History of Nebraska – 37th State of the Union
The U.S. State of Nebraska was admitted as the 37th state of the union on March 1st, 1867. Nebraska’s location directly in the United States center gives it a unique position as part of the Great Plains region and the Midwestern states. Originally inhabited by indigenous tribes of Native Americans for thousands of years, more modern tribes such as the Omaha, Missouria, Ponca, and Pawnee inhabited the region when the first European contact was made in the late 1600s. The Spanish were the first to set up trade with the Native American societies, with the following French suit soon after that in the 1700s.
Once the region came under the control of the United States, it was officially recognized as a formal territory in 1854 under the Kansas-Nebraska Act. In the subsequent years, the Homestead act guaranteed acres to those willing to make the trip to Nebraska and start fresh on a large patch of land in the great expanse of the Great Plains. The population grew at such a rate that the territory applied for statehood, and in 1867, statehood was granted as Nebraska was admitted as the 37th state of the union.
Present – Nebraska
An estimation conducted by the United States Census Bureau in 2015 set the population of Nebraska at 1,896,190. The two most significant metropolitan areas in the state are the Omaha metropolitan area and the Lincoln metropolitan area.
Nebraska has a massive agriculture industry, which serves as the foundation of its economy. Nebraska is a significant producer of beef, pork, corn, and grains. Due to its location in the Great Plains region, the treeless and flat prairie land serves as an excellent grazing resource for cattle, adding a boost to its already extensive agriculture network. In addition to agriculture, Nebraska plays a significant role in freight transport, manufacturing, telecommunications, and insurance. Union Pacific railroad houses the most extensive rail yard in the world in North Platte, Nebraska. Berkshire Hathaway, owned by business magnate Warren Buffet, is based in Omaha and TD Ameritrade. Although Nebraska’s population is relatively low, as of 2015, they boast the lowest unemployment rate in the country at 2.5% unemployment.
Although Nebraska is not home to any major league professional sports, its Division I collegiate athletics programs are among the most popular. The Cornhuskers of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, the Mavericks of the University of Nebraska Omaha, and the Bluejays of Creighton University all field competitive NCAA teams.
Politics
For most of its history, Nebraska has consistently been a Republican state. Currently, all of its federal representatives in the House of Representatives and the United States Senate are members of the Republican Party. In addition, the current governor is a Republican.
Interesting Facts
Nebraska has a unique climate that causes half of the state to have colder winters and warmer summers. In addition to the differing climate, tornados and thunderstorms are frequent in the region.
Edwin Perkins created Kool-Aid in Hastings, Nebraska, in 1927.
Clifton Hillegass created CliffsNotes in Rising City, Nebraska.
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