Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
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Admission of States to the Union:
A Historical Reference Guide
Updated January 6, 2026
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
R47747
SUMMARY
Admission of States to the Union:
A Historical Reference Guide
The Constitution allows Congress to admit “New States ... into this Union.” By ratifying the
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
government. An additional 37 states joined between 1791 (Vermont) and 1959 (Alaska and
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
on the role of Congress. A chronology describes selected events for each state such as the
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.
R47747
January 6, 2026
Ben Leubsdorf
Senior Research Librarian
Kathleen E. Marchsteiner
Senior Research Librarian
Carol Wilson
Senior Research Librarian
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.
Congressional Research Service
Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
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 .................................................................................................................................... 26
Hawaii ..................................................................................................................................... 27
Idaho........................................................................................................................................ 28
Illinois ..................................................................................................................................... 30
Indiana ..................................................................................................................................... 31
Iowa ......................................................................................................................................... 33
Kansas ..................................................................................................................................... 34
Kentucky ................................................................................................................................. 36
Louisiana ................................................................................................................................. 37
Maine ...................................................................................................................................... 39
Maryland ................................................................................................................................. 40
Massachusetts.......................................................................................................................... 41
Michigan ................................................................................................................................. 41
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 ......................................................................................................................................... 58
Oklahoma ................................................................................................................................ 60
Oregon ..................................................................................................................................... 62
Pennsylvania ........................................................................................................................... 64
Rhode Island............................................................................................................................ 64
South Carolina......................................................................................................................... 65
South Dakota ........................................................................................................................... 65
Congressional Research Service
Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
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
Congressional Research Service
Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
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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Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
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
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
State
Delaware
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Georgia
Connecticut
Massachusetts
Maryland
South Carolina
New Hampshire
Virginia
New York
North Carolina
Rhode Island
Vermont
Kentucky
Tennessee
Ohio
Louisiana
Indiana
Mississippi
Illinois
Alabama
Maine
Missouri
Arkansas
Admission Date
December 7, 1787
December 12, 1787
December 18, 1787
January 2, 1788
January 9, 1788
February 6, 1788
April 28, 1788
May 23, 1788
June 21, 1788
June 25, 1788
July 26, 1788
November 21, 1789
May 29, 1790
March 4, 1791
June 1, 1792
June 1, 1796
March 1, 1803
April 30, 1812
December 11, 1816
December 10, 1817
December 3, 1818
December 14, 1819
March 15, 1820
August 10, 1821
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 (The Haworth Information Press, 2005).
19 Three volumes, edited by Benjamin F. Shearer (Greenwood Press, 2004).
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Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
Order
State
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
Michigan
Florida
Texas
Iowa
Wisconsin
California
Minnesota
Oregon
Kansas
West Virginia
Nevada
Nebraska
Colorado
North Dakota
South Dakota
Montana
Washington
Idaho
Wyoming
Utah
Oklahoma
New Mexico
Arizona
Alaska
Hawaii
Admission Date
January 26, 1837
March 3, 1845
December 29, 1845
December 28, 1846
May 29, 1848
September 9, 1850
May 11, 1858
February 14, 1859
January 29, 1861
June 20, 1863
October 31, 1864
March 1, 1867
August 1, 1876
November 2, 1889
November 2, 1889
November 8, 1889
November 11, 1889
July 3, 1890
July 10, 1890
January 4, 1896
November 16, 1907
January 6, 1912
February 14, 1912
January 3, 1959
August 21, 1959
Sources: Benjamin F. Shearer (ed.), The Uniting States: The Story of Statehood for the Fifty United States, 3 vols.
