambers pass the bill without recorded votes.650
• February 22, 1889: President Grover Cleveland signs 50 S. 185, enabling
statehood for Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington.651
• July 4-August 22, 1889: Seventy-five delegates convene a Constitutional
Convention in the Territorial Capitol Building in Olympia to draft a state’s constitution for Washington.652
• October 1, 1889: Eligible voters approve the state constitution, by a vote of
40,152 in favor and 11,879 opposed.653
644 The House Journal reported the vote as 129-29, while the Congressional Globe reported the vote as 128-29. See House Journal, 32nd Cong., 2nd sess. (February 10, 1853), pp. 268-270, and Congressional Globe, 32nd Cong., 2nd sess. (February 10, 1853), p. 555.
645 Senate Journal, 32nd Cong., 2nd sess. (March 2, 1853), p. 274; Congressional Globe, 32nd Cong., 2nd sess. (March 2, 1853), p. 1020.
646 10 Stat. 172. 647 Senate Journal, 50th Cong., 1st sess. (December 12, 1887), p. 33; Congressional Record, vol. 19, part 1 (December 12, 1887), p. 22.
648 Senate Journal, 50th Cong., 1st sess. (April 19, 1888), pp. 695-696; Congressional Record, vol. 19, part 4 (April 19, 1888), pp. 3139-3140.
649 House Journal, 50th Cong., 2nd sess. (January 18, 1889), pp. 290-298; Congressional Record, vol. 20, part 1 (January 18, 1889), pp. 951-952.
650 House Journal, 50th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 20, 1889), pp. 561-570; Senate Journal, 50th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 20, 1889), pp. 357-366; Congressional Record, vol. 20, part 3 (February 20, 1889), pp. 2104 and 2116.
651 25 Stat. 676. 652 Beverly Paulik Rosenow (ed.), The Journal of the Washington State Constitutional Convention, 1889 (Buffalo, NY: William S. Hein & Co., 1999); Washington State Archives, Washington State Constitution, at https://www.sos.wa.gov/archives/state-constitution.aspx.
653 Washington State Constitution; James Leonard Fitts, “The Washington Constitutional Convention of 1889” (master’s thesis, University of Washington, 1951), at https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/267983137.pdf, pp. 194-195.
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• November 11, 1889: President Benjamin Harrison issues a proclamation
declaring Washington’s admission into the Union as the 42nd state.654
West Virginia
• April 17, 1861: Delegates to a
West Virginia: 35th State
Virginia state convention adopt an
Enabling and admission law enacted December 31,
Ordinance of Secession to repeal
1862 (12 Stat. 633)
Virginia’s 1788 ratification of the
West Virginia admitted June 20, 1863 (13 Stat. 731)
Constitution and secede from the Union.655
• May 13-15, 1861: Delegates from a number of counties in western Virginia
assemble for the First Wheeling Convention to consider action on the Ordinance of Secession, and resolve to work to defeat passage of the ordinance. The delegates agree that if voters approve the ordinance, delegates from the western counties will elect delegates to a Second Wheeling Convention, to be convened on June 11, 1861.656
• May 23, 1861: Virginia’s eligible voters ratify the Ordinance of Secession by a
vote of 125,950 to 20,373.657
• June 11-25, 1861: Delegates from Virginia’s western region meet in the Second
Wheeling Convention to form Virginia’s “Restored Government” and officially declare allegiance to the Union.658
• July 1861: The U.S. government recognizes the Restored Government as
Virginia’s legitimate governing body and allows representatives from the region to fill seats in Congress vacated when Virginia adopted its secession ordinance.659
• August 6-21, 1861: The Second Wheeling Convention reconvenes. On August
20, the convention approves a proposal to create a new state of “Kanawha.”660
654 26 Stat. 1552. 655 “Ordinance of Secession of the Commonwealth of Virginia,” April 17, 1861, NARA, Record Group 59, Series: Records Relating to the Virginia Ordinance of Secession, at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/598395.
