History of Nebraska facts for kids
The history of Nebraska is about how the U.S. state of Nebraska came to be. It started as a territory on May 30, 1854, thanks to the Kansas–Nebraska Act. Many people settled in the Nebraska Territory in the 1860s because of the Homestead Act of 1862. In 1867, Nebraska became the 37th U.S. state. Before Europeans arrived, Native American groups, like the Plains Indians, had lived in the area for thousands of years.
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Ancient Times in Nebraska
Life in the Ancient Seas
Long, long ago, between 66 and 99 million years ago, most of Nebraska was covered by a huge ocean called the Western Interior Seaway. This sea was home to amazing creatures like mosasaurs (giant marine lizards), ichthyosaurs (fish-like reptiles), and plesiosaurs (long-necked marine reptiles).
There were also big sharks, like Squalicorax, and huge fish, like the Xiphactinus, which was bigger than any bony fish alive today! Other sea life included mollusks, ammonites (shellfish like modern nautiluses), and squid-like belemnites. Over time, the skeletons of these animals and ancient plants were buried in mud. This mud turned into rock, forming the limestone we see in Nebraska today.
From Seas to Forests and Prairies
As the ocean floor slowly rose, the land became marshy, and then forests grew. After thousands of years, the land became drier. Many types of trees, like oak and maple, grew here. Today, you can find fossil leaves from these old trees in Nebraska's red sandstone rocks.
Animals living in Nebraska during this time included camels, tapirs, monkeys, tigers, and rhinos. There were also many different kinds of horses that lived here naturally.
The Ice Ages
During the last ice age, thick sheets of ice covered eastern Nebraska more than once. This happened between two million and 600,000 years ago. The climate kept changing, switching between very cold "glacial" periods and warmer "interglacial" periods.
When the ice sheets melted, they left behind clay and huge rocks called "glacial erratics" on the hillsides. Later, wind-blown dirt called "loess" covered these glacial deposits.
Modern Nebraska Takes Shape
As the climate became drier, grassy plains appeared. Rivers began to carve out the valleys we see today. This is how Nebraska's current landscape was formed. Many of the animals that live in Nebraska now first appeared during this period.
European Explorers Arrive: 1682–1853
Many explorers from Europe came to the lands that would become Nebraska. In 1682, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle claimed all the land drained by the Mississippi River and its branches for France. He called this huge area the Louisiana Territory.
In 1714, Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont traveled along the Missouri River. He reached the mouth of the Platte River, which he called the Nebraskier River. This was the first time someone used a name similar to "Nebraska."
A Spanish explorer named Pedro de Villasur led a trip in 1720. He followed an Indian trail from Santa Fe to Nebraska. But in a battle with the Pawnee, Villasur and 34 of his group were killed near the Loup and Platte Rivers. Only one monk survived, perhaps as a warning to the Spanish colony.
In 1739, two French-Canadian explorers, Pierre and Paul Mallet, reached the Platte River. They followed its south branch into Colorado.
In 1762, after France lost the Seven Years' War to Great Britain, France gave its lands west of the Mississippi River to Spain. So, the future Nebraska came under the rule of New Spain, which was based in Mexico.
Early European Settlements
In 1803, the United States bought the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million. This meant the land that would become Nebraska was now part of the U.S. In 1812, President James Madison created the Missouri Territory, which included present-day Nebraska.
Manuel Lisa, a Spanish fur trader, built a trading post called Fort Lisa in 1812. He made friends with local Native American tribes, which helped stop British influence in the area during the War of 1812.
The U.S. Army built Fort Atkinson in 1820 to protect the growing fur trade. In 1822, the Missouri Fur Company built a trading post called Bellevue. This became the first town in Nebraska.
In 1842, John C. Frémont explored the Platte River area with Kit Carson. Frémont used the Otoe word Nebrathka for the Platte River. "Platte" is French for "flat," and "Ne-brath-ka" means "land of flat waters."
Becoming a Territory and State: 1854–1867
The Nebraska Territory
The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. Nebraska's original territory was much larger than the state is today. It stretched west to the Continental Divide (the line that separates rivers flowing to the Pacific from those flowing to the Atlantic). To the north, it went up to the Canadian border. Over time, as new territories were created, Nebraska's size became smaller.
Most settlers in Nebraska were farmers. But many people also helped travelers using the Platte River trails. After gold was found in Wyoming in 1859, many people rushed through Nebraska on their way west. Towns along the Missouri River became important stops for freight businesses. These businesses carried goods from steamboats up the river and then across the plains to trading posts and Army forts.
Stagecoaches carried passengers and mail. For a short time in 1860–1861, the famous Pony Express delivered mail.
