Nebraska Territory
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The Nebraska Territory was a historic organized territory of the United States from May 30, 1854 until March 1, 1867 when Nebraska became the 37th U.S. state. It was established by the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. The territorial capital was Omaha.
Nebraska's original boundaries (as specifed by its Organic Act) included much of the original Louisiana Purchase; the territory's boundaries were:
- Southern – 40° N (the current Kansas-Nebraska border);
- Western – the Continental Divide between the Pacific and the Atlantic/Arctic Oceans;
- Northern – 49° N (the U.S.-Canada border);
- Eastern – the White Earth and Missouri rivers.
Upon creation, the territory encompassed most of the northern Great Plains, much of the upper Missouri River basin and the eastern portions of the northern Rocky Mountains. The Nebraska Territory gradually reduced in size as new territories were created in the 1860s:
- February 28, 1861: Colorado Territory took portions of the territory south of 41° N and west of 102°03' W (25° W of Washington, DC) (an area that includes present-day Fort Collins, Greeley and the portions of Boulder north of Baseline Road.
- March 2, 1861: Dakota Territory took all of the portions of Nebraska Territory north of 43° N (the present-day Nebraska-South Dakota border), along with the portion of present-day Nebraska between 43° N and the Keya Paha and Niobrara rivers (this land would be returned to Nebraska in 1882). The act creating the Dakota Territory also included provisions granting Nebraska small portions of Utah Territory and Washington Territory — present-day southwestern Wyoming bounded by 41° N, 110°03' W (33° W of Washington, DC), 43° N and the Continental Divide. These portions had not been part of the Louisiana Purchase; rather, they has part of Oregon Country and became part of the United States in 1846.
- March 3, 1863: Idaho Territory took everything west of 104°03' W (27° W of Washington, DC).
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[edit] History
An enabling act was passed by Congress in 1864. Delegates for a constitutional convention were elected; this convention did not produce a constitution. Two years later, in 1866, a constitution was drafted and voted upon; it was approved by 100 votes. However, a clause in this constitution limiting suffrage to "free white males" held Nebraska's entry into the Union for almost a year; the 1866 enabling act for the state was subject to a pocket veto by President Andrew Johnson. When Congress reconvened in 1867, another bill creating Nebraska as a state was passed, this time on the condition that Nebraska's constitution be amended to remove the suffrage clause. This bill was also vetoed by President Johnson; Congress then overrode his veto.
[edit] Fight for the State Capitol
In January, 1858 a group of representatives illegally moved the Nebraska Territorial Legislature to Florence following a violent outburst at the State Capitol in Omaha. After repeatedly being dogged out of voting on the removal of the Capitol from Omaha, a skirmish pitted representatives from Nebraska City, Florence, and other communities to convene outside of Omaha. Despite having a majority of members present for the vote to remove the Capitol and all agreeing, the "Florence Legislature" did not succeed in swaying the Nebraska Territory governor, and the Capitol remained in Omaha until 1867 when Nebraska gained statehood.[1]
[edit] Early settlement
Several towns, forts and trading posts were established in the Nebraska Territory from the early 1800s through 1867, including Fontenelle's Post founded in 1806; Fort Lisa founded in 1806; Cabanne's Trading Post founded in 1822; Cutler's Park founded in 1846; Omaha City founded in 1853; Bellevue founded in 1853; Saratoga founded in 1856, and Florence founded in 1856.
[edit] Early military posts
With a variety of early fur trading posts, Fort Atkinson, founded in the 1820s, was the location of the Nebraska Territory's first military post, as well as its first school.[2] Other posts in the Nebraska Territory included Fort Omaha in present-day North Omaha, Fort Crook in present-day Bellevue, Nebraska and Fort Robinson, located on the present-day Pine Ridge Reservation in Nebraska.
[edit] See also
- Historic regions of the United States
- Governors of Nebraska Territory
- Timeline of Racial Tension in Omaha, Nebraska
