When was tn admitted to the union

January 3, August 21, About Quizzes. All states are admitted to the Union on an equal footing. This is not a provision of the Constitution itself, but U. Supreme Court rulings have established that Congress cannot discriminate against states when they are admitted. Vermont could be considered on the same footing as the original thirteen colonies, since Vermont has been independent since and operated under its own constitution before applying to the United States for admission, which was granted in Other early states like Kentucky, Tennessee, and Maine were taken out of land originally considered to be part of one of the original thirteen.

Following the Louisiana Purchase , Louisiana was proposed for admission as a state. Josiah Quincy , a leader of the Federalist Party in the House of Representatives, denounced the bill, using the theory that the original constitution allocated powers to the original states, which the addition of new states would unreasonably dilute.

He went so far as to suggest that the New England states would be within their rights to secede of more western states were admitted. His objections found little support outside of Massachusetts. With the acquisition of new territories by treaty, combined with war, the United States extended its dominion to the Pacific Ocean.

These new lands were gradually incorporated into the Union until Arizona in completed the union of the contiguous 48 states. Almost 50 years later, Alaska and Hawaii were added. There has been some consideration of admitting Puerto Rico to the union, but this presently seems unlikely During the years leading up to the Civil War , the question of slavery in territories became a major concern.

The Missouri Compromise of created the precedent that states would be admitted in pairs, one slave and one free, which held until the Kansas-Nebraska Act of The issue of secession from the Union is not addressed directly in the constitution.

The fundamental constitutional issue of the Civil War was the contention by Southern states that the Union was voluntary and revokable, while Lincoln and the North asserted that once in, there was no way out. The delegates converted the territory to a state with an organized government and constitution before applying to Congress for admission to the Union.

Tennessee was the first Federal territory to apply for statehood to Congress. After a close vote on June 1, , Tennessee became the 16th state of the Union. The inhabitants of that district of country were at present in a degraded situation—they were deprived of a right essential to freemen—the right of being represented in Congress.

Laws were made without their consent or by their consent in part only. An exterior power had authority over their laws; an exterior authority appointed their executive, which was not analogous to the other parts of the United States, and not justified by any thing but an obvious and imperious necessity.

He did not mean by this to censure the regulations of their provisional government; but he thought where there was doubt, Congress ought to lean towards a decision which should give equal rights to every part of the American people.

If there should be any inaccuracy in admitting them into the union, before they possessed the full number of inhabitants, it was only a fugitive consideration; the great emigrations which take place to that country will soon correct the error. But he did not believe there could be any doubt on the subject.

He thought the evidence was sufficient and satisfactory. First, a census taken in showed that Tennessee's population had grown to 77, which more than met the federal statehood requirement of 60, citizens. The next step in the statehood process was a vote by the citizens.

Most citizens supported statehood which was easily approved by a vote of 6, to 2, Blount then called for a constitutional convention to meet in Knoxville, where delegates from all the counties drew up a model state constitution and democratic bill of rights. The constitution allowed free males 21 or older who owned land to vote without regard for race. Therefore, both white and free black men who met the requirements could vote.

The voters chose John Sevier as governor. Tennessee leaders converted the territory into a state before asking Congress for approval. Since the Southwest Territory was the first Federal territory to apply for statehood, Congress was uncertain how to proceed.