What significant event was a large reason why Nevada became a territory quizlet?

The Mexican-American War was one event that first brought settlers into what is now Nevada due to the cession by Mexico of vast territories to the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. The United States was involved in a war with Mexico for control of California. President James K. Polk launched the war in 1846 which followed the doctrine of Manifest Destiny, ending successfully for the Americans in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Thus, the United States was granted control over Nevada, California, Utah, and parts of New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arizona, allowing settlers to move into this newly acquired set of western land.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons), which was founded in western New York State, claimed to have received a set of golden plates containing scripture from the angel Moroni and the Urim and Thummin to interpret them. Conflict with more traditional Christian groups led the Mormons to move to Nauvoo, Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri, led by Joseph Smith. The murder of the Mormon prophet in a Carthage, Illinois ended up moving the Mormons once more led by Brigham Young, Smith's successor. This movement lasted from 1846 to 1847, where 15,000 men, women, and children came to rest at the Great Salt Lake. This region was still within the sovereignty of Mexico. However, up until March 1849, Young had declared the independent state of Deseret, which included present-day Nevada, Utah, southern California, parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Idaho. After 1848, Great Basin was no longer foreign territory, which led to an aggressive movement of Mormons into its northern and southern regions to settle.

During the end of the Mexican War, gold was discovered near Sacramento, California at Sutter's Mill on the American River. Thus, in 1849, thousands traveled from the east to California, some from South America, and others overland through the northern Great Basin in hopes of finding mineral wealth. After 1848, Great Basin was no longer a foreign territory, which caused the rush of California gold seekers through this region which created a need for supply settlements along the overland route, which includes current day Nevada.

1. The migration of Mormon followers, the Mexican-American War, and the Gold Rush indirectly contributed to the settlement of Nevada.

When Mormons sought freedom from religious persecution, Brigham Young led the group to the Great Salt Lake and proclaimed the independent State of Deseret. This region included Nevada, and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints eventually settled in the northern regions, and eventually, the Carson Valley. This settlement, the Mormon Station, became a trading post, and as they developed agriculture and a civilization there, non-Mormons began to settle there as well. caused rift that would lead to nv separation from utah territory. Young also sent some of his party to southern Nevada to establish another supply station and to convert the Native Americans to Mormonism.

In 1848, the United States defeated Mexico in the Mexican-American War, guadalupe hidalgo, obtaining the state of California and much of the southwest. This cession of territory prompted the government to define boundaries and statehood. Upon the Compromise of 1850, the Mexican Cession was broken up into New Mexico and Utah Territories, and what would later become Nevada was split in two.

Finally, the discovery of gold in California contributed to the flood of entrepreneurs crossing the Great Basin, the increase in trade posts and supply stations along the way, and ultimately, Nevada's future development. more populated in Genoa, Mormon Station

2. When Nevada was finally established as a separate territory, territorial governor James Nye appointed heads to territorial offices, created a judiciary, and planned to hold elections for a legislature. These actions formed an essential political organization in the territory, ending the "era of anarchy and confusion" (11). enforce law and order, estagblish mining rights. dtmn capital

In 1863 an election was called for to test the waters for the possibility of statehood of the newly acclaimed Nevada Territory. With results of overwhelming support, the delegates drafted an unauthorized constitution. This 1863 Constitution, however, failed to address the mining tax and combined the ballot for state officials with its ratification. It also suffered a split in the Union Party. Ultimately, the constitution was defeated.

It wasn't until later that Senator James Doolittle introduced a bill to Congress allowing Nevada to hold a constitutional convention and establish a government that statehood become a real possibility. The bill guaranteed President Lincoln the votes to assure a two-thirds majority for the abolition of slavery, as well as the electoral votes to help the president win the next election. It also appealed to the Radical Republicans and secured a Republican nominee. The national election and many of the political factors unrelated to Nevada is what essentially allowed the territory to become one of the first western states.

After this bill, the second constitutional convention was held and the 1864 Constitution was created, adjusting its predecessor's flaws. It was approved with overwhelming support.

1) Like the United States Constitution, Nevada's constitution includes both civil rights and civil liberties. The Declaration of Rights in Article 1 of the state's constitution outlines the government's role to protect the people from acts against one another. This includes inalienable rights such as happiness, safety, and equality among men. The article also lists an adaptation of the Bill of Rights, a list of liberties which serve to protect the people from the power of the government.

