Nevada Territory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Territory of Nevada |
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| Organized incorporated territory of the United States | |||||||||
| 1861–1864 | |||||||||
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 The Nevada Territory in 1861, with the Utah and New Mexico Territories |
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| Capital | Genoa (1861) Carson City (1861–1864) |
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| • Type | Organized incorporated territory | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
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• Organic act
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2 March 1861 | ||||||||
| 31 October 1864 | |||||||||
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The Territory of Nevada was a special area of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, to October 31, 1864. After this, it became the State of Nevada.
Before it became a territory, this area was part of western Utah Territory. People called it Washoe. This name came from the native Washoe tribe who lived there. The U.S. government wanted to separate Nevada from Utah. This was partly because of political reasons. Also, many non-Mormon settlers in Nevada wanted to be separate from the Mormons in Utah. Sometimes, there was conflict between these groups.
Contents
History of Nevada Territory
| Historical population | ||
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| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1860 | 6,857 | — |
| Source: 1860; | ||
Changing Borders of Nevada
The original eastern border of Nevada Territory was set in 1861. But people found gold further east. So, in 1862, Congress moved the border more to the east. This gave Nevada more land. In 1866, the border moved even further east. This was also because more gold was found. These changes took land away from Utah Territory.
The southern border of Nevada Territory was originally the 37th parallel. In 1866, Nevada asked Congress to move this border south to the Colorado River. Congress agreed in 1867. This gave Nevada land from the western part of Arizona Territory. Arizona protested this change. However, Congress did not listen much. This was partly because Arizona had supported the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Some land west of the Colorado River was given to Nevada on May 5, 1866. This included Pah-Ute County, Arizona. Later, in 1909, part of this southern tip became Clark County. The big city of Las Vegas is in Clark County today.
The border between California and Nevada was a bit tricky. Its exact location was debated for a long time. Surveys continued well into the 1900s to figure it out.
Nevada's Capital and Leaders
The first temporary capital of the Nevada Territory was Genoa. Later, the capital was moved to Carson City.
James Warren Nye became the only official governor of the Nevada Territory. He took over from Isaac Roop, who was the first temporary governor. The secretary of the territory was Orion Clemens. He was the older brother of Samuel Clemens, who you might know as Mark Twain. Orion Clemens often acted as governor because Governor Nye was away a lot.
See also
In Spanish: Territorio de Nevada para niños