(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. (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
Name Differs)
House Passage
Senate Passage
Presidential
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
25-12
Feb. 24, 1863
12 Stat. 664
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
90-44
Feb. 26, 1861
26-18
Feb. 28, 1861
12 Stat. 172
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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Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
State
(Territory, if
Name Differs)
House Passage
Senate Passage
Presidential
Approval
Citation(s)
Florida
March 27, 1822
Unanimousa
March 27, 1822
March 30, 1822
3 Stat. 654
Georgia
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Hawaii
Apr. 27, 1900
138-54
Apr. 25, 1900
Apr. 30, 1900
31 Stat. 141
56 S. 222
Idaho
March 3, 1863
65-33a
March 3, 1863
25-12
March 3, 1863
12 Stat. 808
37 H.R. 738
Illinois
Jan. 18, 1809
69-37
Jan. 31, 1809
Feb. 3, 1809
2 Stat. 514
Indiana
May 3, 1800
May 5, 1800
May 7, 1800
2 Stat. 58
Iowa
June 6, 1838
118-51
June 6, 1838
June 12, 1838
5 Stat. 235
25 S. 269
Kansas
May 22, 1854
113-100
May 25, 1854
35-13
May 30, 1854
10 Stat. 277
33 H.R. 236
Kentucky
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
March 23, 1804
51-45
March 23, 1804
15-9
March 26, 1804
2 Stat. 283
Maine
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Maryland
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Massachusetts
Louisiana
(Orleans Territory)
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
107-70
March 1, 1849
30-18
March 3, 1849
9 Stat. 403
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
102-26
May 19, 1864
26-13
May 26, 1864
13 Stat. 85
38 H.R. 15
Nebraska
May 22, 1854
113-100
May 25, 1854
35-13
May 30, 1854
10 Stat. 277
33 H.R. 236
Nevada
March 1, 1861
92-52b
Feb. 26, 1861
March 2, 1861
12 Stat. 209
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
108-97
Sept. 9, 1850
31-10
Sept. 9, 1850
9 Stat. 446
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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Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
State
(Territory, if
Name Differs)
House Passage
Senate Passage
Presidential
Approval
North Dakota
(Dakota Territory)
March 1, 1861
Feb. 26, 1861
March 2, 1861
12 Stat. 239
36 S. 562
Ohio
(Northwest
Territory)
Oklahoma
Aug. 5, 1789
Aug. 4, 1789
Aug. 7, 1789
1 Stat. 50
Apr. 21, 1890
Apr. 23, 1890
50-5
May 2, 1890
26 Stat. 81
51 S. 895
Aug. 2, 1848
128-71b
Aug. 12, 1848
31-23 and 29-25
Aug. 14, 1848
9 Stat. 323
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
(Dakota Territory)
March 1, 1861
Feb. 26, 1861
March 2, 1861
12 Stat. 239
36 S. 562
Tennessee
(Southwest
Territory)
Texas
May 5, 1790
Apr. 27, 1790
May 26, 1790
1 Stat. 123
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Utah
Sept. 7, 1850
97-85
Aug. 1, 1850
Sept. 9, 1850
9 Stat. 453
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
129-29b
March 2, 1853
March 2, 1853
10 Stat. 172
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
106-50
June 3, 1868
July 25, 1868
15 Stat. 178
40 S. 357
Oregon
Citation(s)
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. Bills and resolutions are presented with the Congress number preceding the bill citation (e.g., H.R. 1
during the 50th Congress would appear as 50 H.R. 1). No bill 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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Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
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
House Passage
Senate Passage
Presidential
Approval
Citation(s)
Alabama
Feb. 19, 1819
Feb. 23, 1819
Mar. 2, 1819
3 Stat. 489
Alaska
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Arizona
June 18, 1910
June 16, 1910
65-0
June 20, 1910
36 Stat. 557
61 H.R. 18166
Arkansas
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
California
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Colorado
Mar. 3, 1875
