Introduction to History of Nevada
Prehistoric peoples entered what is now Nevada as early as 11,000 years ago, and the region was probably continuously inhabited. Present Nevada was part of the area held nominally by Spain, during the colonial period, but it was never explored by the Spanish. In the late 18th century the southern tip was crossed by the Spanish Trail from Santa Fe to California.
After Mexico became independent of Spain, many trappers and explorers came into the area. Among them was Peter Skene Ogden, who discovered the Humboldt River. United States traders began using the Spanish Trail to California about 1830. In the 1840's John C. Frémont and his guide, Kit Carson, extensively explored the region. The Indians in the area were mainly Paiutes.
Important dates in Nevada1776 Francisco Garces, a friar, may have become the first white person to enter the Nevada region.1825-30 Peter S. Ogden discovered the Humboldt River. Jedediah S. Smith crossed southern Nevada.1843-45 John C. Fremont and Kit Carson explored the Great Basin and Sierra Nevada.1848 The United States received Nevada and other lands in the Southwest from Mexico under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.1859 The discovery of silver near Virginia City brought a rush of prospectors to western Nevada.1861 Congress created the Nevada Territory.1864 Nevada became the 36th state on October 31.1877-81 The price of silver fell and caused many Nevada mines to close.1880-90 Unemployed people left Nevada and the population dropped by almost 15,000.1909 The Nevada legislature passed laws that made gambling illegal. The laws went into effect in 1910.1931 The legislature reduced the divorce residence requirement to six weeks and also made gambling legal in the state.1936 Boulder (now Hoover) Dam was completed.1951 The Atomic Energy Commission began testing nuclear weapons in southern Nevada.1963 The Supreme Court of the United States settled a 40-year dispute by specifying how much water the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada could draw from the Colorado River.1967 The Nevada legislature changed state gambling laws to allow corporations that sell stock to the public to buy casinos and to hold gambling licenses.1971 The Water Project (now called the Robert B. Griffith Water Project) was completed.1980 The Nevada legislature passed conservation laws to protect Lake Tahoe from pollution.1990's Nevada's population grew by 66 percent, the fastest of any U.S. state during the decade.1992 The U.S. government halted the testing of nuclear weapons, including such tests in Nevada.The Gold Rush
The territory that included Nevada was ceded to the United States by Mexico in 1848 following the Mexican War. The Mormons, who had founded Salt Lake City in the preceding year, were settling throughout the region. With the beginning of the California Gold Rush in 1849, a trading post called Mormon Station (later renamed Genoa) was set up near Lake Tahoe on the branch of the California Trail that passed south of the lake. Brigham Young, the Mormon leader, petitioned the U.S. Congress to recognize the State of Deseret that he had organized. Instead, in 1850 Congress created Utah Territory, which included all of present Nevada north of the 37th parallel. The remainder was in the Territory of New Mexico.
In 1850 gold was discovered in the Carson River valley. Soon the mountains in the Lake Tahoe area were full of prospectors, most of whom had come from California. Agitation began at once to have the region removed from Mormon control and annexed to California. In 1857 the Mormons faced armed conflict with United States forces, and Young called all his followers back to Salt Lake City.
The Comstock Lode
In the Washoe Range of the Virginia Mountains, between Carson River valley and Pyramid Lake, the miners in 1859 were finding “black stuff' with the gold. It was silver from the Comstock Lode, a vein so rich that for many years it yielded half the silver output of the nation. Virginia City sprang into existence, and the region's first newspaper, The Territorial Enterprise, founded in 1858 at Genoa, was moved to it. Prospectors and settlers flooded in. Among early mining camps were Unionville, Aurora, Arabia, Cortez, Ione, and Candelaria.
Comstock Lode. The Comstock Lode, a rich deposit of silver and gold ore, was discovered in 1859. Prospectors flocked to the area, and Virginia City quickly rose nearby.In 1861 western Utah became Nevada Territory, reaching east from California about two-thirds of the width of the present state. The eastern boundary was extended in 1862. President Lincoln wanted Nevada to become a state because he needed its votes in Congress to win approval of a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution calling for the abolition of slavery. (The amendment, the 13th, was adopted in 1865.) Congress authorized Nevada's admission in 1863 even though its population was less than one-sixth the required figure—but its voters failed to approve the proposed state constitution. A new constitution was then drawn up, and it was ratified. On October 31, 1864, Lincoln proclaimed Nevada the 36th state of the Union. Carson City was made the capital.
A major discovery of lead and silver was made at Eureka in 1864. In 1866 the eastern boundary was extended again, to its present location, and in 1867 the area forming the southern tip of the state was added.
Indian Troubles
The Paiutes had been friendly to the mountain men and the early settlers. With the heavy immigration brought by the Gold Rush, however, their mood changed. Friction increased, and in 1860 there were two armed clashes at Pyramid Lake. A U.S. Army post, Fort Churchill, was erected on the Overland Mail and Pony Express route near Virginia City. Other posts were built, and by 1874 the federal government had assumed authority over all the Indian lands in Nevada.
Twentieth Century
Sheep- and cattle-raising had become the state's chief industry by the end of the 19th century. In the early years of the 20th century important new mineral discoveries were made—silver at Tonopah, gold at Goldfield and La Panta, copper at Ely—and a new mining boom began. Development of new processes for recovering metals from low-grade ores helped to create a stable mining industry in the state.
To attract visitors who would bring revenue to the state during the Great Depression, gambling was legalized and the residence requirements for divorce were shortened. In 1936 Hoover Dam was opened, supplying electric power for the development of manufacturing and creating Lake Mead, an important new recreation area. World War II brought increased demand for Nevada's metals. In 1951 the federal government began to use parts of Nevada as nuclear testing sites, which helped the state's economy but caused much controversy.
Gambling and tourism, centered around Reno, Las Vegas, and Lake Tahoe, became the state's major industries, and during the 1970's the state experienced unprecedented economic growth. The economy faltered during the recession of 1982-83 but rebounded strongly. According to the 1990 census, Nevada's population had grown by 50 per cent since 1980; in 1999, it was reported to be the fastest growing state in the country for the 13th consecutive year.
In 2002, President George W. Bush approved a legislative proposal to begin burying nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain by the year 2010. Nevada officials and environmentalists filed lawsuits in efforts to oppose the legislation. By 2004, an appeals court had rejected Nevada's arguments; however, the court imposed a condition that the government must first devise stronger protection from the emanating radiation for the surrounding area. While still controversial, a tentative date has been offered for the completion of the site by 2017.