1889: North & South Dakota Enter the Union
One territory. Two states. Was America really better off with two Dakotas?
Featured birthday guest
Marcus Vance
From Fargo, ND
Birthday memory: My 30th birthday campfire under the huge open sky in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Participating scholar
Dr. Eleanor Vance
Professor of Western American History, UND
Providing historical context, primary-document vetting, and intellectual substance during today's lively discussion.
Are you a historian? Apply to join an episodeHistorical overview
On November 2, 1889, Dakota Territory was divided and simultaneously admitted to the Union as the 39th and 40th states. We uncover the high-stakes railroad lobbying, political rivalries, and settler disputes that split Dakota into two separate powerhouses.
Wait… that happened today?
"President Benjamin Harrison intentionally covered the signatures with paper so neither state could claim seniority. To this day, nobody knows which document was signed first!"
Questions explored in this episode
- 1.Why did party leaders in Washington prefer two states instead of one unified Dakota?
- 2.How did railroad companies influence the location of state capitals in Bismarck and Pierre?
- 3.What cultural differences still divide North and South Dakotans today?
The big question
"If Dakota remained one single state today, how would it change American Senate political power?"
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