The Territory Of Nevada Was Formally Admitted To The United States As The Thirty-Sixth State. Congress Had Passed The Enabling Legislation Earlier That Year, Authorizing The People Of Nevada To Form A Constitution And State Government. The Statehood Proclamation Was Issued By President Abraham Lincoln Under That Act, Effectively Bringing Nevada Into The Union On An Equal Footing With The Original States.
The Path To Statehood Began With The Creation Of The Nevada Territory On March 2, 1861, When The Region Separated From The Utah Territory. A Constitutional Convention Was Held In Carson City From July 4 Through July 28, 1864, At Which Delegates Drafted The Proposed State Constitution. On September 7, 1864, The Territory’s Voters Approved The Constitution, Despite The Territory Having A Population Well Below The Usual Standard For Statehood.
In Late October 1864, Just Days Before The Presidential Election Scheduled For November 8, The Complete State Constitution Was Transmitted By Telegraph To Washington, D.C. This Transmission Was Among The Longest And Costliest Of Its Time. On October 31, Under Authority Of The Enabling Act And Following Receipt Of The Constitution, Nevada Was Admitted As A State.
The Admission Of Nevada During The Civil War Placed It Among Only Two States Admitted In That Period — The Other Being West Virginia. Its Rapid Admission Reflected Both Political And Logistical Factors Unique To The Era. Though The Territory’s Population Was Small, Nevada’s Mineral Wealth, Especially Silver From The Comstock Lode Region, And Its Union-Aligned Sentiment Provided Tangible Support To The Union Cause.
With Statehood Achieved, Nevada Entered The Union With The Same Rights And Privileges As Existing States. Its Admission Increased The Number Of Electoral Votes Available For The Upcoming Election, A Factor That Added Urgency To The Timing Of Its Admission. Nevada’s Capital, Carson City, Became The Seat Of Government Under Its New State Constitution.
The State’s Official Motto, “All For Our Country,” Was Adopted In Recognition Of Nevada’s Admission During The Civil War And Its Loyalty To The Union. This Motto Appears On The Great Seal Of The State Of Nevada And Reflects The Territory’s Dedication To The National Cause. While “Battle Born” Is A Common Nickname And Slogan That Appears On The State Flag To Acknowledge Nevada’s Wartime Origins, The Legal Motto Remains “All For Our Country.”
Though The Land That Became Nevada Had Been Home To Native American Tribes Such As The Paiute, Shoshone, And Washoe, And Had Earlier Spanish And Mexican Colonial Ties, Its Formal Incorporation Into The Union As A Fully-Fledged State On October 31, 1864, Marked A Definitive Transition In Political Status And National Identity.
In Subsequent Years, Nevada’s Statehood Facilitated Greater Governance Structure, Legal Stability, And The Expansion Of Infrastructure, Mining, And Settlement. The Admission Date Remains Foundational In Nevada’s Historical Narrative And Is Commemorated Annually. It Signifies The Alignment Of Territorial Ambitions, National Politics, And The Exigencies Of Wartime America.
References / More Knowledge:
“History Of Nevada.” Nevada Judicial Branch – Historical Society, https://jic.nv.gov/About/History_of_Nevada/
“ACT OF CONGRESS (1864) Enabling The People Of Nevada 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.” Nevada Legislature Research Library Documents, https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Division/Research/Library/Documents/HistDocs/1864Act.pdf
“The U.S. Congress Admits Nevada As The 36th State.” HISTORY®, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-31/the-u-s-congress-admits-nevada-as-the-36th-state
“Admission Of Nevada To The Union.” EBSCO Research Starters, https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/admission-nevada-union
“Battle Born: Nevada’s Rapid Rise To Statehood.” Emerging Civil War, https://emergingcivilwar.com/2022/05/28/battle-born-nevadas-rapid-rise-to-statehood
“Nevada: State Resource Guide.” Library Of Congress, https://guides.loc.gov/nevada-state-guide