656 “Proceedings of the First Wheeling Convention,” in West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, A State
of Convenience: The Creation of West Virginia, at https://archive.wvculture.org/history/statehood/wheelingconvention1toc.html. See also “First Wheeling Convention,” in State of Convenience, at https://archive.wvculture.org/history/statehood/statehood05.html, and Kevin Fredette, “West Virginia—‘One of a Kind,’” in Chiorazzi and Most, Prestatehood Legal Materials, vol. 2, pp. 1369-1386. 657 “Ratification of the Ordinance of Secession,” in State of Convenience, at https://archive.wvculture.org/history/statehood/statehood06.html; Richard H. Owens, Rogue State: The Unconstitutional Process of Establishing West
Virginia Statehood (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2013), p. 19.
658 “First Session of the Second Wheeling Convention,” in State of Convenience, at https://archive.wvculture.org/history/statehood/statehood07.html.
659 Fredette, “West Virginia—‘One of a Kind,’” p. 1380; “Memorial of the Commissioners Appointed by the Convention of West Virginia, Praying for the admission of that State into the Union,” Senate Misc. Doc. No. 99, 37th Cong., 2nd sess., May 31, 1862, p. 9.
660 “Proceedings of the Second Session of the Second Wheeling Convention,” in State of Convenience, at https://archive.wvculture.org/history/statehood/wheelingconvention20820.html; Fredette, “West Virginia—‘One of a Kind,’” p. 1380; “Ordinance to Provide for the Formation of a New State out of a Portion of the Territory of this State,” in Virginia Compacts, Virginia General Assembly LIS, at https://law.lis.virginia.gov/compacts/virginia-west-virginia-debt-agreement-of-1861/.
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• October 24, 1861: Eligible voters approve the “Ordinance to Provide for the
Formation of a New State out of a Portion of the Territory of this State,” by a vote of 18,408 to 781.661
• November 26, 1861-February 20, 1862: Delegates meet in Wheeling to write
the constitution for the new state of Kanawha. They change the name of the new state to West Virginia.662
• February 18, 1862: Delegates to the Constitutional Convention unanimously
approve the state constitution.663
• May 13, 1862: The General Assembly of the Restored Government of Virginia
passes an “Act of the Reorganized Government of Virginia Granting Permission for Creation of New State.”664
• May 29, 1862: Senator Waitman T. Willey of Virginia665 presents a petition to the
U.S. Senate for the admission of West Virginia to the Union.666
• June 23, 1862: The Senate Committee on Territories reports a bill (37 S. 365)
providing for the admission of West Virginia into the Union.667
• July 14, 1862: Senate passes an amended version of the bill that includes an
amendment to provide for gradual emancipation of slaves in West Virginia. The Senate approves, by a vote of 23 to 17, West Virginia’s statehood on the condition that it makes the necessary amendment to the state constitution.668
• December 10, 1862: House passes the West Virginia statehood bill.669 • December 31, 1862: President Abraham Lincoln signs the West Virginia
statehood bill.670
• February 12-20, 1863: West Virginia’s Constitutional Convention reconvenes
and approves the emancipation amendment on February 17, by a vote of 54 to
661 Fredette, “West Virginia—‘One of a Kind,’” p. 1381; “Statehood Referendum,” in State of Convenience, at https://archive.wvculture.org/history/statehood/statehood10.html; “Proceedings of the Second Session of the Second Wheeling Convention,” in State of Convenience, at https://archive.wvculture.org/history/statehood/wheelingconvention20820.html; Richard Orr Curry, A House Divided, Appendix III, pp. 149-150.
662 Debates and Proceedings of the First Constitutional Convention of West Virginia, 1861-1863, 3 vols. (Huntington, WV: Gentry Brothers, [1939]).
663 First Constitutional Convention Proceedings, vol. 3, p. 449; Fredette, “West Virginia—‘One of a Kind,’” p. 1381. 664 “Act of the Reorganized Government of Virginia Granting Permission for Creation of New State,” in State of
Convenience, at https://archive.wvculture.org/history/statehood/rgov051362.html; Fredette, “West Virginia—‘One of a Kind,’” p. 1381. 665 Initially elected from the Restored Government of Virginia, he would represent West Virginia in the Senate starting in 1863. See “Willey, Waitman Thomas” in Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, at https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/W000484.