164-76
Feb. 24, 1875
43-13b
Mar. 3, 1875
18 Stat. 474c
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
Illinois
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
69-45
Feb. 7, 1811
22-10
Feb. 20, 1811
2 Stat. 641
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
24-18
June 15, 1836
5 Stat. 49
24 S. 177
Minnesota
Jan. 31, 1857
97-75
Feb. 25, 1857
31-22
Feb. 26, 1857
11 Stat. 166
34 H.R. 642
Mississippi
Feb. 26, 1817
Feb. 27, 1817
Mar. 1, 1817
3 Stat. 348
Missouri
Mar. 2, 1820
90-87 and 134-42
Mar. 2, 1820
Mar. 6, 1820
3 Stat. 545
Montana
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 22, 1889
25 Stat. 676c
50 S. 185c
State
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Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
House Passage
Senate Passage
Presidential
Approval
Nebraska
Mar. 17, 1864
Apr. 14, 1864
Apr. 19, 1864
13 Stat. 47
38 H.R. 14½
Nevada
Mar. 17, 1864
Feb. 24, 1864
Mar. 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
65-0
June 20, 1910
36 Stat. 557
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
16-6
Apr. 30, 1802
2 Stat. 173
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
State
Citation(s)
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Texas
Feb. 28, 1845
134-77b
Feb. 27, 1845
27-25
Mar. 1, 1845
5 Stat. 797
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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Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
listed if the question was divided. No vote count is listed when a measure was passed by voice vote. The
effective date of legislation may differ from the date of presidential approval. Bills and resolutions are presented
with the Congress number preceding the bill citation (e.g., H.R. 1 during the 50 th Congress would appear as 50
H.R. 1). No bill 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
State
Alabama
House Passage
Senate Passage
Presidential
Approval
Citation(s)
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
Arizona
Aug. 19, 1911
Aug. 18, 1911
53-9
Aug. 21, 1911
37 Stat. 39
62 S.J.Res. 57
Arkansas
June 13, 1836
Apr. 4, 1836
June 15, 1836
5 Stat. 50
143-50
31-6
California
Sept. 7, 1850
150-56
Aug. 13, 1850
34-18
Sept. 9, 1850
9 Stat. 452
31 S. 169
Colorado
Mar. 3, 1875
164-76
Feb. 24, 1875
43-13a
Mar. 3, 1875
18 Stat. 474c
43 H.R. 435c
Connecticut
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
85 H.R. 7999
24 S. 178
Delaware
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Florida
Feb. 13, 1845
144-48a
Mar. 1, 1845
36-9
Mar. 3, 1845
5 Stat. 742
28 H.R. 497
Georgia
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Hawaii
Mar. 12, 1959
Mar. 11, 1959
Mar. 18, 1959
73 Stat. 4
323-89
76-15
Idaho
Apr. 3, 1890
129-1
July 1, 1890
July 3, 1890
26 Stat. 215
51 H.R. 4562
Illinois
Nov. 23, 1818
Dec. 1, 1818
Dec. 3, 1818
3 Stat. 536
Indiana
Dec. 9, 1816
Unanimousa
Dec. 6, 1816
Dec. 11, 1816
3 Stat. 399
Iowa
Dec. 21, 1846
Dec. 24, 1846
Dec. 28, 1846
9 Stat. 117
86 S. 50
117-34
29 H.R. 557
Kansas
Jan. 28, 1861
Jan. 21, 1861
36-16
Kentucky
Jan. 28, 1791
Louisiana
Apr. 6, 1812
Maine
Mar. 3, 1820
Congressional Research Service
Jan. 29, 1861
12 Stat. 126
36 H.R. 23
Jan. 12, 1791
Feb. 4, 1791
1 Stat. 189
Apr. 1, 1812
Apr. 8, 1812
2 Stat. 701
Mar. 3, 1820
Mar. 3, 1820
3 Stat. 544
9
Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
State
Maryland
House Passage
Senate Passage
Presidential
Approval
Citation(s)
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Massachusetts
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Michigan
Jan. 25, 1837
132-43
Jan. 5, 1837
25-10
Jan. 26, 1837
5 Stat. 144
24 S. 81
Minnesota
May 11, 1858
157-39a
Apr. 7, 1858
49-3
May 11, 1858
11 Stat. 285
35 S. 86
Mississippi
Dec. 8, 1817
Dec. 3, 1817
Dec. 10, 1817
3 Stat. 472
Missouri
Feb. 26, 1821
87-81
Feb. 28, 1821
28-14
Mar. 2, 1821
3 Stat. 645
Montana
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 20, 1889
Feb. 22, 1889
25 Stat. 676c
50 S. 185c
Nebraska
Jan. 15, 1867
