U.S. state Timeline of Events

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U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of commonwealth rather than state...

Timeline of Events

1789

11.20.1789

New Jersey becomes the first U.S. state to ratify the Bill of Rights.

11.21.1789

North Carolina ratifies the United States Constitution and is admitted as the 12th U.S. state.

1790

5.29.1790

Rhode Island becomes the last of the original United States' colonies to ratify the Constitution and is admitted as the 13th U.S. state.

1791

3.4.1791

Vermont is admitted as the 14th U.S. state.

1792

6.1.1792

Kentucky is admitted as the 15th state of the United States.

1796

6.1.1796

Tennessee is admitted as the 16th state of the United States.

1803

3.1.1803

Ohio is admitted as the 17th U.S. state.

1812

4.30.1812

The Territory of Orleans becomes the 18th U.S. state under the name Louisiana.

6.4.1812

Following Louisiana's admittance as a U.S. state, the Louisiana Territory is renamed the Missouri Territory.

1816

12.11.1816

Indiana becomes the 19th U.S. state.

1817

12.10.1817

Mississippi becomes the 20th U.S. state.

1818

12.3.1818

Illinois becomes the 21st U.S. state.

1819

12.14.1819

Alabama becomes the 22nd U.S. state.

1820

3.15.1820

Maine becomes the 23rd U.S. state.

1821

8.10.1821

Missouri is admitted as the 24th U.S. state.

1836

6.15.1836

Arkansas is admitted as the 25th U.S. state.

1837

1.26.1837

Michigan is admitted as the 26th U.S. state.

1845

3.3.1845

Florida is admitted as the 27th U.S. state.

10.13.1845

A majority of voters in the Republic of Texas approve a proposed constitution, that if accepted by the U.S. Congress, will make Texas a U.S. state.

12.29.1845

According with International Boundary delimitation, U.S.A annexes the Mexican state of Texas, following the Manifest Destiny doctrine. For others, the Republic of Texas is admitted as the 28th U.S. state.

1846

12.28.1846

Iowa is admitted as the 29th U.S. state.

1848

5.19.1848

Mexican-American War: Mexico ratifies the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo thus ending the war and ceding California, Nevada, Utah and parts of four other modern-day U.S. states to the United States for $15 million USD.

5.29.1848

Wisconsin is admitted as the 30th U.S. state.

1850

9.9.1850

California is admitted as the thirty-first U.S. state.

1858

5.11.1858

Minnesota is admitted as the 32nd U.S. State.

1859

2.14.1859

Oregon is admitted as the 33rd U.S. state.

1861

1.29.1861

Kansas is admitted as the 34th U.S. state.

2.4.1861

American Civil War: In Montgomery, Alabama, delegates from six break-away U.S. states meet and form the Confederate States of America.

1863

6.20.1863

American Civil War: West Virginia is admitted as the 35th U.S. state.

1864

10.31.1864

Nevada is admitted as the 36th U.S. state.

1866

7.24.1866

Reconstruction: Tennessee becomes the first U.S. State to be readmitted to the Union following the American Civil War.

1867

3.1.1867

Nebraska becomes the 37th U.S. state; Lancaster, Nebraska is renamed Lincoln and becomes the state capital.

1871

3.22.1871

In North Carolina, William Woods Holden becomes the first governor of a U.S. state to be removed from office by impeachment.

1876

8.1.1876

Colorado is admitted as the 38th U.S. state.

1883

2.23.1883

Alabama becomes the first U.S. state to enact an antitrust law.

1889

2.22.1889

President Grover Cleveland signs a bill admitting North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington as U.S. states.

11.2.1889

North and South Dakota are admitted as the 39th and 40th U.S. states.

11.8.1889

Montana is admitted as the 41st U.S. state.

11.11.1889

Washington is admitted as the 42nd U.S. state.

1890

7.3.1890

Idaho is admitted as the 43rd U.S. state.

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