Iowa Territory
Encyclopedia
The Territory of Iowa was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union
as the State of Iowa.
Most of the area comprising the territory was originally part of the Louisiana Purchase
and was a part of the Missouri Territory
. When Missouri
became a state in 1821, this area (along with the Dakotas
) effectively became unorganized territory
. The area was closed to white settlers until the 1830s, after the Black Hawk War
ended. It was attached to the Michigan Territory
on June 28, 1834, and when Michigan
became a state in 1836 the area became the Iowa District of western Wisconsin Territory
—the region west of the Mississippi River
.
The original boundaries of the territory, as established in 1838, included Minnesota
and parts of the Dakotas
, covering about 194000 square miles (502,457.7 km²) of land.
Burlington
was the stop-gap capital; Iowa City
was designated as the official territorial capital in 1841.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as the State of Iowa.
History
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
and was a part of the Missouri Territory
Missouri Territory
The Territory of Missouri was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 4, 1812 until August 10, 1821, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Missouri.-History:...
. When Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
became a state in 1821, this area (along with the Dakotas
The Dakotas
The Dakotas is a collective term that refers to the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota together. The term has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is continued to be used to describe the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, the economy, and...
) effectively became unorganized territory
Unorganized territory
An unorganized territory is a region of land without a "normally" constituted system of government. This does not mean that the territory has no government at all or that it is unclaimed territory...
. The area was closed to white settlers until the 1830s, after the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
ended. It was attached to the Michigan Territory
Michigan Territory
The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan...
on June 28, 1834, and when Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
became a state in 1836 the area became the Iowa District of western Wisconsin Territory
Wisconsin Territory
The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin...
—the region west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
The original boundaries of the territory, as established in 1838, included Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and parts of the Dakotas
The Dakotas
The Dakotas is a collective term that refers to the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota together. The term has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is continued to be used to describe the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, the economy, and...
, covering about 194000 square miles (502,457.7 km²) of land.
Burlington
Burlington, Iowa
Burlington is a city in, and the county seat of Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,663 in the 2010 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in the 2000 census. Burlington is the center of a micropolitan area including West Burlington, Iowa and Middletown, Iowa and...
was the stop-gap capital; Iowa City
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
was designated as the official territorial capital in 1841.
Governors of Iowa Territory
- Robert LucasRobert Lucas (governor)Robert Lucas was the 12th Governor of the U.S. state of Ohio, serving from 1832 to 1836. He served as the first Governor of Iowa Territory from 1838 to 1841.-Early life:...
appointed 1838. - John ChambersJohn Chambers (politician)John Chambers was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky and the second Governor of the Iowa Territory.Chambers was born at Bromley Bridge, Somerset County, New Jersey, on October 6, 1780 to Roland Chambers ....
appointed 1841. - James Clarke appointed 1845.
Secretaries of Iowa Territory
- William B. ConwayWilliam B. ConwayWilliam Bernard Conway was an American politician from Iowa.Born in New Castle County, Delaware, Conway was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar and practiced law in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1838, he appointed Secretary of the Iowa Territory and served briefly as acting governor until the arrival...
, appointed 1838; died in office, November, 1839. - James Clarke, appointed 1839.
- O.H.W. Stull, appointed 1841.
- Samuel J. Burr, appointed 1843.
- Jesse Williams, appointed 1845.
Congressional Delegates
- William W. ChapmanWilliam W. ChapmanWilliam Williams Chapman was an American politician and lawyer in Oregon and Iowa. He was born and raised in Virginia. He served as a United States Attorney in Iowa when it was part of the Michigan and Wisconsin territories, and then represented the Iowa Territory in the United States House of...
25th and 26th Congresses, 1838–1840 - Francis GehonFrancis GehonFrancis Gehon was an American politician from Iowa.In 1839, Gehon was elected the delegate from Iowa Territory to the United States House of Representatives, but never took office. The United States Congress extended the term of William W. Chapman to bring the term of office in line with the rest...
, elected in 1839, but apparently never served as Delegate - Augustus C. DodgeAugustus C. DodgeAugustus Caesar Dodge was one of the first set of United States Senators to represent the state of Iowa after it was admitted to the Union as a state in 1846. Dodge, a Democrat, had also represented Iowa Territory in Congress as its delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from 1840 to...
, in the 27th, 28th and 29th Congresses, 1840–1846
See also
- Historic regions of the United StatesHistoric regions of the United StatesThis is a list of historic regions of the United States.-Colonial era :-The Thirteen Colonies:* Connecticut Colony* Delaware Colony* Province of Georgia* Province of Maryland...
- History of IowaHistory of IowaAlthough Native Americans have occupied what is now Iowa for 13,000 years, the written history of Iowa begins with the protohistoric accounts of Native Americans by explorers such as Marquette and Joliet in the 1680s. Until the early 19th century Iowa was occupied exclusively by Indians and a few...
- Territorial evolution of the United StatesTerritorial evolution of the United StatesThis is a list of the evolution of the borders of the United States. This lists each change to the internal and external borders of the country, as well as status and name changes. It also shows the surrounding areas that eventually became part of the United States...
- Territory of FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
that encompassed land that later became part of the Territory of Iowa:- LouisianeLouisiana (New France)Louisiana or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682–1763 and 1800–03, the area was named in honor of Louis XIV, by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle...
, 1682–1764 and 1803
- Louisiane
- Territory of SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
that would later be returned to FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
:- LuisianaLouisiana (New Spain)Louisiana was the name of an administrative district of the Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1764 to 1803 that represented territory west of the Mississippi River basin, plus New Orleans...
, 1764–1803
- Luisiana
- Territory of the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
that encompassed land that later became part of the Territory of Iowa:- Rupert's LandRupert's LandRupert's Land, or Prince Rupert's Land, was a territory in British North America, consisting of the Hudson Bay drainage basin that was nominally owned by the Hudson's Bay Company for 200 years from 1670 to 1870, although numerous aboriginal groups lived in the same territory and disputed the...
, 1670–1870
- Rupert's Land
- U.S. territories that encompassed land that later became part of the Territory of Iowa:
- Louisiana PurchaseLouisiana PurchaseThe Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
, 1803–1804 - District of LouisianaDistrict of LouisianaThe District of Louisiana, or Louisiana District, was an official, temporary, United States government designation for the portion of the Louisiana Purchase that had not been organized into the Orleans Territory. It officially existed from March 10, 1804 until July 4, 1805, when it was incorporated...
, 1804–1805 - Territory of Louisiana, 1805–1812
- Territory of Missouri, 1812–1821
- Territory of Michigan, 1805–1837
- Territory of Wisconsin, 1836–1848
- Louisiana Purchase
- U.S. territories that encompassed land that was previously part of the Territory of Iowa:
- Territory of Minnesota, 1849–1858
- Territory of Dakota, 1861–1889
- U.S. states that encompass land that was once part of the Territory of Iowa:
- State of Iowa, 1846
- State of Minnesota, 1858
- State of North Dakota, 1889
- State of South Dakota, 1889
- Territory of France