Yet Nevada has demonstrated little disregard for minority rights in the state's history—most notably, the Native Americans. Not only did settlers take the natives' land and break countless treaties, they stuck the tribes in reservations and enacted discriminatory laws against them. For a period, it was prohibited to sell alcohol and firearms to this minority group, and it was illegal for them to intermarry and attend school. In the 1920s Native American children could finally attend public school, but it wasn't until the 1940s that Nevada began repealing the discriminatory regulations and condoning this social behavior. In 1946, the federal government began paying the tribes for the land taken from them, but this was not the compensation the natives sought. The government has made several efforts to appease the Washo and Timbisha Shoshone tribes since. In one case, land in the Mojave was granted permanently to the Shoshone, but only at a fraction of what they used to own. The Native Americans' civil rights may have improved, but their civil liberties have yet to be fully achieved.

2) In the Progressive Era, the western states pushed for greater democratic participation, or direct democracy, and this reform led to the creation of three special election processes.

The first is the initiative process, which allows citizens of the state to enact laws and propose amendments independently of the legislature. This occurs when a petition for the amendment or legislation is signed by 10 percent of the previous election's voters from each congressional district. If the petition proposes a statute, the bill goes to the state legislature, then if approved, to the governor to sign into law. If no action is made or the statute is rejected, the legislation will be put on the next general election ballot for voters to decide. If the petition is for an amendment, it is put directly on the ballot and approved with a simple majority. An initiative was passed in 1994 and 1996 that enacted term limits on all state and local officials, not just the governor.

The second election is through referendum. This allows voters to approve or disapprove any law passed by the state legislature. The legislature could utilize the referendum to begin with, or voters can demand the election by petition. The requirements for the petition stand the same as the initiative process, excluding the rule that the 10 percent be dispersed among the districts. With enough signatures, the law is put on the ballot for the people to vote, and if it's supported, the law remains in the statute books; otherwise, it is repealed. In this case, a law approved by referendum through a petition could not be repealed or changed by the legislature.

The third process is recall, in which voters can remove any local or state official from office before the end of his or her term. This requires a petition to be signed by 25 percent of those who voted in the officeholder's last election. The official then has five days to resign or a recall election is held.

2) Gaming is the most dominant interest group in Nevada because it is the state's chief industry, a primary campaign contributor, and composed of a successful network of lobbyists. The gaming industry concerns the "economic health" of the state, so officials must protect this sector and its employees to secure their position in the legislature. This increases the economic power of the industry over other branches, and therefore, its political power as well. The industry also contributes a large amount to political campaigns, and it has a knack for choosing the winning candidate. Finally, the "high-quality, well-connected" lobbyists in the interest group provide essential access to government officials and positions.

Other groups with significant lobbying success include the Nevada State Education Association and their thousands of volunteers, the State of Nevada Employees Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Nevada Taxpayers Association.

1) The first executive officer is the Governor of Nevada, and his or her duties encompass those of Chief Executive, Chief of State, and Chief Legislator. As Chief Executive, the governor sees that the laws are faithfully executed and also appoints other executive branch officials. As Chief of State, the governor meets with the President and other state governors, representing Nevada and its interests. Chief Legislator manages budget proposals, proposes legislation, and holds the power of the veto and the ability to call special sessions. The governor is also considered the Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard as well as Chief of Party.

The second officer is the Lieutenant Governor, who can become the governor through vacancy or "absence from the state" (92). Considered a part-time position, the Lieutenant Governor has few powers. He or she is designated the president of the senate, the governor's confidant, and the chairship of Commission on Tourism.The most important day-to-day activity of the Lt. Governor is to direct efforts relating to tourism and economic development.

The Attorney General is the chief legal advisor, tasked with creating the biennial report on the condition of law enforcement. The Attorney General provides legal advice to various government agencies, defends the state in court, and oversees the district attorneys. He or she is also a member of the Board of State Prison Commissioners, the Board of Examiners, and the Board of Pardons Commissioners.

The fourth officer is the Secretary of State, responsible for signing all state grants and commissions, serving on the Board of Sate Prison Commissioners and the Board of Examiners, and keeping the record of official acts and journals of the legislative and executive branches.

The Controller position issues warrants to the Treasurer. He or she has the duty of chief bookkeeper of state expenditures and chief auditor. The Controller advises the legislature on how to pay claims against the state.

The Treasurer receives all the money paid to the state and spends it upon the Controller's warrant. The Treasurer deposits state funds and ensures their security and accumulating interest.

1) The four major sectors to Nevada's judicial system include the Nevada Supreme Court, the district courts, and the justice and municipal courts.

