Located on the Great Plains of the United States, Nebraska was once upon a time part of the Great American Desert however, the state is now a leading farming state. Derived from a Chiwere word that means “flat water,” Nebraska is so named because of the Platte River that snakes through the state. The History of Nebraska is rooted on the impact of its farmers who converted the once considered desert prairie into a place full of ranches and farms.
Nebraska’s history dates back to when the United States Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act on May 30, 1854. The Nebraska Territory then was finally admitted into the Union in 1867 as the 37th state of the United States. The Kansas-Nebraska Act recognized the 40th parallel north as the line dividing the Kansas and Nebraska territories. This made Nebraska’s borders much bigger than it is today.
Before being named a state the Nebraska Territory’s capital was Omaha. Many schemes were plotted to move the capital from Omaha, and some of the planned replacement capitals were Florence and Plattsmouth. When Nebraska was declared a state in 1867, the capital of Nebraska was finally moved to Lancaster or as it is now called, Lincoln. The induction of Nebraska as a state however is marred by controversies. Especially since a provision in the 1866 constitution stated that suffrage to white voters was restricted. In 1867, the United States Congress finally voted Nebraska to be made a state with the condition that suffrage to non-white voters is not denied. In fact, then President Andrew Johnson vetoed the act but was superseded by a supermajority in both Houses of Congress.
Nebraska Legislature was bicameral under the original constitution. But when a Nebraska Legislator named George Norris visited Australia in 1931, he campaigned for the end of the bicameral system and pushed a unicameral system much like what was being used in Queensland. His argument was that the bicameral system was much like a British House of Lords and labeled it “inherently undemocratic.” And so in 1931, Nebraska finally became under a unicameral system and also adopted non-partisan elections as well.
The Second World War saw Nebraska cast into a dark light as it was home to several prisoner of war camps. The main camps in Nebraska during this time were Scottsbluff, Fort Robinson and Camp Atlanta. There were a total of 23 large and small camps all throughout Nebraska, with For Omaha being where the Italian POWs were held. Other camps in Nebraska were Alma, Bayard, Bertrand, Bridgeport, Elwood, Fort Crook, Franklin, Grand Island, Hastings, Hebron, Indianola, Kearney, Lexington, Lyman, Mitchell, Morill, Ogallala, Palisade, Sidney, and Weeping Water.
Nebraska’s history runs deep and is full of major events that shaped not just the state and country, but the world as well. Many historical landmarks can be seen throughout Nebraska and it is worth seeing a few of them when visiting this history rich state.