1820: When Missouri was admitted to the Union, no territorial designation was made for the remainder of the Louisiana Purchase lying north of it. The Missouri Compromise did indicate that slavery would be prohibited north of Missouri. The northern boundary of Missouri was not surveyed properly, which led to a later dispute with the Territory of Iowa in a episode known as the "Honey War".

1824: A treaty signed in St. Louis with the "Sac and Fox tribe" relinquished their claim to 119.000 acres in what would be Lee County. The land was set aside for the children of racially-mixed parentage and was known as the "Half Breed Tract". Guardians of these children were also allowed to move into the area, and many white settlers took advantage of the situation and made claims to land. A United States Supreme Court decision in 1850 held that the legal claims to land rested with the descendants of the children of racially-mixed parentage. More information can be found in an article by Jacob Van der Zee, "The Half-breed Tract", The Iowa Journal of History and Politics, 13:2 (April 1915), pp. 151-164. and The Goldfinch, Volume 13, # 4 (February 1993).

1830: The "Neutral Ground" was a 40 mile wide strip of land running from the northeast corner of the state in a southwesterly direction to the upper fork of the Des Moines River. Nathan Boone, one of Daniel Boone's sons, was a surveyor on this line. The treaty was signed on 15 July 1830, money for the survey was

appropriated by Congress in 1831, and survey actually done in 1832 and 1833. More information can be found in an article by Jacob Van der Zee, "The Neutral Ground", The Iowa Journal of History and Politics, 13:3 (July 1915), pp. 311-348.

1832: After the military expedition sometimes called the "Black Hawk War", the Sauk tribe was forced to cede land on the west side of the Mississippi River to the United States. A 50 mile wide strip of land from the Neutral Ground to the Missouri border was given up, except for a small parcel called "Keokuk's Reserve", along the lower waters of the Iowa River. The Sauk leader, Keokuk, had not participated in the efforts of Black Hawk and his followers to return to Illinois, and was rewarded with this reserve, which was not taken until 1836.

1833: As a result of the treaty in 21 September 1832, the Black Hawk Cession land was open to legal white settlement after 1 June 1833. The most immediate result of this treaty was the large number of people who moved into the Dubuque area with the intention of mining lead. For more information see Jacob Van der Zee, "The Black Hawk War and the Treaty of 1832", The Iowa Journal of History and Politics, 13:3 (July 1915), pp. 416-428.

1834: Law enforcement was lax in the area and the need for a formal structure of government led to the attachment of the "Iowa" area to Michigan.

1836: Opening the Keokuk Reserve to white settlement increased the land area available for claims on the west side of the Mississippi River, and moved the Sauk and Mesquakie further into the interior.

1836: The distance from Michigan and the growing population in the frontier areas made this administrative change a necessary one. Although the legislature of the Wisconsin Territory did meet in Burlington, increasing population on the west side of the Mississippi River made it imperative that more local government be created in the "Iowa" area.

1837: With the opening of new land to white settlement, removal of the Native American Indian tribes further west was made necessary.

1837: The "Panic of 1837" slowed population growth, and caused the failure of the only bank in the "Iowa" area, the Miners' Bank of Dubuque. The most severe effects of this depression were not felt in Iowa until 1838.

1838: William Conway, appointed Secretary of the Territory of Iowa, arrived here before the appointed Governor, Robert Lucas did. Because Conway owned land in Davenport, he designated that city as the capitol of the territory, because the organic act creating the territory stated that in the absence of the governor, the secretary acted as governor. When Lucas did arrive this and other Conway acts angered him, and he placed the capitol in Burlington, in effect saying it would any place except Davenport. Conway died shortly afterwards. Lucas was a Democrat and a strong personality, who shaped Iowa politics for the next 3 years.

