Why is nevada the silver state

In gold and silver were found in the region, and thousands of settlers rushed there in hopes of getting rich. Nevada became a state in Nevada is bordered by Oregon and Idaho in the north, Utah and Arizona in the east, and California in the west, and California and Arizona in the south.

Its high ridges and deep canyons were carved as water slowly eroded the land over thousands of years. The steep Sierra Nevada mountain range crosses part of southern Nevada. The remainder of the state is covered by the Basin and Range Region, an area of more than mountain ranges, plus many buttes flat-topped hills , hot springs, and geysers.

Also in this region, in the southern part of the state, the low Mojave Desert crosses the California border into Nevada. Clear water and boulders in Lake Tahoe's Sand Harbor. A commuter bus travels along an unpaved road from the top-secret military installation at the Nevada Test and Training Range known as Area 51 on July 22, , near Rachel, Nevada.

Roadside artwork featuring a tow truck and a flying saucer is displayed at the Little A'Le'Inn restaurant and gift shop on July 22, , in Rachel, Nevada. A night view of the Las Vegas Strip, seen on October 18, An aerial view across the suburban communities east of downtown Las Vegas. Pyramid Island, seen at sunset in Pyramid Lake. Black Rock City, a gathering of approximately 70, people that is created annually for the Burning Man arts and music festival, is seen in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, on September 1, Long rows of transmission towers carry power lines near Boulder City.

Hoover Dam holds back the Colorado River, on the border between the states of Nevada left and Arizona. A fisherman tries his luck in the Truckee River as it flows through downtown Reno, Nevada, on April 13, A section on Notable People, a calendar of events, and enough primary source documents, time lines, maps, and other tools to make this unquestionably the best young adult reference material on the USA available anywhere.

Nevada: A History , by Robert Laxalt. Publisher: University of Nevada Press November 1, An evocative portrait of the state that "didn't deserve to be" but became one anyway. First published in , this edition includes a new preface that reexamines Laxalt's predictions for Nevada made almost 20 years ago and reflects on the changes that have occurred in the state: the urban plight of Las Vegas and Reno, the renewed appreciation of the land by conservationists and opportunists, and the explosive growth of tourism and gaming.

Hulse recounts the major events--historical, political, and social--that have shaped our state. Hulse's cohesive approach offers students and general readers an accessible account of Nevada's colorful history. The new edition highlights the social and political changes that have occurred since the original publication of The Silver State in Hulse discusses the impact of a growing population; changes in the economy and education system; expanding roles of women; recent developments in state politics, including the legislative session; the influence of Nevada's growing ethnic population and increasingly divergent demographic groups; and the impact of federal policies, including President George W.

Bush's decision to authorize the opening of a nuclear-waste depository at Yucca Mountain. In addition, all the recommended reading lists have been updated.

Uncovering Nevada's Past , edited by John B. Reid, Ronald M. Publisher: University of Nevada Press April 1, Nevada's relatively brief history has been nonetheless remarkably eventful. From the activities of the first Euro-American explorers to the booms and busts of the mining industry, from the struggles and artistry of the Native Americans to the establishment of liberal divorce laws and such unique industries as legalized gambling and prostitution, from Cold War atomic tests to the civil rights movement, from the arrival of a diverse and rapidly growing urban population to the Sagebrush Rebellion, Nevada has played a part in the nation's development while following its own ruggedly independent path.

Reid and Ronald M. James have collected more than fifty major documents and visual images--some never before published--that define Nevada's colorful and complex development. Bruce Morelan, owner of the silver dollar said to be among most expensive ever sold, is preparing to put the coin up for public auction in Las Vegas.

A silver dollar believed to be one of the first-ever minted is going up for auction by the owner in Las Vegas. If the buyer is another Nevadan, that might not surprise UNLV history professor Michael Green because Nevada has a storied history with a strong connection to silver.

When people started pouring into California during the gold rush, Green explained, they also started looking for gold on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada, thinking if there is gold on the west side there might be gold on the eastern side.

Some gold was found, but they also found a blue-gray gunk that most people thought was trash. In reality, it was silver. It was the first major silver discovery in the U.

This inspired migration into the region. That also led to a myth surrounding Nevada's statehood, Green said. Nevada became a state in and people still believe it was because President Abraham Lincoln needed the state's silver to fund the Union war effort. Green notes that isn't the case. Nevada was already a territory with less autonomy than a state, meaning Lincoln already had easy access to the state's silver.

Instead, Green said Lincoln was up for re-election and likely needed another electoral vote. In addition, he needed another congressman to vote for the 13th Amendment and another state to ratify it. When the Comstock Lode brought barely enough people to Nevada to become a state, it became part of the Union.