Jan. 16, 1867
14 Stat. 391
103-55
28-14
Veto (Jan. 30, 1867)
overridden by
Senate (Feb. 8,
1867, 31-9) and
House (Feb. 9,
1867, 120-44)
Mar. 17, 1864
Feb. 24, 1864
Mar. 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
Aug. 19, 1911
Aug. 18, 1911
53-9
Aug. 21, 1911
37 Stat. 39
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. 676c
50 S. 185c
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. 267c
Nevada
39 S. 456
59 H.R. 12707c
Oregon
Feb. 12, 1859
114-103
May 18, 1858
35-17
Feb. 14, 1859
11 Stat. 383
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. 676c
50 S. 185c
Tennessee
May 30, 1796
May 31, 1796
June 1, 1796
1 Stat. 491
Texas
Dec. 16, 1845
141-57a
Dec. 22, 1845
31-14
Dec. 29, 1845
9 Stat. 108
29 H.J.Res. 2
Utah
Dec. 13, 1893
July 10, 1894
July 16, 1894
28 Stat. 107c
53 H.R. 352c
Congressional Research Service
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Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
House Passage
Senate Passage
Presidential
Approval
Citation(s)
Feb. 14, 1791
Feb. 12, 1791
Feb. 18, 1791
1 Stat. 191
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
Dec. 10, 1862
96-55
July 14, 1862
23-17
Dec. 31, 1862
12 Stat. 633
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
29-18
July 10, 1890
26 Stat. 222
51 H.R. 982
State
Vermont
Virginia
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).
Bills and resolutions are presented with the Congress number preceding the bill citation (e.g., H.R. 1 during the
50th Congress would appear as 50 H.R. 1). No bill 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 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
Question or Type
Date
Vote
(Yes-No)
Alabama
N/A
N/A
N/A
Alaska
“Shall Alaska
immediately be
admitted into the
Union as a State?”
Aug. 26, 1958
40,452-8,010
Earlier statehood
referendum held
Oct. 8, 1946; state
constitution ratified
Apr. 24, 1956
Arizona
Amendment to
state constitution
Dec. 12, 1911
14,963-1,980
Congress required
amendment as
condition for
admission; state
constitution ratified
Feb. 9, 1911
State
Congressional Research Service
Notes
N/A
11
Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
State
Referendum
Question or Type
Date
Vote
(Yes-No)
Notes
Arkansas
Opinion of
statehood
Aug. 1, 1835
1,942-908
California
Ratification of state
constitution
Nov. 13, 1849
12,061-811
Colorado
Ratification of state
constitution
July 1, 1876
15,443-4,062
Connecticut
Ratification of U.S.
Constitution
Jan. 9, 1788
128-40
Vote of delegates to
state convention
Delaware
Ratification of U.S.
Constitution
Dec. 7, 1787
30-0
Vote of delegates to
state convention
Florida
Ratification of state
constitution
May 6, 1839
2,071-1,958
Earlier statehood
referendum held
May 1, 1837
Georgia
Ratification of U.S.
Constitution
Dec. 31, 1787
26-0
Vote of delegates to
state convention;
ratification
formalized Jan. 2,
1788
Hawaii
“Shall Hawaii
immediately be
admitted into the
Union as a State?”
June 27, 1959
132,773-7,971
Earlier statehood
referendum held
Nov. 5, 1940; state
constitution ratified
Nov. 7, 1950
Idaho
Ratification of state
constitution
Nov. 5, 1889
12,398-1,773
Illinois
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Indiana
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Iowa
Ratification of state
constitution
Aug. 3, 1846
9,492-9,036
Earlier state
constitution
rejected Apr. 7,
1845 and Aug. 4,
1845; earlier
referendum Apr. 1,
1844
Kansas
Ratification of state
constitution
Oct. 4, 1859
10,421-5,530
Earlier state
constitution
rejected Aug. 2,
1858
Kentucky
Opinion of
statehood
July 28, 1790
24-18
Louisiana
N/A
N/A
N/A
Congressional Research Service
Several counties
allowed opinion on
statehood to be
recorded on
territorial election
ballot
Vote of delegates to
Ninth Kentucky
Convention
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Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
State
Referendum
Question or Type
Date
Vote
(Yes-No)
Notes
Maine
“Should Maine
separate from
Massachusetts?”
