The Surprising Reason Nevada Became a State
and it's not what you think
On October 31, 1869, Nevada became the 36th state. But why? Many believe that Nevada became a State so the United States could obtain our gold to fund the reconstruction after the Civil War. But that's not true.
Did You Know?
Up until the year 2000, Nevada celebrated Nevada Day on October 31. That's right. Halloween was a state holiday. Now it's celebrated on the last Friday of the month.
The United States is the fifth largest producer of gold in the world. 75% of that gold comes from Nevada.
We are officially known as the Silver State. California is the Golden State, and Arizona is the Copper State.
It's Not for the Gold
For a long time, there was and probably still is the myth that we became a state because the US Government needed our gold to help fund reconstruction after the Civil War. The truth is that Nevada became a territory in 1861, giving the government access to our gold and silver.
We became a state to boost Republican President Abraham Lincoln's chances for reelection. After that, the Republican party needed us as a state to help make the 13th Amendment of the Constitution, abolishing slavery.
Our vote as a state was also needed to help pass the 15th Amendment, which prevents the federal government and states from denying a citizen's right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. You can argue that we helped start the civil rights movement!