Fundementals of Nevada History

Nevada, known as the Sagebrush State, is a fairly young state in comparison to most of the states in the East part of the country. It is not highly populated and ranks as thirty fifth most populated and the ninth least densely populated of the fifty states (McNally, 2003). Nevada has a state constitution that contains key provisions that make it unique and has a specific reason for being admitted into the union. Nevada also has a minority population that has been a part of key civil rights events that have helped to shape the state's history. Although the state of Nevada has a rich history many know the state for its production of minerals and its relationship to gaming.

In 1864 Nevada became the 36th state to enter the union (Forseith, 2010). This was just prior to the presidential election and Nevada being a member of the union would ensure a win for Abraham Lincoln and deliver three fourths majority to congress for the Republican Party. Provisions that were included in Nevada's constitution were that slavery was not allowed in Nevada; the federal government would continue to own 86% of the federal land and no taxes would be levied on it; and there would be freedom of religious worship in Nevada.

The State of Nevada depends greatly on the revenues generated from mining and gaming. Although there are industries that when examined over the aggregate could afford to contribute more of their bottom line, gaming and mining still have the biggest targets on their backs (McNally, 2003). It is possible that part of the reason is because the state constitution actually has written into it that mining will not be expected to pay more than a certain amount. These two industries are responsible for a large contribution to fund state projects and are singled out due to the special nature of how they conduct their business.

Right around the same time that Nevada became a part of the United States, there was a migration of Blacks from around the state to Virginia City, Nevada (Forseith, 2010). There had been prospecting action and there was work to be done. Then 1 year later in 1865 slavery was abolished in the United States and blacks organized the Nevada Executive Committee to petition the Nevada Legislature for voting rights.

The role of mining and gaming in the history and ongoing story of Nevada are very important. The State of Nevada depends greatly on the revenues generated from mining and gaming (Forseith, 2010). Although there are industries that when examined over the aggregate could afford to contribute more of their bottom line, gaming and mining still have the biggest targets on their backs. It is possible that part of the reason is because the state constitution actually has written into it that mining will not be expected to pay more than a certain amount (McNally, 2003). These two industries are responsible for a large contribution to fund state projects and are singled out due to the special nature