July 26, 1819
17,091-7,132
Earlier votes on
separation held in
1792, 1797, 1807,
and 1816 (twice)
Maryland
Ratification of U.S.
Constitution
Apr. 26, 1788
63-11
Vote of delegates to
state convention;
ratification
formalized Apr. 28,
1788
Massachusetts
Ratification of U.S.
Constitution
Feb. 6, 1788
187-168
Vote of delegates to
state convention
Michigan
Ratification of state
constitution
Oct. 5-06, 1835
6,752-1,374
Later, on Dec. 15,
1836, a second state
convention known
as the “Frostbitten
Convention”
unanimously
approved the
conditions of the
enabling act
Minnesota
Ratification of state
constitution
Oct. 13, 1857
30,055-571
Mississippi
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Missouri
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Montana
Ratification of state
constitution
Oct. 1, 1889
24,676-2,274
Nebraska
Ratification of state
constitution
June 2, 1866
3,938-3,838
Nevada
Ratification of state
constitution
Sept. 7, 1864
10,375-1,284
New Hampshire
Ratification of U.S.
Constitution
June 21, 1788
57-47
Vote of delegates to
state convention
New Jersey
Ratification of U.S.
Constitution
Dec. 18, 1787
38-0
Vote of delegates to
state convention
New Mexico
Amendment to
state constitution
Nov. 7, 1911
34,897-22,831
Congress required
amendment as
condition for
admission; state
constitution ratified
Jan. 21, 1911
New York
Ratification of U.S.
Constitution
July 26, 1788
30-27
Vote of delegates to
state convention
Congressional Research Service
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Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
State
Referendum
Question or Type
Date
Vote
(Yes-No)
Notes
North Carolina
Ratification of U.S.
Constitution
Nov. 21, 1789
194-77
Vote of delegates to
second state
convention; first
convention voted
Aug. 2, 1788 to
demand
amendments
North Dakota
Ratification of state
constitution
Oct. 1, 1889
27,441-8,107
Earlier referendum
on dividing Dakota
Territory held Nov.
8, 1887
Ohio
N/A
N/A
N/A
Oklahoma
Ratification of state
constitution
Sept. 17, 1907
180,333-73,059
Indian Territory
voted Nov. 7, 1905
on constitution for
separate state of
Sequoyah
Oregon
Ratification of state
constitution
Nov. 9, 1857
7,195-3,215
Earlier referendum
on statehood held
June 1857
Pennsylvania
Ratification of U.S.
Constitution
Dec. 12, 1787
46-23
Vote of delegates to
state convention
Rhode Island
Ratification of U.S.
Constitution
May 29, 1790
34-32
Vote of delegates to
state convention
South Carolina
Ratification of U.S.
Constitution
May 23, 1788
149-73
Vote of delegates to
state convention
South Dakota
Ratification of state
constitution
Oct. 1, 1889
70,131-3,267
Earlier referendum
on dividing Dakota
Territory held Nov.
8, 1887
Tennessee
“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?”
Sept. 15, 1795 to
Nov. 15, 1795
6,504-2,562
Texas
Annexation and
ratification of state
constitution
Oct. 13, 1845
7,664-430
(annexation), 7,527536 (ratification)
Utah
Ratification of state
constitution
Nov. 5, 1895
31,305-7,607
Vermont
Ratification of U.S.
Constitution
Jan. 10, 1791
105-4
Congressional Research Service
N/A
Vote of delegates to
state convention
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Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
State
Referendum
Question or Type
Date
Vote
(Yes-No)
Notes
Virginia
Ratification of U.S.
