Okla-homey
10/31/2006, 07:05 AM
October 31, 1864 : The U.S. Congress admits Nevada as the 36th state
http://img273.imageshack.us/img273/3056/cccccccccccccccccccccneig2.gif (http://imageshack.us)
142 years ago, on this day in 1864, with the general election of 1864 looming and anxious to have support of the Republican-dominated Nevada Territory for President Abraham Lincoln's reelection, the GOP dominated U.S. Congress quickly admits Nevada as the 36th state in the Union.
See, although as a people, we have practically sainted the memory of "Honest Abe," his contemporary re-election bid was not assured because he was a polarizing figure in American politics. A great number of folks believed he was a horrible president, having driven the nation to a terrible and destructive war for no good reason.
Yes, there were calls of <paraphrasing>, "No Blood for (a very perjorative word for black people)"
Thus, "Lincolnites" in Congress pushed for for Nevada statehood to garner more votes for their man to help ensure the Illinois lawyer stayed in office.
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/4373/ccccccccccnvflagtv4.gif (http://imageshack.us)
Nevada, which entered the union during the Civil War features the words "Battle Born" on its state flag reminiscent of its admission during wartime. On a cobalt blue background in the upper left quarter is a five-pointed silver star between two sprays of sagebrush crossed to form a half wreath The current Nevada State Flag design was adopted March 26, 1929, and revised in 1991. The 1991 revision added the word "Nevada"
In 1864, Nevada had only 40,000 inhabitants, considerably short of the 60,000 normally required for statehood. But the 1859 discovery of the incredibly large and rich silver deposits at Virginia City had rapidly made the region one of the most important and wealthy in the West.
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/4864/cccccccccccccccccclode2mh9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
The heart of the Comstock Lode in Nevada silver mining country
As an aside, the inexpert miners who initially developed the placer gold deposits at Virginia City had complained for some time about the blue-gray gunk that kept clogging up their gold sluices.
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/8706/ccccccccccccccccccchistok7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Some of the Nevada "small-time" silver miners could not afford pack mules:D
Eventually several of the more experienced miners realized that the muddy blue crap the gold miners had been tossing aside was actually rich silver ore, and soon after, they discovered the massive underground silver deposit called the Comstock Lode.
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/3492/ccccccccccccccccomstockka6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Western US mining areas. The blue spots are primarily silver deposits as seen in Nevada
Unlike the easily developed placer deposits that had inspired the initial gold rushes to California and Nevada, the Comstock Lode ore demanded a wide array of expensive new technologies for profitable development. For the first time, western mining began to attract investments from large eastern capitalists, and these powerful men began to push for Nevada statehood.
http://img276.imageshack.us/img276/1737/ccccccccccccccccccccccclv3.gif (http://imageshack.us)
Mining silver was not a task for the claustrophobic
The decisive factor in easing the path to Nevada's statehood was President Lincoln's proposed 13th Amendment banning slavery. Throughout his administration Lincoln had appointed territorial officials in Nevada who were strong Republicans, and he knew he could count on the congressmen and citizens of a new state of Nevada to support him in the coming presidential election and to vote for his proposed amendment when the amandment went to the states for ratification by their legislatures.
Since time was so short and a condition of statehood was having an approved state constitution on file, the Nevada constitutional delegation sent the longest telegram on record up to that time to Washington, D.C.. That telegram contained the entire text of the proposed state constitution and cost the then astronomical sum of $3,416.77.:eek:
Their speedy actions paid off with quick congressional approval of statehood and the new state of Nevada did indeed provide strong support for Lincoln.
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/6826/cccccccccccccccccccccc1rd3.gif (http://imageshack.us)
As you can see, Lincoln managed a little more than 50% of the popular vote in most of the states. Nevada's 60% for Lincoln came in handy
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/3882/insane7zogu7.jpg
http://img273.imageshack.us/img273/3056/cccccccccccccccccccccneig2.gif (http://imageshack.us)
142 years ago, on this day in 1864, with the general election of 1864 looming and anxious to have support of the Republican-dominated Nevada Territory for President Abraham Lincoln's reelection, the GOP dominated U.S. Congress quickly admits Nevada as the 36th state in the Union.
See, although as a people, we have practically sainted the memory of "Honest Abe," his contemporary re-election bid was not assured because he was a polarizing figure in American politics. A great number of folks believed he was a horrible president, having driven the nation to a terrible and destructive war for no good reason.
Yes, there were calls of <paraphrasing>, "No Blood for (a very perjorative word for black people)"
Thus, "Lincolnites" in Congress pushed for for Nevada statehood to garner more votes for their man to help ensure the Illinois lawyer stayed in office.
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/4373/ccccccccccnvflagtv4.gif (http://imageshack.us)
Nevada, which entered the union during the Civil War features the words "Battle Born" on its state flag reminiscent of its admission during wartime. On a cobalt blue background in the upper left quarter is a five-pointed silver star between two sprays of sagebrush crossed to form a half wreath The current Nevada State Flag design was adopted March 26, 1929, and revised in 1991. The 1991 revision added the word "Nevada"
In 1864, Nevada had only 40,000 inhabitants, considerably short of the 60,000 normally required for statehood. But the 1859 discovery of the incredibly large and rich silver deposits at Virginia City had rapidly made the region one of the most important and wealthy in the West.
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/4864/cccccccccccccccccclode2mh9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
The heart of the Comstock Lode in Nevada silver mining country
As an aside, the inexpert miners who initially developed the placer gold deposits at Virginia City had complained for some time about the blue-gray gunk that kept clogging up their gold sluices.
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/8706/ccccccccccccccccccchistok7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Some of the Nevada "small-time" silver miners could not afford pack mules:D
Eventually several of the more experienced miners realized that the muddy blue crap the gold miners had been tossing aside was actually rich silver ore, and soon after, they discovered the massive underground silver deposit called the Comstock Lode.
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/3492/ccccccccccccccccomstockka6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Western US mining areas. The blue spots are primarily silver deposits as seen in Nevada
Unlike the easily developed placer deposits that had inspired the initial gold rushes to California and Nevada, the Comstock Lode ore demanded a wide array of expensive new technologies for profitable development. For the first time, western mining began to attract investments from large eastern capitalists, and these powerful men began to push for Nevada statehood.
http://img276.imageshack.us/img276/1737/ccccccccccccccccccccccclv3.gif (http://imageshack.us)
Mining silver was not a task for the claustrophobic
The decisive factor in easing the path to Nevada's statehood was President Lincoln's proposed 13th Amendment banning slavery. Throughout his administration Lincoln had appointed territorial officials in Nevada who were strong Republicans, and he knew he could count on the congressmen and citizens of a new state of Nevada to support him in the coming presidential election and to vote for his proposed amendment when the amandment went to the states for ratification by their legislatures.
Since time was so short and a condition of statehood was having an approved state constitution on file, the Nevada constitutional delegation sent the longest telegram on record up to that time to Washington, D.C.. That telegram contained the entire text of the proposed state constitution and cost the then astronomical sum of $3,416.77.:eek:
Their speedy actions paid off with quick congressional approval of statehood and the new state of Nevada did indeed provide strong support for Lincoln.
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/6826/cccccccccccccccccccccc1rd3.gif (http://imageshack.us)
As you can see, Lincoln managed a little more than 50% of the popular vote in most of the states. Nevada's 60% for Lincoln came in handy
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/3882/insane7zogu7.jpg