Capital: Helena
State abbreviation/Postal code: Mont./MT
Governor: Brian Schweitzer, D (to Jan. 2009)
Lieut. Governor: John C. Bohlinger, R (to Jan. 2009)
Senators: Max Baucus, D (to Jan. 2009); Jon Tester, D (to Jan. 2013)
U.S. Representatives: 1
Historical biographies of Congressional members
Secy. of State: Brad Johnson R (to Jan. 2009)
Auditor: John Morrison, D (to Jan. 2009)
Atty. General: Mike McGrath, D (to Jan. 2009)
Organized as territory: May 26, 1864
Entered Union (rank): Nov. 8, 1889 (41)
Present constitution adopted: 1972
Motto: Oro y plata (Gold and silver)

 

State symbols:

flower bitterroot (1895)
tree ponderosa pine (1949)
stones sapphire and agate (1969)
bird Western meadowlark (1981)
song “Montana” (1945)
Nickname: Treasure State
Origin of name: From the Spanish word meaning “mountain.”
10 largest cities (2005): Billings, 98,721; Missoula, 62,923; Great Falls, 56,338; Bozeman, 33,535; Butte-Silver Bow,1 32,282; Helena, 27,383; Kalispell, 18,480; Havre, 9,390; Anaconda–Deer Lodge County, 8,948; Miles City, 8,162
Land area: 145,552 sq mi. (376,980 sq km)
Geographic center: In Fergus Co., 11 mi. W of Lewistown
Number of counties: 56
Largest county by population and area: Yellowstone, 136,691 (2005); Beaverhead, 5,543 sq mi.
State forests: 7
State parks: 50
Residents: Montanan
2005 resident population est.: 935,670

 

First explored for France by François and Louis-Joseph Verendrye in the early 1740s, much of the region was acquired by the U.S. from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Before western Montana was obtained from Great Britain in the Oregon Treaty of 1846, American trading posts and forts had been established in the territory.

The major Indian Wars (1867–1877) included the famous 1876 Battle of the Little Big Horn, better known as “Custer's Last Stand,” in which Cheyenne and Sioux defeated George A. Custer and more than 200 of his men in southeast Montana.

Much of Montana's early history was concerned with mining, with copper, lead, zinc, silver, coal, and oil as principal products. Butte is the center of the area that once supplied half of the U.S. copper.

Fields of grain cover much of Montana's plains. It ranks high among the states in wheat and barley, with rye, oats, flaxseed, sugar beets, and potatoes as other important crops. Sheep and cattle raising make significant contributions to the economy.

Tourist attractions include hunting, fishing, skiing, and dude ranching. Glacier National Park, on the Continental Divide, has 60 glaciers, 200 lakes, and many streams with good trout fishing. Other major points of interest include the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Virginia City, Yellowstone National Park, Fort Union Trading Post and Grant-Kohr's Ranch National Historic Sites, and the Museum of the Plains Indians at Browning.

 

History
Early Inhabitants, Fur Trading, and Gold
Native Americans known to have inhabited Montana at the time Europeans first explored it included the Blackfoot, the Sioux, the Shoshone, the Arapaho, the Kootenai, the Cheyenne, the Salish, and others. Exploration of the region began in earnest after most of Montana had passed to the United States under the Louisiana Purchase (1803). The Lewis and Clark expedition traveled westward across Montana in 1805, and François Antoine Laroque, along with his North West Company of Canada, explored the Yellowstone River after 1805.

The area's rivers were important avenues of travel for the native inhabitants as well as the early explorers of the country; the first trading post in Montana was established at the mouth of the Bighorn in 1807 by a trading expedition that Manuel Lisa led up the Missouri from St. Louis. For some years thereafter both Canadian and American fur traders continued to open up the territory. David Thompson of the North West Company built several trading posts in NW Montana between 1807 and 1812, and beaver in the mountain streams and lakes attracted adventurous trappers, the so-called mountain men. The American Fur Company, with its posts on the Missouri and the Yellowstone, dominated the later years of the region's fur trade, which diminished in the 1840s.

The U.S. claim to NW Montana, the area between the Rockies and the N Idaho border, was validated in the Oregon Treaty of 1846 with the British. Montana was then still a wilderness of forest and grass, with a few trading posts and some missions. Montana's first period of growth was the rapid, boisterous, and unstable expansion brought on by a gold rush. The discovery of gold, made initially in 1852, brought many people to mushrooming mining camps such as those at Bannack (1862) and Virginia City (1864). Crude shantytowns were built, complete with saloons and dance halls—ephemeral settlements as colorful as the earlier gold-rush camps in California and perhaps even more lawless.

