History of the Battle Born State

America is readying to celebrate its 250th birthday and there’s no better time to get to know the history of the state of Nevada.

Nevada officially became a part of the United States on Oct. 31, 1864 - timing that is historically significant in that it helped swing the election in favor of incumbent president Abraham Lincoln. Just days before the 1864 General Election, the Nevada State Constitution was telegraphed across the expanse of the nation to Congress, making Nevada the 36th state of the union. To this day, that transmission still holds the record for the longest and most expensive telegraph ever sent.

“Statehood was rushed to help ensure the electoral votes for Abraham Lincoln’s reelection and to add to the Republican Congressional majorities,” the Nevada State Joint Information Center (JIC) details. “Nevada became the second of two states added to the union during the Civil War - the first being West Virginia (1863) - and became known as the Battle Born State as a result of when it achieved statehood.”

But Nevada’s American history goes back a bit farther than this, starting earlier in the 1800s with settlers from Spain moving into the area. From Spanish to Mexican, Nevada became a part of Mexico when that country gained independence in 1821. Following the Mexican-American War, the land was assumed by the United States in 1848 before becoming a part of the Utah Territory in 1850. Then, the discovery of valuable minerals in Nevada’s ground changed things once again.

“The discovery of silver at the Comstock Load in 1859 led to a population boom that became an impetus for the creation of Nevada Territory out of western Utah Territory in 1861,” the JIC explains.

As detailed by Senate.gov the Comstock Load was discovered under what is now Virginia City. This find was later described as “the richest treasure of silver and gold ever discovered anywhere on Earth in so concentrated an area,” producing more than 300 million in bullion during its first 20 years of operation.

“This discovery created a large class of millionaires and multimillionaires, many of whom participated in the development of Nevada’s mineral resources over the next two decades,” Senate.gov states.

But the shape of Nevada as we know it today wasn’t solidified until May 5, 1867 when Congress added in lands from the Utah and Arizona territories. A strange bit of history that many may not know is that famed author Samuel Clemens, who went by the pen name of Mark Twain, served as a personal secretary to one of Nevada’s first senators, William Stewart, but historical records show that he quit the job within just a few weeks.

Today, Nevada may no longer be the home to the boom-and-bust cycle that characterized the years following the discovery of the Comstock Load but it remains a big producer of critical minerals. According to multiple sources, including the U.S. Geological Survey, Nevada is ranked first for overall mineral wealth in the U.S. as well as first in gold production, with roughly 73% of the nation’s gold in 2023 coming from the Silver State.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com