1839: Abner Kneeland was a pantheist who had been prosecuted and persecuted in his native Massachusetts. He gathered followers and came to Iowa to be free from organized religion. His colony was an economic failure from the first, but descendants of the group still live in the Farmington area. For more information see Margaret Atherton Bonney, "The Salubria Story", The Palimpsest, 56:2 (March/April 1975), pp. 34-45.

1840: The land that became Iowa was counted in the 1836 and 1838 Wisconsin territorial censuses. Iowa had 10,531 people in 1836 and 22,859 in 1838. Doubling population every two years demonstrates the rapid growth of the new area. It doubled again by the time of the first census conducted by the United States government. This rapid growth of population continued until the end of the 19th century.

1840: The United States government began the process of moving the Winnebago out of Wisconsin to free more land for white settlement. The Winnebago had been forced to sign a treaty on 15 September 1832 giving up their land east of the Mississippi and south of the Wisconsin rivers, and agreeing to move west in 1839. They had not done so and the army began moving them into the Neutral Ground in 1840. They were still being moved by the army in 1843.

1841: Fort Atkinson was built to house the army, whose function was to keep the Winnebago from returning to Wisconsin, and also to protect them from attacks by Sioux and Sauk. It is often referred to as the only fort ever built by the United States government to protect one tribe of Indians from another.

1842: Additional land was opened to white settlement, and Native American Indians were forced farther and farther west.

1843: Additional land was opened to white settlement, and Native American Indians were forced farther and farther west. With this purchase a line of demarcation was established between Indian land and land open for white settlement. It was call the "Red Rock Line" and extended from the Neutral Ground to the Missouri border running through Marion, Lucas, and Wayne counties.

1844: The Legislative Assembly provided for a vote on a constitutional convention, and popular vote was in favor of one. The convention met in Iowa City and drafted a constitution, preliminary to application for statehood. It was introduced into the United State Senate and House of Representatives that year, but too late for a vote to be taken.

1845: The bill for Iowa statehood was passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law by President John Tyler, but created different boundaries than those drawn by the constitutional convention. Popular vote rejected the congressional bill because of the boundaries. Governor John Chambers recommended calling a new constitutional convention, the Legislative Assembly voted to re-submit to the people the same constitution as had been written in 1844, but the governor vetoed the bill. The Legislative Assembly passed the bill over the veto of the governor, and the same constitution was re-submitted to the voters, where it was rejected by popular vote.

1845: The 3rd and last so-called "Sac and Fox" cession opened a vast area of central and southern Iowa to white settlement, and effectively removed the Sauk and Mesquakie from Iowa in a legal sense.

1846: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly referred to as Mormons, started across the Mississippi River in February, and nearly 20,000 people began the trek across southern Iowa. They established their first permanent camp site at Sugar Creek in Lee County, the second at Garden Grove in Decatur County, their third at Mount Pisgah in Union County, and their fourth at Kanesville in Pottawattamie County. Except for those who remained at the first three camps, the majority spent the winter at Kanesville and at Winter Quarters, across the Missouri River in Nebraska. During the years 1846 through 1852 the Mormons continued to travel across southern Iowa and then on to the valley of the Great Salt Lake. This trek was under the leadership of Brigham Young, and the trail has been marked by the church, by private associations, and by the National Park Service. For more information see The Palimpsest, 47:9 (September 1966), pp. 353-384, and Jacob Van der Zee, "The Mormon Trails in Iowa", The Iowa Journal of History and Politics, 12:1 (January 1914), pp. 3-16.

1846: The Pottawattami Cession removed Native American Indian title to a vast slice of land in western Iowa, and led to the removal of more Indians to reservations in Kansas and later in Oklahoma.