Constitution
June 25, 1788
89-79
Washington
Ratification of state
constitution
Oct. 1, 1889
40,152-11,879
West Virginia
Ratification of state
constitution
March 26, 1863
28,321-572
Earlier vote on
statehood Oct. 24,
1861
Wisconsin
Ratification of state
constitution
March 13, 1848
16,759-6,384
Earlier state
constitution
rejected Apr. June
1847
Wyoming
Ratification of state
constitution
Nov. 5, 1889
6,272-1,923
Vote of delegates to
state convention
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
Alabama: 22nd State
acquires part of the future
Alabama from Great Britain in the Alabama Territory created March 3, 1817 (3 Stat. 371)
Enabling law enacted March 2, 1819 (3 Stat. 489)
Treaty of Paris. Additional
Alabama admitted December 14, 1819 (3 Stat. 608)
territory is later acquired in the
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 (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.
Congressional Research Service
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Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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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Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
•
•
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 (The
Haworth Information Press, 2005), pp. 31-50.
38 Throughout this report, bills and resolutions are presented with the Congress number preceding 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.
Congressional Research Service
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Admission of States to the Union: A Historical Reference Guide
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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
Arizona Territory created February 24, 1863 (12 Stat. 664)
Enabling law enacted June 20, 1910 (36 Stat. 557)
44 37 Stat. 512.
45 Ernest Gruening, Annual Report of the Governor of Alaska to the Secretary of the Interior (GPO, 1947), p. 1.
46 Minutes of the Daily Proceedings, Alaska Constitutional Convention, vol. 1 (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 (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 Admission law enacted August 21, 1911 (37 Stat. 39)
buys part of the land that will
Arizona admitted February 14, 1912 (37 Stat. 1728)
become Arizona from Mexico in
the Gadsden Purchase, adding to
land acquired in 1848 by the 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 (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
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April 30, 1803: The United States
Arkansas: 25th State
acquires the land that will become
Arkansas Territory created July 4, 1819 (3 Stat. 493)
Arkansas from France in the
Arkansas admitted June 15, 1836 (5 Stat. 50)
Louisiana Purchase.75
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 (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 (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 (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), 126150.
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
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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
August 13, 1850: Senate debates and passes 31 S. 169 on a 34-18 vote.98
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 (GPO, 1909), p.
391.
95 James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (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.
98 Senate Journal, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (August 13, 1850), p. 557; Congressional Globe, 31st Cong., 1st sess. (August 13,
1850), p. 1573.
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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
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February 2, 1848: The United
Colorado: 38th State
States acquires part of the land
Colorado Territory created February 28, 1861 (12 Stat. 172)
that will become Colorado
Enabling and statehood law enacted March 3, 1875 (18 Stat. 474)
from Mexico in the Treaty of
Colorado admitted August 1, 1876 (19 Stat. 665)
Guadalupe Hidalgo, adding to
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
constitution and State government, and for the admission of the said State into
the Union on an equal footing with the original states.”108
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.
108 House Journal, 43rd Cong., 1st sess. (December 8, 1873), p. 80; Congressional Record, vol. 2, part 1 (December 8,
1873), p. 89.
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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
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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
May 14-September 17, 1787: Connecticut’s three delegates participate in the
Constitutional Convention.120
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 (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 (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 (GPO, 1906) (July 4,
1776), pp. 510-516.
119 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 11 (July 9, 1778), p. 677.
120 Max Farrand (ed.), The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, vol. 3 (Yale University Press, 1911), p. 557.
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January 9, 1788: Connecticut’s convention ratifies the Constitution, 128-40.121
Delaware
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August 24, 1682: James, Duke of
Delaware: First State
York, gives the land that will become
Delaware ratified Constitution December 7, 1787
Delaware to William Penn, who had
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
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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
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
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 (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.
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.
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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
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
Georgia: Fourth State
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 (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.
141 5 Stat. 742. See the “Iowa” timeline for details on its admission process.
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June 9, 1732: King George II grants a
Georgia ratified Constitution January 2, 1788
royal charter for the colony of
Georgia.142
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
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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
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
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.
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.
