On March 1, 1867, Nebraska was admitted to the United States as its 37th state. The state is bordered by South Dakota to the north, Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River, Kansas to the south, Colorado to the southwest and Wyoming to the west. Its area is just over 77,220 square miles (200,000 km²) with almost 1.9 … Continue reading Nebraska Statehood
On January 29, 1861, Kansas was admitted to the United States as the 34th state to enter the Union. Located on the eastern edge of the Great Plains in the Midwestern U.S., the region was the home of nomadic Native American tribes who hunted the vast herds of bison (often called “buffalo”). Kansas is named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which is often said to mean “people of … Continue reading Kansas Statehood
On January 15, 1777, representatives of the New Hampshire Grants declared the independence of the Vermont Republic. For the first six months of its existence, it was called the Republic of New Connecticut. On June 2, 1777, a second convention of 72 delegates met and adopted the name “Vermont.” This was on the advice of a friendly Pennsylvanian, Dr. Thomas Young, friend and mentor of Ethan … Continue reading Independence of New Connecticut
On January 4, 1896, Utah became the 45th state admitted to the United States, following nearly 50 years as a territory. The entire Southwest was Mexican territory when the first pioneers arrived in 1847. Utah is the 13th-largest by area, 31st-most-populous, and 10th-least-densely populated of the 50 United States. It has a population of more than 3 million (Census estimate for July 1, 2016), approximately 80% of … Continue reading Utah Statehood
On January 3, 1959, the Territory of Alaska was admitted to the United States as its 49th state. The 663,268 square miles (1,717,856 km²) of land had been purchased from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for 7.2 million U.S. dollars at approximately two cents per acre ($4.74/km²). The area went through several administrative changes before becoming organized as a territory on May 11, 1912. Alaska … Continue reading Alaska Statehood
The Republic of Texas was admitted into the United States of America as the 28th state on December 29, 1845. It is currently the second largest state in the United States by both area and population. Geographically located in the south central part of the country, Texas shares borders with the other U.S. states of Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the … Continue reading Texas Statehood
Today marks the bicentennial of the state of Indiana’s admission to the United States. On December 11, 1816, the territory was admitted to the Union as its nineteenth state. Indiana is the 38th largest by area and the 16th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. The state’s name means “Land of the Indians”, or simply “Indian Land” and stems … Continue reading 200 Years of Indiana Statehood
On November 2, 1889, the United States Territory of Dakota was split and the two halves were admitted into the Union as the separate states of North Dakota and South Dakota. President Benjamin Harrison signed proclamations formally admitting both states but had the papers shuffled to obscure which one was signed first and the order went unrecorded. They were the 39th and 40th states to be … Continue reading U.S. Dakota Territory Becomes Two States
A Stamp A Day 