666 Congressional Globe, 37th Cong., 2nd sess. (May 29, 1862), p. 2415. 667 Congressional Globe, 37th Cong., 2nd sess. (June 23, 1862), p. 2864. 668 Senate Journal, 37th Cong., 2nd sess. (July 14, 1862), p. 835; Congressional Globe, 37th Cong., 2nd sess. (July 14, 1862), p. 3320.
669 The Congressional Globe reports the vote as 96-55, while the House Journal reports the vote as 96-57. See
Congressional Globe, 37th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 10, 1862), p. 59, and House Journal, 37th Cong., 2nd sess. (December 10, 1862), pp. 58-59.
670 12 Stat. 633.
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zero. The convention approves the amended constitution the next day, 52 to zero.671
• March 26, 1863: Eligible voters ratify the revised state constitution by a vote of
28,321 to 572.672
• April 20, 1863: President Lincoln issues a proclamation admitting West Virginia
into the Union.673
• June 20, 1863: West Virginia is admitted into the Union as the 35th state, 60 days
after the presidential proclamation.674
Wisconsin
• September 3, 1783: The United
States acquires the the land that
Wisconsin: 30th State
will become Wisconsin in the
Wisconsin Territory created July 3, 1836 (5 Stat. 10)
Treaty of Paris.675
Enabling law enacted August 6, 1846 (9 Stat. 56)
•
Wisconsin admitted May 29, 1848 (9 Stat. 233)
January 21, 1836: Senator John
M. Clayton of Delaware introduces 24 S. 92, a bill to create the Wisconsin Territory.676
• March 29, 1836: Senate passes 24 S. 92 without a recorded vote.677 • April 8, 1836: House passes an amended version of 24 S. 92 without a recorded
vote.678
• April 11, 1836: Senate concurs in two of the House’s three amendments and
sends 24 S. 92 back to the House without a recorded vote.679
• April 14, 1836: House insists on its remaining amendment, sending 24 S. 92
back to the Senate without a recorded vote.680
671 “West Virginians Approve the Willey Amendment,” in State of Convenience, at https://archive.wvculture.org/history/statehood/statehood15.html; “Votes of the Delegates on Revised Constitution,” in State of Convenience, at https://archive.wvculture.org/history/statehood/ccvote.html; First Constitutional Convention Proceedings, vol. 3, pp. 728 and 731.
672 “West Virginians Approve the Willey Amendment,” in State of Convenience, at https://archive.wvculture.org/history/statehood/statehood15.html; A House Divided, pp. 150-151.
673 13 Stat. 731. 674 13 Stat. 731. 675 Jonathan Kasparek, “The State of Wisconsin,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 3, pp. 1325-1350. 676 Senate Journal, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (January 21, 1836), p. 112; Congressional Globe, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (January 21, 1836), p. 127.
677 Senate Journal, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (March 29, 1836), pp. 249-250; Congressional Globe, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (March 29, 1836), p. 301.
678 House Journal, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (April 8, 1836), pp. 649-651; Congressional Globe, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (April 8, 1836), pp. 339-341.
679 Senate Journal, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (April 11, 1836), p. 282; Congressional Globe, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (April 11, 1836), p. 343.
680 House Journal, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (April 14, 1836), pp. 700-701; Congressional Globe, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (April 14, 1836), p. 359.
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• April 18, 1836: Senate accepts the House version of 24 S. 92 without a recorded
vote.681
• April 20, 1836: President Andrew Jackson signs 24 S. 92, creating the Wisconsin
Territory as of July 3, 1836.682
• January 13, 1846: Delegate Morgan L. Martin of Wisconsin introduces 29 H.R.