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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
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
Idaho: 43rd State
154 31 Stat. 141.
155 Roger Bell, Last Among Equals: Hawaiian Statehood and American Politics (University of Hawai’i Press, 1984),
pp. 71-78 and 353.
156 Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of Hawaii, 1950, vol. 1 (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.
164 73 Stat. c74.
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June 15, 1846: The United States
Idaho Territory created March 3, 1863 (12 Stat. 808)
acquires the Oregon Country,
Idaho admitted July 3, 1890 (26 Stat. 215)
including the land that will become
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
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
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 (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.
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.
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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
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September 3, 1783: The United
Illinois: 21st State
States acquires the land that will
Illinois Territory created March 1, 1809 (2 Stat. 514)
become Illinois from Great
179
Enabling law enacted April 18, 1818 (3 Stat. 428)
Britain in the Treaty of Paris.
Illinois 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
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
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.
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.
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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
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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)
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
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 (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.
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.
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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
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
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.
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.
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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
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April 30, 1803: The United States
Iowa: 29th State
acquires the land that will become Iowa
Iowa Territory created July 3, 1838 (5 Stat. 235)
from France in the Louisiana
Iowa admitted December 28, 1846 (9 Stat. 117)
Purchase.212
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
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
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.
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.
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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
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April 30, 1803: The United States
Kansas: 34th State
acquires part of the land that will
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)
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
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.
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.
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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 KansasNebraska 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, antislavery state constitution.238
October 4, 1859: Kansas voters ratify the Wyandotte Constitution by a vote of
10,421 to 5,530.239
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/kansasnebraska-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/kansasconstitutions/16532.
238 Harry G. Larimer (ed.), Kansas Constitutional Convention: A Reprint of the Proceedings and Debates of the
Convention Which Framed the Constitution of Kansas at Wyandotte in July, 1859 (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.
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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
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December 31, 1776: Virginia’s General
Kentucky: 15th State
Assembly establishes Kentucky County
Kentucky admitted June 1, 1792 (1 Stat. 189)
in the western part of the
245
commonwealth.
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
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
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.
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.
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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)
Purchase Treaty and Conventions in
Enabling law enacted February 20, 1811 (2 Stat. 641)
Paris, France.260
Louisiana admitted April 30, 1812 (2 Stat. 701)
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
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 (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.
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.
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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
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
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.
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.
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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
Maine admitted March 15, 1820 (3 Stat. 544)
enlarges it to include Maine,
among other places. Maine will
remain part of Massachusetts for more than a century.282
•
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
•
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.
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. 248260, at https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/110107.
284 Stephanie Kermes, Creating an American Identity: New England, 1789-1825 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008), p. 158;
Appendix V in Ronald F. Banks, Maine Becomes a State: The Movement to Separate Maine from Massachusetts, 17851820 (Wesleyan University Press, 1970).
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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
•
June 20, 1632: King Charles I grants
the charter for the colony of Maryland
to Cecil Calvert.293
Maryland: Seventh State
Maryland ratified Constitution April 28, 1788
•
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
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.
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.
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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
the “Governor and Company of the
Massachusetts Bay in New England”
by King Charles I.298
Massachusetts: Sixth State
Massachusetts ratified Constitution February 6, 1788
•
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
Michigan
•
September 3, 1783: The United
States acquires the land that will
become Michigan from Great Britain
in the Treaty of Paris.304
Michigan: 26th State
Michigan Territory created June 30, 1805 (2 Stat. 309)
Enabling law enacted June 15, 1836 (5 Stat. 49)
Michigan admitted January 26, 1837 (5 Stat. 144)
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. 14611462.
304 Jim Schwartz, “The State of Michigan,” in Shearer, Uniting States, vol. 2, pp. 592-618.
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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
Under the proposed compromise, Michigan would cede the disputed city of
Toledo to Ohio but acquire much of the Upper Peninsula.315
•
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
https://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(hybaug5jzbffgrpwwukidlqp))/documents/mcl/pdf/michiganconstitution1963asratifie
d.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.