1846: Another constitutional convention began in Iowa City. A new constitution was written, with boundaries drawn according to a compromise drafted by

Representative Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois. This new effort was passed by the Congress and signed into law by President James K. Polk. Prior to that the new constitution was submitted to the people and was narrowly approved. Governor James Clarke then called elections, even before the official acts had been passed by Congress and signed by the president. Ansel Briggs was elected the first Governor of the State of Iowa on 26 October 1846, before Iowa had been admitted to the Union, and the newly elected General Assembly of the State of Iowa met on 30 November 1846, also before Iowa had been admitted to the Union. The statehood bill was passed by the House of Representatives on 12 December 1846, by the Senate on 24 December 1846, and was signed into law on 28 December 1846. All conditions of the Congressional act were formally accepted by the General Assembly on 15 January 1847.

1846: William F. Cody's birth is claimed by McCausland and LeClaire. He lived in both places.

1847: The Great Seal of the State of Iowa is used on official documents, such as bills that become law, and on proclamations of governors. The description of the seal has not been changed since 25 February 1847, and is: "a sheaf and field of standing wheat with a sickle and other farming utensils, on the left side near the bottom; a lead furnace and pile of pig lead on the right side; the citizen soldier, with a plow in his rear, supporting the American flag and liberty cap with his right hand, and his gun with his left, in the center and near the bottom; the Mississippi river in the rear of the whole, with the steamer Iowa under way; an eagle near the upper edge, holding in his beak a scroll with the following inscription upon it: Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain."

1847: Although a state university was created with a Board of Trustees, no classes were held until 1855. For more information see The Palimpsest, 52:2 (February 1971), pp. 33-128.

1847: The Dutch settlers, a religious group led by Dominie Hendrik Peter Scholte, are only one example of the many ethnic and linguistic groups which settled in Iowa during the 19th century. These communities are the nucleus for the many local and ethnic museums in Iowa today. For additional information, please see The Palimpsest, Volume 45, # 4 (April 1964).

1848-1849: Fort Atkinson was abandoned, the Winnebago School was moved to Minnesota, and by terms of a treaty on 4 February 1847 the Winnebagos surrendered their rights to land in the Neutral Ground and agreed to move to a reservation north of the Minnesota River within one year. The army moved most of the Winnebago during the summer of 1848, but the remainder were scattered between Fort Atkinson and Fort Snelling as late as the autumn of 1849. The troops actually left Fort Atkinson on 24 February 1849. The years the Winnebago spent in the Neutral Ground were miserable for them. They had insufficient food, were not protected from the Sioux and the Sauk, were exposed to liquor sales from whites, did not benefit from the School, and few of them participated in the Model Farm.

1850: Three territorial and state censuses were taken between 1840 and 1850. In 1844 there were 75,152 people, in 1846 there were 102,388, in 1847 there were 116,454, and in 1849 there were 154,573 people. Although the rate of growth slowed during this decade, there were still almost 5 times as many people in Iowa in 1850 as had been counted in 1840. The frequent territorial censuses were one of the ways Iowans helped to persuade the national political leaders that a new state was needed.

1850: The revolutions of 1848 involved all countries in Europe, but especially significant was the attempt by the Hungarians to separate from the Hapsburg Empire where they were dominated by Austria. Lajos Kossuth was the major leader, and a county in Iowa is named for him. Laszlo Ujhazi led a small group of Hungarians to the hills of southern Iowa, and acquired thousands of acres. The colony lasted until 1858, when beset by economic and political problems most of the settlers left for other homes. A township name is all that remains of the Hungarian colony. For more information see Bela Vassady, "A Colony of Hungarian Forty-eighters in Iowa", The Annals of Iowa, 51:1 (Summer 1991), pp. 26-52.

1851: The Sioux Cession removed the final Native American Indian claim to land in Iowa, in the far north central and far northwest sections of the state. It was not the pressure of white settlement that brought about this action, for these areas were the last to be settled, much later in the 19th century.

1854: State fairs were held annually, with a few exceptions, from then until the present day. Later in the 19th century, the fair moved to Des Moines permanently, where it now occupies a huge fairgrounds in the east part of town.