Territorial Status, Sioux Resistance, and Statehood
Previously part of, successively, the territories of Oregon, Washington, Nebraska, Dakota, and Idaho, Montana itself became a territory in 1864. It was still a rough frontier, however, and the first governor, Sidney Edgerton, was driven out of the region; later Thomas Francis Meagher, appointed temporary governor, died mysteriously. After the Civil War the grasslands attracted ranchers, and in 1866 the first cattle were brought in from Texas over the Bozeman Trail, to the area east of the Bighorn Mts.

Yet it was not until after wars with the Sioux that ranching was safe. The Sioux did not tamely submit to having their lands taken from them; in 1876 at the battle of the Little Bighorn, they defeated Col. George A. Custer and his force in one of the greatest of Native American victories. The Sioux were eventually subdued, and the gallant attempt of Chief Joseph of the Nez Percé to lead his people into Canada to escape pursuing U.S. troops had its pitiful end in Montana.

Great ranches spread out across the plains, and cow towns that were to grow into cities such as Billings and Missoula sprang up as the railroads were built in the West (c.1880–c.1910). Statehood was achieved in 1889, and the building of the railroads put an end to the era of the open range.

The Importance of Mining
Mining continued to dominate Montana's economy into the 20th cent. The discovery of silver at Butte (1875) was followed (c.1880) by discovery of copper at that same “richest hill on earth.” The Amalgamated Copper Company (later renamed Anaconda Copper Mining Company) came to play a major role in Montana life. The titans of the mines, Marcus Daly and William A. Clark, contended bitterly for ownership of the mineral deposits and for political control, and their rivalry was fought out physically by the miners. F. Augustus Heinze also entered the scramble for copper riches, challenging the claims of Amalgamated Copper. Amalgamated prevailed and exercised enormous control over state affairs.

Struggles between the company and the workers led to strikes, disorder, and bloodshed, but also to the enactment of some early measures for social security, important because over the years the livelihood of mining town residents has depended on the fluctuating market price of copper. By the 1990s, however, mining was producing less than 10% of Montana's revenues, and such centers as Butte and Anaconda, where operations had shut down, had become shells of their former selves.

The Expansion of Agriculture
After the coming of the railroads, farmers arrived by the trainload to develop the lands of E Montana. They planted their fields in the second decade of the 20th cent. The initial bounteous wheat yield did not last long; the calamitous drought of 1919 and the consequent dust storms seared the fields, and in the 1920s the farms began to disappear as rapidly as they had been established.

When the Great Depression began in 1929, Montana was already accustomed to depression. In subsequent years vigorous measures were taken to aid agriculture in the state, and by the late 1940s federal dam and irrigation projects—on the Missouri, the Yellowstone, the Marias, the Sun, and elsewhere—opened many acres to cultivation. Some of the vast grazing lands were brought under planned use, and the development of hydroelectric power continued. Major multipurpose dams in Montana producing power include Fort Peck, Hungry Horse, and Canyon Ferry.

Economic Diversification
The demand for copper in World War II and the E Montana oil boom of the early 1950s stimulated the economy, but the state still faces high transportation costs, a worker shortage, and slowness in regulating resources. A gradual trend toward a more diversified economy has seen manufacturing grow in importance; tourism is also on the rise. Coal exploitation increased dramatically in the 1970s, somewhat offsetting the decline of metals mining. In 1997 legislation was passed that aimed to attract foreign money by making the state an offshore banking haven.  Explore the Big Sky Country more in depth at www.visitmt.com .

 

Recent attempts to diversify Nebraska's economic base to reduce dependence on meat processing and agriculture have made Lincoln, where state government and the Univ. of Nebraska generate many jobs, a business center, along with Omaha. Among noted Nebraskans have been the pioneer and historian Julius Sterling Morton, who originated Arbor Day, and authors Willa Cather, Mari Sandoz, John G. Neihardt, Loren Eisley, and Wright Morris, all of whom have vividly described the state.  For more on Nebraska visit their travel website at www.visitnebraska.gov .

 

on Nevada take a gamble and visit www.travelnevada.com .

