History of Linn County Iowa: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time [1911]Brewer, Luther Albertus
History
History of Linn County Iowa: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time [1911]
Brewer, Luther Albertus
Linn County (Iowa) -- Biography; Linn County (Iowa) -- History; Registers of births, etc. -- Iowa -- Linn County
"There was a rapid increase in population until the separate
Territorial government was established, June 12, 1838. The
first capital was Burlington, and the place of meeting of
the legislature was in a church. Robert Lucas was appointed
Territorial Governor, and William B. Conway, Secretary. The
Territorial Legislature met on November 12, 1838.
Burlington continued to be the seat of Territorial
government till 1841, when Iowa City became the capital.
"The Territory of Iowa had a heated dispute with the State
of Missouri over the boundary line between the two.
Missouri's northern boundary was the parallel of latitude
passing through the rapids of the river Des Moines. There
were two rapids, eight or ten miles apart, and the dispute
was as to which of these was meant, Missouri insisting upon
the northern and Iowa on the southern one. Each government
tried to enforce its authority. In the attempt to do this,
Governor Boggs, of Missouri, called out the militia; then
Governor Lucas, of Iowa, called out his soldiers. Five
hundred men were under arms. On the petitions of Iowa and
Missouri, Congress authorized a suit to settle the
controversy, which resulted in a decision favorable to Iowa.
"Further treaties were made with the Indians by which
additional land was gained for settlement. A large tract of
land was opened to settlers on May 1, 1843, and on the
preceding night there was a rush of land seekers similar to
that which had occurred ten years before; over a thousand
families settled in the newly opened lands within twelve
hours.
"The very rapid increase in population led to a demand for
statehood. On July 31, 1840, the Territorial Legislature
passed an Act by which it called for a vote of the people on
the question of assembling a constitutional convention. In
August the vote was taken, resulting in the defeat of the
proposition by a vote of two thousand nine hundred and seven
to nine hundred and thirty-seven. Another vote was taken in
1842, resulting in the same way, but on February 12, 1844,
the suggestion of a constitutional convention met the
approval of the majority of the electors, and without
waiting for a Federal Enabling Act a Constitution was
adopted by a convention which met at Iowa City, October 7,
1844, and finished its work November 1st of the same year.
This Constitution was submitted to Congress by the
Territorial delegate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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