1854: With the building of the railroad bridge, the legal conflicts between the steam boat companies and the railroad companies began. The bridge at Davenport did not last long, because it was struck by a steamboat and burned. It did mark the opening of Iowa to the railroad building mania, which continued for many decades.

1854: The Republican Party was formed because of the weakness and fragmenting of other political parties. Former members of the Whig Party, the Know-Nothing Party, the Free Soil Party, and Anti-Masonic Party, and others joined together in what was primarily an anti-slavery party. Several other communities claim to be the birthplace, most notably Ripon Wisconsin, and Ewart, Michgan.

1855: The Community of True Inspiration began as a pietistic separatist group in Europe, chiefly in Ronneburg, and also in Marienborn, Engelthal, Herrnhaag, and Arnsburg. They emigrated to Ebenezer, New York in 1842, but lack of land caused them to move further west. They ultimately established 6 villages in the Iowa River valley in Iowa County, and added a 7th village, center for 26,000 acres of farmland. The Amana Colonies are the longest lasting communal colonies of the dozens that were founded in the United States during the 19th century. For more information see The Palimpsest, 52:4 (April 1971), pp. 161-224.

1855: A term of school actually began at the university, but regular classes would not be held for another four years.

1856: Converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, mostly from England, Wales, and Denmark arrived in the United States and took the train as far as the railroad was built, to Iowa City. There they built hand carts and pulled them on across Iowa and the Great Plains to Salt Lake City. Many completed the journey in 1856, but some arrived at their destination in 1857. More than 2,200 Mormons made the trip with these hand carts. See The Palimpsest referred to in the 1846 Mormon trek across Iowa.

1856: Many Mesquakie (now sometimes spelled Meskwaki) never left Iowa when they were ordered to do so in 1845, and those that did move were unhappy on their Kansas reservation. In January 1856 the General Assembly passed an act permitting the Native American Indians still in the state to remain here, particularly in Tama County. A census was to be taken and the exemption applied only to them. More came back from Kansas that year, and they attempted to purchase land. Because they wished to own the land as a tribal group, rather than as individuals, they petitioned Governor James W. Grimes to act as their trustee for this purpose. He agreed, and in 1857 they purchased their first 80 acres. Over the next few decades they acquired about 3,800 acres along the Iowa River in Tama County, creating a "Settlement", not a reservation. Several hundred descendants of these Mesquakies and others live on the Settlement near Tama today, and are famous for their Pow Wow and their casino. For more information see The Palimpsest, 48:7 (July 1967), pp. 289-320.

1856: The federal government made land grants to four railroad lines this year, to begin in Dubuque, Lyons (Clinton), Davenport, and Burlington. Alternating sections of land along the right-of-way across the state were granted, and income from the sales of this land was to be used to pay for the building of the railroad lines. If alternating sections were already sold, alternative land in equal amounts were to be granted to the railroads. These four lines were the nucleus of the first trans-state lines in Iowa. Although this began in 1868, the railroads were not completed until 1868, because of the interruption of the Civil War.

1857: The new constitution of 1857 revised several things about state government, adding the office of Lieutenant Governor, removing the clause that forbid the creation of banks of issue, and reducing the terms of the Governor to two years. The capital was moved to Des Moines from Iowa City, to be nearer the projected center of population for the state. For additional information, please see Iowa Constitution and Essays. Sharon Robinson (ed.). Des Moines: House of Representatives Public Information Office, 1978.

1857: When the State Historical Society of Iowa was created, public funds were granted for its use. The first offices were in the former state capitol building in Iowa City, and the organization moved from location to location until permanent quarters were located in Schaeffer Hall on the campus of the University of Iowa. It remained there until a new building was constructed for its use in 1959 at 402 Iowa Avenue in Iowa City.

1857: The economic depression, called the Panic of 1857, had major effects in Iowa, although most of these effects were in 1858. Banks failed, including the Cook-Sargent Bank in Davenport, one of the largest and most influential banks in Iowa. Population growth was slowed in almost every town in Iowa, the exception being Lyons, now a part of Clinton. Sometimes the population decline was significant, although it is possible that census figures were less than accurate during these years.