 

 

 

Capital: Trenton
State abbreviation/Postal code: N.J./NJ
Governor: Jon Corzine, D (to Jan. 2010)
Senators: Frank R. Lautenberg, D (to Jan. 2009); Robert Menendez,

D (to Jan. 2013)
U.S. Representatives: 13
Secy. of State: Nina Mitchell Wells, D (to Jan. 2010)
Treasurer: Bradley Abelow (to Jan. 2010)
Atty. General: Stuart Rabner, D (to Jan. 2010)
Entered Union (rank): Dec. 18, 1787 (3)
Present constitution adopted: 1947
Motto: Liberty and prosperity

 

State symbols:
flower purple violet (1913)
bird eastern goldfinch (1935)
insect honeybee (1974)
tree red oak (1950)
animal horse (1977)
colors buff and blue (1965)
folk dance square dance
dinosaur hadrosaurus foulkii
fish brook trout
shell knobbed whelk
fruit blueberry (2004)
Nickname: Garden State
Origin of name: From the Channel Isle of Jersey
10 largest cities (2005 est.): Newark, 280,666; Jersey City,

239,614; Paterson, 149,843; Elizabeth, 125,809; Trenton, 84,639;

Camden, 80,010; Clifton, 79,922; Passaic, 68,338; East Orange,

68,190; Union City, 65,128
Land area: 7,417 sq mi. (19,210 sq km)
Geographic center: In Mercer Co., 5 mi. SE of Trenton
Number of counties: 21
Largest county by population and area: Bergen, 902,561 (2005);

Burlington, 805 sq mi.
State forests: 11
State parks: 42
Residents: New Jerseyite, New Jerseyan
2005 resident population est.: 8,717,925

 

New Jersey's early colonial history was involved with that of New

York (New Netherlands), of which it was a part. One year after the

Dutch surrender to England in 1664, New Jersey was organized as

an English colony under Gov. Philip Carteret.

In 1676 the colony was divided between Carteret and a company

of English Quakers who had obtained the rights belonging to John,

Lord Berkeley. New Jersey became a united crown colony in 1702,

administered by the royal governor of New York. Finally, in 1738,

New Jersey was separated from New York under its own royal

governor, Lewis Morris. Because of its key location between New

York City and Philadelphia, New Jersey saw much fighting during

the American Revolution.

Today, New Jersey, an area of wide industrial diversification, is

known as the Crossroads of the East. Products from over 15,000

factories can be delivered overnight to almost 60 million people,

representing 12 states and the District of Columbia. The greatest

single industry is chemicals; New Jersey is one of the foremost

research centers in the world. Many large oil refineries are located

in northern New Jersey. Other important manufactured items are

pharmaceuticals, instruments, machinery, electrical goods, and

apparel.

Productive farmland covers nearly one million acres, about 20% of

New Jersey's land area. The state ranks high in the production of

almost all garden vegetables, as well as cranberries, blueberries,

and peaches. Poultry, dairy products, and seafood are also top

commodities.

Tourism is the second-largest industry in New Jersey. The state

has numerous resort areas on 127 mi of Atlantic coastline. In

1977, New Jersey voters approved legislation allowing legalized

casino gambling in Atlantic City. Points of interest include the

Delaware Water Gap, the Edison National Historic Site in West

Orange, Princeton University, Liberty State Park, Jersey City, and

the N.J. State Aquarium in Camden.

 

History

Early Settlement to Statehood
The history of New Jersey goes back to Dutch and Swedish

communities established prior to settlement by the English. Dutch

claims to the Hudson and Delaware valleys were based on the

voyages of Henry Hudson, who sailed into Newark Bay in 1609.

Under the auspices of the Dutch West India Company patroonships

were offered for settlement, and small colonies were located on

the present sites of Hoboken, Jersey City, and Gloucester City.

Swedes and Finns of New Sweden, who predominated in the

Delaware Valley after 1638, were annexed by the New Netherland

colony in 1655. In 1664, New Netherland was seized for the

English, but the Dutch disputed this claim. Proprietorship of lands

between the Hudson (at lat. 41°N) and the northernmost point of

the Delaware was granted to Lord John Berkeley and Sir George

Carteret. The original grants to Berkeley and Carteret divided the

region in two. The split was further defined in the Quintipartite

Deed of 1676, which divided the province into East and West

Jersey. East Jersey was held by Carteret.

In 1681 William Penn and 11 other Quakers purchased East Jersey

from Carteret's widow. In both Jerseys confusion resulting from

the unwieldy number of landowners together with widespread

resentment against authority caused the proprietors to surrender

voluntarily their governmental powers to the crown in 1702,

although they retained their land rights. New Jersey's

independence from New York was recognized, but authority was

vested in the governor of New York until 1738, when Lewis Morris

was appointed governor of New Jersey alone. Under the royal

governors the same problems persisted—land titles were in dispute

and opposition to the proprietors culminated in riots in the 1740s.

East Jersey was dominated by Calvinism, implanted by Scottish and

New England settlers, while in West Jersey the Quakers soon

developed a landed aristocracy with strong political and economic

influence. Anti-British sentiment gradually spread from its

stronghold in East Jersey throughout the colony and took shape in

Committees of Correspondence. Although the Tory party was to

prove strong enough to raise six Loyalist battalions, the patriot

cause was generally accepted, and in June, 1776, the provincial

congress adopted a constitution and declared New Jersey a state.