Many wagon trains traveled through Nebraska. Soldiers at Fort Kearny and other Army forts helped protect the Platte River Road. These forts provided food, supplies, medical care, and even mail and telegraph services. They also helped improve roads and bridges. Towns grew up around these forts.
Later, railroads took over from wagon trains. The Union Pacific Railroad, which was the eastern part of the first transcontinental railroad, was built west from Omaha through the Platte Valley. It opened service to California in 1869. In 1867, Nebraska became a state, and its borders were set to their modern size.
Changes to Nebraska's Land
Over time, parts of the Nebraska Territory were used to create other territories:
- In 1861, parts of the territory became part of the Colorado Territory.
- Also in 1861, the Dakota Territory took land north of Nebraska's current border. Some of this land was returned to Nebraska in 1882.
- In 1863, the Idaho Territory took land further west.
Nebraska During the Civil War
Governor Alvin Saunders led Nebraska during the American Civil War (1861–1865). No battles were fought in Nebraska itself. However, Nebraska raised three regiments of cavalry (soldiers on horseback) to help the Union Army. More than 3,000 men from Nebraska served in the war.
Capital City Changes
The first capital of the Nebraska Territory was Omaha. People tried many times to move the capital to other places, but it stayed in Omaha until 1867. When Nebraska became a state, the capital moved to Lincoln, which was called Lancaster at the time.
Building the State: 1867–1900
Becoming a State
A constitution for Nebraska was written in 1866. There was some debate about Nebraska becoming a state because the 1866 constitution said only White men could vote. Eventually, on February 8, 1867, the United States Congress agreed to let Nebraska become a state, but only if voting rights were not denied to non-white voters.
President Andrew Johnson tried to stop the bill, but Congress voted to override his veto. Nebraska became the first state to join the Union because Congress overrode a presidential veto.
The Importance of Railroads
Railroads were very important for settling Nebraska. The land was good for farms, but without transportation, farmers couldn't sell their crops. Railroad companies owned a lot of land, which they sold to settlers. They wanted farmers to move there so they would have goods to transport. The railroads also built towns with dining halls, repair shops, and housing for train crews. These towns also attracted cattle drives and cowboys.
In the 1870s and 1880s, thousands of Civil War veterans and immigrants from Europe came to Nebraska to claim land. Even with droughts and grasshopper problems, settlement moved steadily westward. Most of the large cattle ranches turned into farms, though the Sand Hills area remained mostly ranching country.
The Union Pacific (UP) Railroad owned a lot of land. They sold rich Nebraska farmland for five dollars an acre, with easy payment plans. Farmers could also get land for free from the government through the Homestead Act after five years, or by paying a small fee.
The railroads also offered special deals to groups of European immigrants. Germans and Scandinavians, for example, could sell their smaller farms back home and buy much larger ones in Nebraska for the same money. By the late 1800s, half of Nebraska's population was from European ethnic groups.
The Populist Movement
The Populist movement was a farmers' movement in the early 1890s. Farmers in dry parts of Nebraska faced big problems when droughts hit. They tried to get help from politicians, but they felt the main political parties weren't listening.
So, farmers turned to the Populist party. In 1892, the Populist Party was formed in Omaha, and they wrote their famous Omaha Platform there.
Nebraska in the 20th Century
The Progressive Era
By 1900, the Populist movement faded, and Republicans gained power in Nebraska. In 1907, they passed many "progressive" laws. These included laws for direct primary elections (where voters choose candidates) and a child labor act.
A big issue was Prohibition, which was about banning alcohol. Many Protestants wanted prohibition to solve social problems. But Catholics and German Lutherans saw it as a threat to their customs.
George W. Norris (1861–1944) was a key leader of the progressive movement in Nebraska. He served many terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. In the 1930s, he supported President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs.
Changes in Farming
Since 1870, the average size of farms in Nebraska has grown. The number of farms increased until about 1900, then stayed steady until 1930, and then quickly decreased as farmers bought out their neighbors. Corn has always been a main crop, but after the 1960s, soybeans became more popular than sorghum and oats.
Changes in farming were affected by government policies, new technologies (like machines and better seeds), and population growth.
Transportation Improvements
The Lincoln Highway in Nebraska, built starting in 1913, followed the path of the Platte River Valley. This was the same narrow path used by pioneer trails, the Pony Express, and the Union Pacific Railroad. It later became U.S. Highway 30. By the 1970s, Interstate 80 was built next to US 30, taking over most of the long-distance traffic.
Shopping and Stores
In rural areas, farmers bought their goods from general stores. These stores had limited items and often sold things at high prices. Customers usually bought on credit, paying their bills after selling their crops or cattle.
