When the United States Constitution was ratified (agreed on by voting) there were how many states?
There were 13 original states.
Parts of the country that were not states yet were called what?
territories
Why would the people who lived in a territory want to become a state?
To vote
They could not vote for their leaders, including governors and members of the US congress.
What year was Dakota Territory originally Created?
1861
What did Governor Nehemiah Ordway do that made the southern half of Dakota Territory unhappy?
He moved the capital to from Yankton to Bismark.
What remained of Dakota Territory in 1883, was split into North and South Dakota. what was another way People thought they might split the territory into states?
Eastern and western South Dakota OR three states, North Dakota, South Dakota and the Black Hills.
Why didn't the first bill to make South Dakota a state pass?
Most people in the US Congress were Democrats, and the people of SD were mostly Republicans.
What changed in 1888 that meant the US Government voted to ratify (make it a law) the bill about South Dakota becoming a state?
Harrison, a Republican, became President.
Which state was signed into law first, North Dakota or South Dakota?
Nobody knows for sure because President Harrison shuffled the papers.
On the Winter Count (the Lakota "timeline") what tragic event happened right after SD became a state?
Wounded Knee Massacre
South Dakota is considered to be the ___ state admitted to the United States.
40th
Why did some people think Pierre shouldn't be the state capital?
More people lived in eastern South Dakota.