The Revolution and Economic Expansion
Because of its strategic position, New Jersey was of major concern

in the American Revolution. Washington's memorable Christmas

attack on the Hessians at Trenton in 1776, followed by his victory

at Princeton, restored the confidence of the patriots. In June,

1778, Washington fought another important battle in New Jersey,

at Monmouth. Altogether, about 90 engagements were fought in

the state, and Washington moved his army across it four times,

wintering twice at Morristown.

At the U.S. Constitutional Convention in 1787, the delegates from

New Jersey sponsored the cause of the smaller states and carried

the plan for equal representation in the Senate. New Jersey was

the third state to ratify (Dec., 1787) the Constitution of the United

States. By this time New Jersey's population had grown from an

estimated 15,000 in 1700 to approximately 184,000. Trenton

became the state's capital in 1790. Agriculture had been

supplemented by considerable mining and processing of copper and

iron and by the production of lumber, leather, and glass.

During the next 50 years, a period of enormous economic

expansion, the dominance of the landed aristocracy gave way to

industrial growth and to a more democratic state government. The

important textile industry, powered by the falls of the Passaic, was

initiated at Paterson. Potteries, shoe factories, and brickworks

were built. Roads were improved, the Morris Canal and the

Delaware and Raritan canals were chartered, and the Camden and

Amboy RR completed a line from New York to Philadelphia with

monopoly privileges.

Governmental Reform and Civil War
Prior to the Civil War an era of reform resulted in the framing of a

new state constitution (1844) in which property qualifications for

suffrage were abolished, provisions were made for the popular

election of the governor and the assemblymen, and a balance of

power and responsibility was established among the executive,

legislative, and judicial departments. In spite of some

pro-Southern sentiment, New Jersey recruited its quota of

regiments in the Civil War and gave valuable financial aid to the

Union. The war demands proved lucrative for commerce and

industry, and the expanding labor market attracted large numbers

of European immigrants.

Political Struggles and a New Constitution
By 1865 the pattern of the state's development was molded.

Population and industry showed rapid and steady growth. Large

economic interests grasped control of political power, giving rise to

sporadic but unsustained popular movements for reform. The

Camden and Amboy RR was transferred by lease to the

Pennsylvania RR in 1871, and its monopolistic power was lessened

by legislation opening the state to all rail lines and by the

assessment and taxation of railroad properties.

After the 1870s easy incorporation laws and low corporation tax

rates attracted new trusts to incorporate through “dummy” offices

in the state. There was much liberal sentiment against the power

of “big business.” A general reform movement sponsored by

Woodrow Wilson when he was governor (1910–12) resulted in

such legislation as the direct primary, a corrupt practices act, and

the “Seven Sisters” acts for the regulation of trusts (later

repealed).

The state voted predominantly Democratic from the Civil War until

1896. Since that time it has frequently voted Republican in

national elections, and in state politics it has often divided power

between Democratic governors and Republican legislatures. The

powerful political machine of Frank Hague, centered in Jersey City,

wielded great influence in the Democratic party from 1913 until

1949, when it was defeated by insurgents within its ranks.

In 1947 a new constitution was framed and accepted to replace

the antiquated constitution of 1844. The liberal Bill of Rights was

preserved and extended, governmental departments were

streamlined, the cumbersome court system was simplified, the

executive power was strengthened, and labor's right to organize

and bargain collectively was recognized. In 1966 another

convention was called to rewrite those portions of the 1947

constitution invalidated by application of the U.S. Supreme Court's

“one man, one vote” rule to state legislatures. The convention

drafted sweeping revisions, which were approved by the electorate

in Nov., 1966.

Racial Tensions and New Economic Development
A six-day race riot in Newark in July, 1967, drew attention to the

urgent need for social and political reform in many of the state's

urban centers. During the early 1970s the state government

proposed plans for massive urban renewal and economic

development projects, but the trend of movement away from

central cities increased throughout the 1970s and 1980s and into

the 1990s.

During this period, New Jersey lost thousands of manufacturing

jobs but replaced them through the dramatic development of the

economy's service and trade sectors. In 1976 the state legalized

casino gambling and in 1978 the first casino opened in Atlantic

City. The Meadowlands Sports Complex opened in 1976 and grew

to include Giants Stadium (1977), home of the New York Giants

and New York Jets professional football teams, and Brendan Byrne

Arena (1981), which hosts professional hockey, basketball, and

special events. New Jersey was hard hit by recession in the early

1990s and the state suffered from overdevelopment, but increasing

economic diversity had fueled a recovery by the decade's end.  For

more info on New Jersey visit www.state.nj.us/travel