315 Schwartz, “The State of Michigan,” pp. 610-611.
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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
•
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Minnesota
•
•
•
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October 20, 1818: The United
Minnesota: 32nd State
States acquires part of the land
Minnesota Territory created March 3, 1849 (9 Stat. 403)
that will become Minnesota from
Enabling law enacted February 26, 1857 (11 Stat. 166)
Great Britain, adding to territory
Minnesota admitted May 11, 1858 (11 Stat. 285)
obtained in the Treaty of Paris
(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
February 28, 1849: House passes an amended version of the Minnesota
Territory bill without a recorded vote.325
316 “First Convention of Assent of the Territory of Michigan,” in Michigan Manual 2015-2016 (Legislative Service
Bureau, 2016), at https://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(khjikt3ukugbvxxz5sicivm3))/documents/20152016/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-MMp0021-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), 2 nd sess., pp. 298-299. The bill’s passage does not appear in
the Senate Journal.
325 House Journal, 30th Cong., 2nd sess. (February 28, 1849), pp. 558-559; Congressional Globe, 30th Cong., 2nd sess.
(February 28, 1849), p. 617.
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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
•
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
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/aboutminnesota/minnesota-government/minnesota-constitution-1858.
335 Minnesota Constitution 1858.
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.
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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
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September 3, 1783: The United
Mississippi: 20th State
States acquires the land that will
Mississippi Territory created April 7, 1798 (1 Stat 549)
become Mississippi from Great
Enabling law enacted March 1, 1817 (3 Stat 348)
Britain in the Treaty of 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
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
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. 20572061.
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.
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.
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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
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•
•
April 30, 1803: The United States
Missouri: 24th State
acquires the land that will become
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
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
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.
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.
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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
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
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 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.
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.
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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
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•
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June 15, 1846: United
Montana: 41st State
States acquires part of the
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
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
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.
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.
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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
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
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 4 th, 1889,
August 17th, 1889 (State Publishing Co., 1921), p. 13.
387 Proceedings and Debates of the Constitutional Convention Held in the City of Helena, p. 971.
388 Ellis L. Waldron, Montana Politics Since 1864: An Atlas of Elections (Montana State University Press, 1958), p. 54.
389 26 Stat. 1551.
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Nebraska
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April 30, 1803: United States
Nebraska: 37th State
acquires the land that will become
Nebraska Territory created May 30, 1854 (10 Stat. 277)
Nebraska from France in the
390
Enabling law enacted April 19, 1864 (13 Stat. 47)
Louisiana Purchase.
Admission law enacted February 9, 1867 (14 Stat. 391)
December 14, 1853: Senator
Nebraska admitted March 1, 1867 (14 Stat. 820)
Augustus Caesar Dodge of Iowa
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
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
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/kansasnebraska-act.
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.
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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
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
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 (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.
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.
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Nevada
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February 2, 1848: The
Nevada: 36th State
United States acquires the
Nevada Territory created March 2, 1861 (12 Stat. 209)
land that will become Nevada
Enabling and admission law enacted March 21, 1864 (13 Stat. 30)
from Mexico in the Treaty of
410
Guadalupe Hidalgo.
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
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
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.
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.
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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
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September 18, 1679: King Charles II
New Hampshire: Ninth State
appoints a government for the
New Hampshire ratified Constitution June 21, 1788
“Province of New-Hampshire.”423
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
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April 17, 1702: Queen Anne
New Jersey:Third State
establishes British royal control over
428
New Jersey ratified Constitution December 18, 1787
New Jersey.
July 4, 1776: New Jersey joins 12
other colonies in declaring independence from Great Britain.429
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
421 Russell R. Elliott with the assistance of William D. Rowley, History of Nevada, 2nd ed. (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. 375376.
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.
430 Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 12 (November 26, 1778), p. 1164.
431 Farrand, Records, vol. 3, p. 557.
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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
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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
Admission law enacted August 21, 1911 (37 Stat. 39)
territory to come in the 1848
New Mexico admitted January 6, 1912 (37 Stat. 1723)
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
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
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
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. (A
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