105, a bill that would enable Wisconsin residents to write a constitution and form a government ahead of statehood.683
• June 9, 1846: House amends and passes 29 H.R. 105 without a recorded vote.684 • June 10, 1846: House votes to reconsider its vote to pass 29 H.R. 105, then
amends and passes it without a recorded vote.685
• August 5, 1846: Senate passes 29 H.R. 105 without a recorded vote.686 • August 6, 1846: President James K. Polk signs 29 H.R. 105, enabling Wisconsin
residents to write a constitution and form a state government.687
• October 5, 1846: Delegates gather in Madison to write a state constitution.688 • December 16, 1846: The Madison convention adjourns after completing work on
a state constitution.689
• April 6, 1847: Wisconsin voters reject ratification of the state constitution,
20,233 to 14,119.690
• December 15, 1847: Delegates gather in Madison for a second constitutional
convention.691
• February 1, 1848: Delegates at the second Madison convention approve a new
state constitution by a vote of 60 to 1.692
• March 13, 1848: Wisconsin voters ratify the new state constitution, 16,759 to
6,384.693
681 Senate Journal, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (April 18, 1836), p. 294; Congressional Globe, 24th Cong., 1st sess. (April 18, 1836), p. 370.
682 5 Stat. 10. 683 House Journal, 29th Cong., 1st sess. (January 13, 1846), p. 253; Congressional Globe, 29th Cong., 1st sess. (January 13, 1846), p. 196.
684 House Journal, 29th Cong., 1st sess. (June 9, 1846), pp. 931-932; Congressional Globe, 29th Cong., 1st sess. (June 9, 1846), pp. 949-950.
685 The House’s initial vote on reconsideration was recorded in the House Journal as 127-45 and in the Congressional
Globe as 125-45. See House Journal, 29th Cong., 1st sess. (June 10, 1846), pp. 936-938, and Congressional Globe, 29th Cong., 1st sess. (June 10, 1846), pp. 952-953.
686 Senate Journal, 29th Cong., 1st sess. (August 5, 1846), p. 482; Congressional Globe, 29th Cong., 1st sess. (August 5, 1846), p. 1194.
687 9 Stat. 56. 688 Journal of the Convention to Form a Constitution for the State of Wisconsin: Begun and Held at Madison, on the
Fifth Day of October, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty-Six (Madison, WI: Beriah Brown, 1847), p. 3.
689 Journal of the Convention to Form a Constitution for the State of Wisconsin (1847), p. 477. 690 Jack Stark, The Wisconsin State Constitution: A Reference Guide (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997), p. 4. 691 Journal of the Convention to Form a Constitution for the State of Wisconsin, With a Sketch of the Debates, Begun
and Held at Madison, on the Fifteenth Day of December, Eighteen Hundred and Forty-Seven (Madison, WI: Tenney, Smith & Holt, 1848), p. 3.
692 Journal of the Convention to Form a Constitution for the State of Wisconsin (1848), p. 599. 693 Stark, Wisconsin State Constitution, p. 8.
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• April 13, 1848: Representative Caleb B. Smith of Indiana reports 30 H.R. 397, a
bill to admit Wisconsin as a state, from the House Committee on Territories.694
• May 11, 1848: House amends 30 H.R. 397 and passes it without a recorded
vote.695
• May 19, 1848: Senate passes 30 H.R. 397 without a recorded vote.696 • May 29, 1848: President Polk signs 30 H.R. 397, admitting Wisconsin into the
Union as the 30th state.697
Wyoming
• February 2, 1848: The United States,
in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,
Wyoming: 44th State
acquires from Mexico part of the land
Wyoming Territory created July 25, 1868 (15 Stat. 178)
that will become Wyoming , adding to
Wyoming admitted July 10, 1890 (26 Stat. 222)
territory acquired earlier in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the annexation of Texas in 1845, and the Oregon Treaty of 1846.698
• February 13, 1868: Senator Richard Yates of Illinois introduces 40 S. 357, a bill
to create the Wyoming Territory.699
• June 3, 1868: Senate amends 40 S. 357 and passes it without a recorded vote.700 • July 22, 1868: House passes 40 S. 357 by a 106-50 vote.701 • July 25, 1868: President Andrew Johnson signs 40 S. 357, creating the Wyoming
Territory.702
• June 3, 1889: Territorial Governor Francis E. Warren sets a July election for
delegates to a constitutional convention that will meet in Cheyenne.703
• September 2, 1889: Delegates gather in Cheyenne to write a state constitution.704
694 House Journal, 30th Cong., 1st sess. (April 13, 1848), p. 677; Congressional Globe, 30th Cong., 1st sess. (April 13, 1848), p. 623.