In cities, people had more choices. They shopped at local department stores, which had a wider selection of goods and marked prices. These stores offered limited credit and had attractive displays. By the 1920s and 1930s, large mail-order companies like Sears and Montgomery Ward became big competitors.
Women's Roles
Farm Life for Women
On Nebraska farms, very few single men tried to run a farm alone. Farmers knew they needed a hard-working wife and children to help with many chores. Women raised children, cooked, cleaned, made clothes, fed hired workers, and later, handled paperwork and money.
In the early years, farm women worked outdoors a lot. But after a generation or so, women started to spend more time on household tasks. New inventions like sewing and washing machines helped with this.
Even though farm life could seem lonely, rural Nebraskans created a rich social life. They had activities that combined work and fun, like barn raisings, corn huskings, and quilting bees. Women often organized shared meals and visits between families.
Women as Teachers
Teaching was one of the few jobs available for young women before marriage. Women teachers played a big part in modernizing the state. Some were from local families, while others were well-educated and saw teaching as a career. They believed in education for everyone and were involved in community activities.
In one-room rural schools, teachers had minimal training and low pay. In towns and cities, teachers had more college experience and were paid better.
Women's Rights Movement
Clara Bewick Colby published the Woman's Tribune newspaper in Beatrice from 1883 to 1889. This newspaper supported women's right to vote (suffrage) and other women's rights. Colby believed that women should have equal rights in a democratic society.
One argument for women's suffrage was that women were purer and would help remove corruption from politics. Maud E. Nuquist was the first woman to run for governor in Nebraska, in 1934. She wanted professional people, not politicians, to control state departments. She ran a self-funded campaign and had support from women's clubs.
The Great Depression
The Great Depression hit Nebraska hard. Grain and livestock prices dropped by half, and many people in cities lost their jobs. The stock market crash in October 1929 didn't cause huge personal losses in Nebraska, but it led to a big fall in farm prices, which was devastating for the state's economy.
Governor Charles W. Bryan was at first hesitant to ask for help from the national government. But when the Federal Emergency Relief Act passed in 1933, Nebraska took part. The state used national New Deal programs like the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA).
Governor Robert L. Cochran, who became governor in 1935, also sought federal help. Nebraska was one of the first states to adopt a social security law. These New Deal programs shifted the responsibility for social welfare from counties to the state government.
World War II
Nebraska played a big part in World War II. Many young men went to war. Food production increased, and factories that made weapons were built, like the Nebraska Ordnance Plant.
The Cornhusker Ordnance Plant (COP) in Grand Island started making bombs in 1942. At its busiest, it had 4,200 workers, and more than 40% of them were women. The plant even started one of the country's first child care programs. The plant brought high wages and ended unemployment in Grand Island. It closed in 1945 but reopened for the Korean and Vietnam wars, finally closing in 1973.
During World War II, Nebraska also had several prisoner of war camps. These included Scottsbluff, Fort Robinson, and Camp Atlanta. There were also many smaller camps across the state. Fort Omaha housed Italian prisoners of war. In total, there were 23 large and small camps in Nebraska. Several U.S. Army Airfields were also built.
After the War
After World War II, conservative Republicans held most of the major state offices. However, during Governor Norbert Tiemann's time (1967–1971), many progressive changes happened. A new tax law included a sales tax and an income tax, replacing other taxes. The Municipal University of Omaha joined the University of Nebraska system. New departments were created for economic development and state personnel.
The nationwide farm crisis of the 1980s hit Nebraska hard, with many farms facing foreclosure. On the bright side, good highways and a skilled workforce led to the growth of many small factories. By the early 1990s, Omaha became a major center for the telecommunications industry, which employed more people than meat-packing.
Culture and Arts
After World War II, especially after the 1960s, the arts and sciences grew in Nebraska. New or expanded orchestras, museums, and galleries appeared. Nebraska's universities and colleges, along with the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Humanities Council, helped lead this growth.
Hispanic Population Growth
Many people from Mexico came to Nebraska during the labor shortages of the 1940s. But large numbers of people started moving there in the 1980s and 1990s, settling in both large and small cities. In 1972, Nebraska was the first state to create an agency to help Hispanic people.
Mexicans often took jobs that didn't require high skills or pay, such as in hotels, restaurants, food processing factories, and agriculture. For example, in the small city of Schuyler, the Hispanic population grew a lot. The same happened in Lexington, where the Hispanic population increased tenfold between 1990 and 2000. This growth helped the local economy by increasing both the number of workers and the demand for goods and services.
Images for kids
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"Crow Dog", a Brulé Native American in 1898.
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See also
In Spanish: Historia de Nebraska para niños