1858: Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm began this year, but became a Land Grant College after federal law, the Morrill Act, was passed in 1862. Actually no classes were held by this college until 1869.

1859: Samuel Jordan Kirkwood made his reputation as a strong pro-Union Governor of Iowa during the first part of the Civil War. He went on to serve as a U. S. Senator and member of President Garfield's cabinet, the only Iowan ever to serve as Governor, Senator, and cabinet member.

1860: Natural disasters, such as tornadoes, floods, and blizzards were regular events in Iowa history. Loss of life was often considerable, and various solutions to prevent major disasters were proposed. As we know from the 1993 floods, there is very little that can be done to prevent them when nature presents these challenges. For more information, see The Palimpsest, Volume 40 (1959).

1861: Iowa's response to the outbreak of war between the states, called the Civil War, was an outpouring of enlistments in the army, support by financial

contributions, and by production of tremendous quantities of food to supply the Union armies during the war.

1861: Annie Turner Wittenmyer was a noted leader for improvement of the conditions in Civil War hospitals. She led the fight for better food and better nursing care. For her service she was recognized by President Abraham Lincoln and by General Ulysses S. Grant. Wittenmyer was from Keokuk, Iowa, and was a leader of equal importance to Clara Barton.

1862: Samuel Freeman Miller, of Keokuk, was the only Iowan ever to serve on the U. S. Supreme Court. He served from 1862 until his death in 1890, and was noted as a leading Constitutional scholar and interpreter, and also for the number of dissenting opinions he offered. His home in Keokuk is now operated as a museum by the Lee County, Iowa History Society.

1862: The Homestead Act was a federal law that allowed people to settle on unsold land, improve it, construct buildings on it, and receive the land free after a five year residency. Much of Iowa was surveyed and sold prior to this law, but some land in north central and north west Iowa was eligible for homesteading.

1863: The reform in the banking laws this year provided for more safety in banking institutions. It was passed as a result of the Panic of 1857, during which many state and private banks failed, causing people to lose money. By mere chance the application of the Davenport bank was processed first.

1865: James Harlan of Mount Pleasant was the first Iowan to serve in a

President's cabinet. He was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln and also served briefly under President Andrew Johnson. He then reclaimed his former Senate seat. Harlan's daughter, Mary, married Robert Todd Lincoln, the only surviving child of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. The Harlan home in Mount Pleasant is now preserved as a museum by Iowa Wesleyan College.

1865: The effects of the Civil War included many deaths, injuries, and diseases. It also brought about the supremacy of the Republican Party in Iowa politics for the next several decades, through the efforts of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), a veterans' organization of soldiers who had fought in the Civil War. The Women's Relief Corps, the women's auxiliary, was also a potent political and social force in Iowa for many decades. As a result of the Civil War, Iowa farming became much more commercially oriented, less subsistence, and the outlook of Iowans became less provincial, more a part of the national scene.

1868: Alexander Clark brought a law suit to allow admission of his daughter to the public schools in Muscatine. The Iowa Supreme Court held that "separate" was not "equal" and ordered Susan Clark, an African-American, admitted to the public schools. This effectively integrated Iowa's schools 96 years before the federal court decision, Brown vs. the Board of Education in Topeka, did the same thing on a national scale. Alexander Clark, Jr. was the first African-American graduate of the College of Law at the University of Iowa. Alexander Clark, Sr. was, himself, the second one.

1868: Iowa supported the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the United States Constitution. In general Iowa supported the abolition of slavery, the making of former slaves as citizens, and the legalizing of the right to vote of former slaves. It is worth noting that all of these changes only involved MEN, and women were not allow to vote until 1920.