The Nevada Supreme Court makes the final decisions in important cases, and has both appellate and original jurisdiction. The court also has the power to issue various writs. Because of an increase in population and an exponential increase in workload, the supreme court faces extensive backlog. The intermediate court of appeals alleviates some congestion, but in order to further decrease the number of cases, the supreme court only hears "questions of law" and divides the work among two panels and seven justices. Justices hear arguments from opposing attorneys and then convene and cast their votes.

The district courts hear cases by individual judges, not panels, although defendants in criminal cases are granted trial by jury. The courts also have both original and appellate jurisdiction. In original jurisdiction, the district courts see a broad number of serious criminal offenses and civil cases over $10,000, as well as appeals from state administrative agencies. In appellate jurisdiction, the district courts hear appeals from the municipal and justice courts.

The courts of limited jurisdiction are the lowest tier of the judicial system. Municipal courts only have original jurisdiction, seeing minor criminal and civil cases mostly consisting of traffic violations and violations of city ordinances. The justice courts hear cases involving minor criminal offenses and civil cases less than $10,000. The justice courts also hold preliminary hearings to determine if there is probable cause to proceed with the trial in district court. These two courts limit the number of moot cases that reach the higher courts, and they are required to record their proceedings to limit the number of new trials at the next level of the system.

Family Court is an important component of District Court. When the book was written there were ten districts (see page 104) In the 2015 legislative session an 11th district was added.

1) The primary sources of state revenue are taxes, fines and fees, and the federal government.

There are a variety of gaming taxes that make up the state's revenue. The industry taxes the gross income of each casino, live entertainment, and each gaming table and slot machine. While revenue helps fund education and other needs, hits to the gaming industry can lead to recession and a drop in revenue for the state.

Sales taxes in Nevada are some of the highest in the United States, and by relying mostly on tourism, the state has shifted the tax burden away from residents, contributing to a very low property tax. However, sales taxes are relatively unstable, and this makes it difficult to estimate state income over a biennial period. Therefore, when there is a greater need for social services due to population growth or an economic downturn, sales tax will decrease, and responding to immediate needs becomes difficult. Also, the tax system is regressive, favoring those with higher income over the poor, while the significantly low amount of taxes in the state already limit social services.

Property taxes in Nevada are utilized more at the local level, and the state has put a cap on property taxes to prevent the sharp increase in home valuations and the stress on individual property owners. Excise taxes are collected only on specific items, and they contribute to the maintenance of public roads.

The state also collects fines for parking and traffic violations, as well as a variety of fees. The federal government provides grants to the state, usually for designated purposes.

1) The two primary factors that have shaped Nevada since 1980 are the two-party competition and the rapid population growth. In the 1980's, Reagan's favorable standing and the increase in upper class populations led to the Republicans' comeback. This created a relatively equal delegation between both parties. Since then, Nevada's representation has remained relatively equal between Democrats and Republicans, although the state has voted blue in most recent elections. Depending on the dominant party, state and local policy will reflect that party's platform. The contrasting opinions in the government allow for discourse and compromise, and it reflects Nevada's broad and diverse population.

As the population increases, the new residents require immediate services, straining the ability of Nevada's sales tax to provide for everyone. In the past thirty years, the state has been pressed for new schools, roads, and infrastructure to accommodate for this immigration. The "construction boom" before Great Recession engendered many building projects and structural needs, but the industry saw a rapid decline after the housing market crashed (138).

2) The author mentions the hypocrisy of certain demographics in Nevada, specifically the growing number of retirees and those in more rural areas. Many of these individuals are critics of Nevada's reliance on the federal government, despite the fact the federal government paved the way for Nevada's success, from investing in the state's infrastructure to leaving gaming regulations up to the state.

The retirees require government pensions and greater medical care, and yet they are known to refuse funding for social services that do not benefit them personally, like the development of new schools and parks. Meanwhile, Nevada's urban population is increasing, putting strain on sales taxes and the immediate services applicable for these new residents. With Nevada's significantly low taxes, the funding for social services is already quite low compared to other states. This public revenue structure combined with the regressive tax system do not lend much aid to residents of lower income.

There is also hypocrisy among those who refuse federal assistance, when the federal government contributed the most to Nevada's growth and prosperity. For instance, more rural counties are often proponents of turning federal lands over to the states—a goal of the Sagebrush Rebellion in the 70's—and they continue to fight raising the rents on grazing lands and mining claims, even if the rates are below average. Water supply in these areas is on the decline, creating conflict between urban and ranching communities. Most of Nevada's irrigation is used for crops and agriculture, so as population increases and urban necessities rise, the state will have to look into buying water rights.

It's in these ways that many of the residents in Nevada focus primarily on their own circumstances and personal lives, rather than the needs of others.