695 House Journal, 30th Cong., 1st sess. (May 11, 1848), pp. 787-789; Congressional Globe, 30th Cong., 1st sess. (May 11, 1848), pp. 754-755.
696 Senate Journal, 30th Cong., 1st sess. (May 19, 1848), p. 351; Congressional Globe, 30th Cong., 1st sess. (May 19, 1848), p. 785.
697 9 Stat. 233. 698 Phil Roberts, “The State of Wyoming,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 3, pp. 1351-1378. 699 Senate Journal, 40th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 13, 1868), p. 185; Congressional Globe, 40th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 13, 1868), p. 1143.
700 Senate Journal, 40th Cong., 2nd sess. (June 3, 1868), p. 450; Congressional Globe, 40th Cong., 2nd sess. (June 3, 1868), p. 2802.
701 House Journal, 40th Cong., 2nd sess. (July 22, 1868), pp. 1150-1151; Congressional Globe, 40th Cong., 2nd sess. (July 22, 1868), p. 4345.
702 15 Stat. 178. 703 “Proclamation by the Governor,” in Report of the Governor of Wyoming to the Secretary of the Interior, 1889, by Francis E. Warren (Washington: GPO, 1889), pp. 123-124.
704 Journal and Debates of the Constitutional Convention of the State of Wyoming (Cheyenne, WY: The Daily Sun, Book and Job Printing, 1893), p. 3.
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• September 30, 1889: Delegates at the Cheyenne convention vote 37-0 to adopt a
state constitution for Wyoming.705
• November 5, 1889: Wyoming voters ratify the new state constitution, 6,272 to
1,923.706
• December 18, 1889: Delegate Joseph M. Carey of Wyoming introduces 51 H.R.
982, a bill to admit Wyoming as a state.707
• March 26, 1890: House amends and passes 51 H.R. 982 by a 139-127 vote.708 • June 27, 1890: Senate amends and passes 51 H.R. 982 by a 29-18 vote.709 • July 8, 1890: House passes the Senate-amended version of 51 H.R. 982 without
a recorded vote.710
• July 10, 1890: President Benjamin Harrison signs 51 H.R. 982, admitting
Wyoming into the Union as the 44th state.711
Author Information
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Carol Wilson
Research Librarian
Senior Research Librarian
Kathleen E. Marchsteiner
Senior Research Librarian
705 Journal and Debates of the Constitutional Convention of the State of Wyoming, p. 863. 706 Warren, Report of the Governor of Wyoming to the Secretary of the Interior, 1890 (Washington: GPO, 1890), p. 14. .
707 707
House Journal, 51st Cong., 1st sess. (December 18, 1889), p. 41; , 51st Cong., 1st sess. (December 18, 1889), p. 41;
Congressional Record, vol. 21, part 1 (December , vol. 21, part 1 (December
18, 1889), pp. 261-262. 18, 1889), pp. 261-262.
708
708
House Journal, 51st Cong., 1st sess. (March 26, 1890), pp. 391-392; , 51st Cong., 1st sess. (March 26, 1890), pp. 391-392;
Congressional Record, vol. 21, part 3 (March , vol. 21, part 3 (March
26, 1890), pp. 2711-2712. 26, 1890), pp. 2711-2712.
709
709
Senate Journal, 51st Cong., 1st sess. (June 27, 1890), p. 400; , 51st Cong., 1st sess. (June 27, 1890), p. 400;
Congressional Record, vol. 21, part 7 (June 27, 1890), , vol. 21, part 7 (June 27, 1890),
p. 6589. p. 6589.
710
710
House Journal, 51st Cong., 1st sess. (July 8, 1890), p. 833; , 51st Cong., 1st sess. (July 8, 1890), p. 833;
Congressional Record, vol. 21, part 7 (July 8, 1890), p. , vol. 21, part 7 (July 8, 1890), p.
7034. 7034.
711 26 Stat. 222.
711 26 Stat. 222.
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