1868: The Patrons of Husbandry, commonly known as the Grange, was an organization devoted to improving the educational and social life of farmers. Because of the economic distress on farms following the Civil War, the group came to have economic and political activities as well. The railroad reform laws in Iowa were erroneously referred to as "Grange Laws", and the Grange did fight for the rights of farmers versus the power of the railroads and the elevators. Much of their political program was adopted by the Populist political party later in the century.

1869: The Iowa Board of Immigration published booklets in several languages (English, German, Dutch, Danish, and Swedish) to encourage European immigration to Iowa. Agents went to Europe, particularly to northern and western Europe and distributed these, in Germany, Netherlands, and in Scandinavian countries. European immigration to Iowa burgeoned during the last two decades of the 19th century. For additional information, please see Iowa: The Home for Immigrants (1870); Iowa State Journal of Research, Volume 60, # 1 (August 1985), pp. 107-128; The Goldfinch, Volume 3, # 2 (November 1981); The Palimpsest, Volume 40, # 8 (August 1959), Volume 43, # 4 (April 1962); Volume 46, # 12 (December 1965), Volume 47, # 5 (May 1966), Volume 56, # 5 (September/October 1975), and Volume 59, # 1 (January/February 1978).

1869: The agricultural college at Ames led the way in what was called "scientific farming", and farmers were made more aware of the need to conserve the topsoil, to improve the quality of grain crops and livestock, and to accept the help of scientists and other experts to bring about more prosperity in rural areas.

1871: Amelia Jenks Bloomer was a suffrage and temperance leader from Council Bluffs. She is most famous for the short skirt and pantaloon costume which bears her name. But she is most important for her role in promoting the cause of women's voting rights in Iowa, and for her newspaper publishing experience in the temperance movement.

1873: Like previous economic depressions, this one led to bank failures, mortgage foreclosures, and a decline in employment. It was especially hard on the farmers who were already economically depressed because of adjustments after the Civil War.

1876: A former Civil War orphan's home in Cedar Falls was the first building used by the Iowa Normal School, which, under the name Iowa State Teachers College, because one of the three leading teacher-training colleges in the United States. The school still operates, now called University of Northern Iowa.

1880: James Baird Weaver of Bloomfield (Davis County, Iowa) was a Civil War general, a congressman, an historian, a lawyer, and a leading temperance orator. He is also one of two Iowans to be twice nominated for president of the United States. Herbert Hoover was the other one. In 1890 Weaver moved to Des Moines and about 1900 he moved to Colfax. He died in 1912 at the Des Moines home of his daughter Susan (Mrs. Harry C.) Evans.

1880: John Llewellyn Lewis, of Welsh ethnic origin, moved from the coal camps of Lucas County, Iowa to become the national president of the United Mine Workers, and ultimately the founder of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, the first massive combination of labor unions that were not craft oriented.

1884: The new capitol building, the same one now in use, was dedicated. This building was built on a grand scale because it was considered proper at that time in our history for government buildings to be impressive visually. Many county court houses from this period are also grand buildings. It was thought that such architectural styles would bring about better obedience to the law.

1885: William Larrabee of Clermont was noted as the railroad reform governor of Iowa. During his two terms the powers of the railroad companies to control the economy and the politics of Iowa were limited. Larrabee's home, Clermont, is now operated as a museum by the State Historical Society of Iowa.

1888: Henry Agard Wallace was a member of a prominent family that included his grandfather, "Uncle Henry", and his father, Henry Cantwell Wallace. Uncle Henry was appointed by the Rural Life Commission by President Theodore Roosevelt, and also began the publication of Wallace's Farmer, a leading agricultural periodical. Henry C. Wallace served as Secretary of Agriculture under President Warren G. Harding, as well as editor of Wallace's Farmer. Henry A. served as editor of the family paper, as Secretary of Agriculture under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as Vice President of the U. S., Secretary of Commerce under Presidents Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, and was a candidate for President in 1948. Wallace is most noted for his work in developing hybrid corn.