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On October 31, 1869, Nevada became the 36th state. Many believe that Nevada became a State so the United States could obtain our gold to fund the reconstruction after the Civil War. But that’s not true.
Did You Know?
- Up until the year 2000, Nevada celebrated Nevada Day on October 31. That’s right. Halloween was a state holiday. Now it’s celebrated on the last Friday of the month.
- The United States is the fifth largest producer of gold in the world. 75% of that gold comes from Nevada.
- We are officially known as the Silver State. California is the Golden State, and Arizona is the Copper State.
It’s Not for the Gold
For a long time, there was and probably still is the myth that we became a state because the US Government needed our gold to help fund reconstruction after the Civil War. The truth is that Nevada became a territory in 1861, giving the government access to our gold and silver.
We became a state to boost Republican President Abraham Lincoln’s chances for reelection. After that, the Republican party needed us as a state to help make the 13th Amendment of the Constitution, abolishing slavery.
Our vote as a state was also needed to help pass the 15th Amendment, which prevents the federal government and states from denying a citizen’s right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. You can argue that we helped start the civil rights movement!