Organized incorporated territories of the United States
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Organized incorporated territories are territories of the United States that are both incorporated (part of the United States proper) and organized (having an organized government authorized by an Organic Act passed by the United States Congress, usually consisting of a territorial legislature, territorial governor, and a basic judicial system). There have been no such territories since 1959.
Regions that have been admitted as states United States Constitution in addition to the original thirteen were (most often), prior to admission, territories or parts of territories of this kind. As the United States grew, the most populous parts of the organized territory would achieve statehood. Some territories existed only a short time before becoming states, while others remained territories for decades. The shortest-lived was Alabama Territory at two years, while New Mexico Territory and Hawaii Territory both lasted more than 50 years.
Historical
Of the current 50 U.S. states, 31 were at one time or another part of an organized incorporated U.S. territory. In addition to the original 13, six subsequent states never were. Kentucky, Maine, and West Virginia were each set off from already existing states.[1] Texas and Vermont both entered the Union after having been sovereign states (only de facto sovereignty in Vermont's case, as the region was claimed by New York). California was set off from unorganized land ceded to the United States by Mexico in 1848 at the end of the Mexican–American War.
Current situation
Since 1959, there have been no incorporated U.S. territories formally organized by an Organic Act. When Hawaii was admitted as a state in 1959, the Hawaii Admission Act specifically excluded Palmyra Island which had been part of the Territory of Hawaii, and Palmyra remains today as the only incorporated U. S. territory, the United States Territory of Palmyra Island. Although it still has private landowners, Palmyra is uninhabited, and no Palmyra Island government has been organized under an act of Congress. Palmyra is currently governed as a territory by the United States Department of the Interior.[2] All other U. S. territories except Palmyra are unincorporated (meaning that they are not fully part of the United States and that not all aspects of the United States Constitution automatically apply), whereas other former incorporated territories (excepting only Palmyra Island) are now states. While the District of Columbia functions similarly to an organized incorporated territory, it is governed by entirely different provisions of the United States Constitution as a federal district.
List of organized incorporated territories
The following territories within the United States were officially organized by Congress with an Organic Act:
| Territory | Established | Ceased to exist |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest | July 13, 1787 (C. Cong. 1787, 32:334) |
March 1, 1803, when its southeastern portion became the state of Ohio |
| Southwest | May 26, 1790 (1 Stat. 123) |
June 1, 1796, when it became the state of Tennessee |
| Mississippi | April 7, 1798 (1 Stat. 549) |
December 10, 1817, when its western half became the state of Mississippi |
| Indiana | July 4, 1800 (2 Stat. 58) |
December 11, 1816, when its remaining southern portion became the state of Indiana |
| Orleans | October 1, 1804 (2 Stat. 283) |
April 30, 1812, when it became the state of Louisiana |
| Michigan | June 30, 1805 (2 Stat. 309) |
January 26, 1837, when its remaining two–peninsula extent became the State of Michigan |
| Louisiana | July 4, 1805 (2 Stat. 331) |
June 4, 1812, when it was renamed Missouri Territory |
| Illinois | March 1, 1809 (2 Stat. 514) |
December 3, 1818, when its southern portion became the State of Illinois |
| Missouri | June 4, 1812 (2 Stat. 743) |
August 10, 1821, when its southeastern portion became the State of Missouri |
| Alabama | August 15, 1817 (3 Stat. 371) |
December 14, 1819, when it became the state of Alabama |
| Arkansas | March 2, 1819 (3 Stat. 493) |
June 15, 1836, when its remaining extent became the state of Arkansas |
| Florida | March 30, 1822 (3 Stat. 654) |
March 3, 1845, when it became the state of Florida |
| Wisconsin | July 3, 1836 (5 Stat. 10) |
May 29, 1848, when its eastern portion became the state of Wisconsin |
| Iowa | July 4, 1838 (5 Stat. 235) |
December 28, 1846, when its southern portion became the state of Iowa |
| Oregon | August 14, 1848 (9 Stat. 323) |
February 14, 1859, when its southwestern portion became the state of Oregon |
| Minnesota | March 3, 1849 (9 Stat. 403) |
May 11, 1858, when its eastern portion became the state of Minnesota |
| New Mexico | September 9, 1850 (9 Stat. 448) |
January 6, 1912, when its remaining extent became the state of New Mexico |
| Utah | September 9, 1850 (9 Stat. 453) |
January 4, 1896, when its remaining extent became the state of Utah |
| Washington | March 2, 1853 (10 Stat. 172) |
November 11, 1889, when its remaining extent became the state of Washington |
| Kansas | May 30, 1854 (10 Stat. 277) |
January 29, 1861, when its eastern portion became the state of Kansas |
| Nebraska | May 30, 1854 (10 Stat. 277) |
March 1, 1867, when its remaining extent became the state of Nebraska |
| Colorado | February 28, 1861 (12 Stat. 172) |
August 1, 1876, when it became the state of Colorado |
| Nevada | March 2, 1861 (12 Stat. 209) |
October 31, 1864, when it became the state of Nevada |
| Dakota | March 2, 1861 (12 Stat. 239) |
November 2, 1889, when its remaining extent was split and became the states of North Dakota and South Dakota |
| Arizona | February 24, 1863 (12 Stat. 664) |
February 14, 1912, when its remaining extent became the state of Arizona |
| Idaho | March 3, 1863 (12 Stat. 808) |
July 3, 1890, when its remaining extent became the state of Idaho |
| Montana | May 26, 1864 (13 Stat. 85) |
November 8, 1889, when it became the state of Montana |
| Wyoming | July 25, 1868 (15 Stat. 178) |
July 10, 1890, when it became the state of Wyoming |
| Oklahoma | May 2, 1890 (26 Stat. 81) |
November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory and became the state of Oklahoma |
| Hawaii | April 30, 1900 (31 Stat. 141) |
August 21, 1959, when it became the state of Hawaii |
| Alaska | August 24, 1912 (37 Stat. 512) |
January 3, 1959, when it became the state of Alaska |
See also
- Historic regions of the United States
- Insular areas of the United States
- Insular Cases
- Political divisions of the United States
- Territorial evolution of the United States
- Territories of the United States – legal classifications
- Territories of the United States on stamps
- United States territorial acquisitions
References
- ^ Riccards, Michael P. (1997). "Lincoln and the Political Question: The Creation of the State of West Virginia". Presidential Studies Quarterly. 27 (3): 549–564. Retrieved April 5, 2016 – via Questia.
- ^ "GAO/OGC-98-5 – U.S. Insular Areas: Application of the U.S. Constitution". U.S. Government Printing Office. November 7, 1997. Retrieved March 18, 2018.