Topics in Chronicling America - From Territory to Statehood: The Northern West

After years of serving as territories, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington all join the Union as new states in November 1889. Congress agreed to allow Montana and Washington to become states and they split the Dakota territory into two new states. Idaho soon followed, gaining statehood in July 1890. Read more about it!

The information and sample article links below provide access to a sampling of articles from historic newspapers that can be found in the Chronicling America: American Historic Newspapers digital collection (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/). Use the Suggested Search Terms and Dates to explore this topic further in Chronicling America.

Jump to: Sample Articles

Important Dates:

• November 1889: North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington are admitted as states.
• July 1890: Idaho joins the Union as a state.

Suggested Search Terms:

• [Try the following terms in combination, proximity, or as phrases using Search Pages in Chronicling America.] Dakota, state, admission, territory, 46th parallel, Fargo, Delegate Fred Dubois.

Sample Articles from Chronicling America:

• Ambitious Territories, The Salt Lake Herald (Salt Lake City, UT), December 12, 1882, Image 6, Col. 3
• Dakota's Admission, The Salt Lake Herald (Salt Lake City, UT), June 22, 1883, Page 7, Image 7, Col. 3
• Dakota's Admission, St. Paul Daily Globe (St. Paul, MN), December 29, 1885, Page 4, Image 4, Col. 3
• One and Inseparable; The People of Central and Northern Dakota Want Admission Without Division, St. Paul Daily Globe (St. Paul, MN), October 9, 1886, Image 9, Cols. 1-2
• Statehood at Last, St. Paul Daily Globe (St. Paul, MN), November 3, 1889, Image 1, Col. 3

Montana

• The House Committee on Territories in Favor of Admitting Montana and Washington as States, Fort Worth Daily Gazette (Fort Worth, TX), January 21, 1887, Image 9, Col. 4
• Montana is Admitted, St. Paul Daily Globe (St. Paul, MN), November 9, 1889, Page 4, Image 4, Col. 6
• Montana, Great Golden State, St. Paul Daily Globe (St. Paul, MN), November 26, 1891, A Thanksgiving Praise Edition, Page 5, Image 8, Cols. 3-6

Washington

• Appeal for Washington Territory, The Salt Lake Herald (Salt Lake City, UT), January 27, 1885, Page 2, Image 2, Col. 2
• The Admission of Washington: Why the Big Territory with 90,000 Square Miles Should Come In, New-York Tribune (New York, NY), July 19, 1888, Page 2, Image 2, Col.1
• Congressmen Go To Sleep. Sedative Effect of a Debate Over the Admission of New States, The Sun (New York, NY), January 17, 1889, Page 3, Image 3, Col.1
• Spokane People Demand Brand New Western State, The Washington Times (Washington, D.C.), April 22, 1907, Last Edition, Page 3, Image 3, Cols. 2-4

Idaho

• Moving Toward Statehood, Omaha Daily Bee (Omaha, NE), December 11, 1889, Page 4, Image 4, Col. 3
• A Combination of the West, Omaha Daily Bee (Omaha, NE), December 14, 1889, Image 1, Col. 5
• Let Idaho Rejoice; The Senate Passes the Bill for Her Admission, The Salt Lake Herald (Salt Lake City, UT), July 2, 1890, Image 1, Col. 5
• Idaho in the Sisterhood, Omaha Daily Bee (Omaha, NE), July 4, 1890, Image 1, Col. 3
• The Birthday of Idaho, The Washington Herald (Washington, D.C.), July 3, 1907, Page 7, Image 7, Cols. 1-2